Active specialist Adventure Tours UK has announced today its certification as a B Corporation (or B Corp). The small group tour operator, which provides small group tours, self-guided holidays and corporate breaks throughout the UK, has been certified by B Lab, the not-for-profit behind the B Corp movement, as having met rigorous social and environmental standards which represent its commitment to goals outside of shareholder profit.
The B Corp certification addresses the entirety of a business’ operations and covers five key impact areas of Governance, Workers, Community, Environment and Customers. The certification process is rigorous, with applicants required to reach a benchmark score of over 80 while providing evidence of socially and environmentally responsible practices relating to energy supplies, waste and water use, worker compensation, diversity and corporate transparency. To complete the certification, the company has legally embedded their commitment to purpose beyond profit within their company articles.
Adventure Tours UK is now part of a community of 6,279 businesses globally who have certified as B Corps. The B Corp community in the UK, representing a broad cross section of industries and sizes, comprises over 1,100 companies and include well-known brands such as outdoor clothing specialist Patagonia, innocent and The Body Shop.
Recent attention on the travel industry makes Adventure Tours UK’s BCorp certification a notable step, signalling a shift towards greater accountability and transparency in a sector often criticised for a negative impact on destinations and the environment.
There are currently over 1,100 B Corps in the UK and 6,279 worldwide. Other travel industry B Corps include Intrepid Travel, TYF and Steppes Travel.
Claire Copeman, Co-founder of Adventure Tours UKIt’s been a long certification journey and our whole team have been invested in it from the outset. We are thrilled to finally become BCorp certified, affirming our passion and dedication to ensuring travel is truly a force for good. We are proud to share the UK’s wildest spaces with travellers from around the world and have always strived to do this with as positive an impact as possible on the communities and places we visit, while providing a fair and equitable workplace for our team. Achieving certification as a BCorp is a globally-recognised mark of our efforts and the beginning of the next stage of our journey as we continue to make travel better for everyone.”
Adventure Tours UK offer a host of multi-day active adventures that immerse their clients into the local culture and heritage through the incredible diverse landscapes they experience. They operate a range of adventures including scheduled small group tours from 4 to 14 days, self-guided and self-drive tours, tailor-made groups and family breaks as well as corporate events.
All group tours are locally led and include activities such as hiking, biking, yoga and foraging, plus coastal activities such as paddle boarding and surfing. Accommodation ranges from boutique, contemporary style hotels and traditional heritage style accommodation to glamping in the wilds – discover wild North Wales with a programme uniquely designed by the team.
Chris Turner, Executive Director of B Lab UKWelcoming Adventure Tours UK is an exciting moment because they have an opportunity to lead the way within the travel industry. We and the rest of the B Corp community are really pleased to support Adventure Tours UK in paving the way for a new way of doing things”
Adventure Tours UK are proud to be a finalist in the Travel Industry Awards 2022 for UK & Ireland Holiday Provider of the Year and to be shortlisted for the Service Industries Entrepreneur of the Year category at the 2022 Great British Entrepreneur Awards for the Wales region.
