At the Highlights Travel Family (China Highlights, Asia Highlights, Japan Highlights, and Global Highlights), our mission is "Creating beautiful journeys, both for customers and for ourselves," and this extends beyond organizing tours. We believe that travel should be a delightful exchange of experiences and insights, leaving both our explorers and the communities they visit, richer.
This is why we promote and practice "RESPECT" Policy in responsible travel, an approach that respects our host destinations' cultural, social, and natural environments, even as it allows us to fulfill our mission.
Respect
Do
- Respecting different cultures in all destinations we travel to.
- Respecting local religions, religious places and rituals.
- Respecting local customs and etiquette.
- Emphasizing appropriate dress standards.
- Realize that every destination is someone else's home.
Don't
- Your own cultural values and biases impact your judgments of others.
- Without permission before photographing, especially photo for children and aged people.
Economic Benefits
Do
- Designing and operating trips to feature local suppliers or suppliers who directly benefit the local community and economy.
- Encouraging our travelers to purchase from local suppliers and use local service providers, as well as supporting social enterprises, local trade, arts and crafts.
- Ensuring we have fair employment practices in place (and using suppliers who have similar employment practices).
- Supporting the community through a local school, clinic or development project may be more constructive.
Don't
- Pay local supplier higher price than its market price to get priority in an unsustainable way.
- Giving gifts or money to beggars, children and people you have just met.
- Engaging in any form of bribery, corruption or fraudulent activities.
Safety and Security
Do
- Choose reliable tour suppliers and buy travel insurance.
- Keep contact information of your tour suppliers.
- Ensure our type and scale of tourism is appropriate to local conditions and does not overload local infrastructure.
- Remember to take a copy of your passport, insurance policy.
- Keep your funds in a variety of forms – cash, traveler's cheques (preferably in an international currency, such as US dollars) and payment cards. - Avoid forms of payment that aren't commonly used where you're going.
Don't
- Insist on visiting dangerous places. (e.g. earthquake, conflicts, typhoon...)
- Delay report any concerns about safety, security, or unsafe or illegal behavior.
- Involved in sexual tourism of any kind. Support any business or organization that utilizes child labor.
- Use illegal drugs on our trips.
Partners
Do
- Choose partners who have the same values and practice responsible travel together with China Highlights.
- All suppliers and partners get fair pay from the Highlights Travel Family.
- Encouraging our suppliers to adopt more sustainable practices or choosing suppliers who already have greener practices in place.
Don't
- Stress on value for money rather than value.
Environment
Do
- Leave places as we would like to find them, leave only footprints…
- Take care of the environment as you would your own home. Take out all you take in, to areas away from the cities. Use alternatives to plastic and say 'No' to plastic bags. For cigarette butts, an empty film container makes a perfect portable container.
- Ensuring our vehicles/fleets are well-maintained and fuel-efficient. Encouraging travelers to minimize their water usage on the trip.
- Eating at local eateries (limiting food miles).
Don't
- Have a negative impact on animal welfare.
- Support the purchase or trafficking of items made from exotic or endangered animal products.
Culture
Do
- Communication with the local people properly, which promotes cross-cultural understanding.
- Encouraging local interaction and understanding of the local way of life.
- When you encounter culture-shocks, tell your guide or our staff to find reasonable reasons.
Don't
- Educate local people in your way.
- Judge local culture in your personal way and spread it to others through social media.
Think First
Do
- Keep the above policy in mind and know the reasons behind.
- After returning home think how you can support programs and organizations that are working to protect the welfare, culture and environment of where you've been lucky to visit.
Don't
- Let your kindness and affection be overflow.
Supporting Local People and Economies
Yao minority lady teaches traditional weaving
Customers learn how to make Zhuang minority snacks
Learn How to Make Clay Warriors from Local Artisans
Take Part in Environment Protection
Eco Day Program encourage customers to use public transportation
Donate for rehabilitation program of panda base in Liziping, Sichuan
Organize staff and family to join in natural observation