Responsible Travel

At Rainbow, it’s always been in our ethos to travel the world responsibly. We immerse ourselves in each of our host countries, so it’s only natural for us to want to give back and protect their environments – so that they thrive for future generations to appreciate.

Our founder, Roger Diski, embedded this approach into our values. His vision was clear: to show these places are to be fallen in love with, not pitied. Appreciating wildlife, grand landscapes and authentic cultures is deeply special and enriching. That’s why we’re committed to making a positive impact with our sustainability initiatives and charitable partnerships.

Caring for and Committed to our Host Communities

Image credit: Money for Madagascar

The well-being of our host communities is at the centre of our ideology.

This means giving back to them and supporting local where possible. We work with intimate wildlife lodges that offer secure employment opportunities to people in oftentimes remote communities. Additionally, we partner with respected NGOs to tackle pervasive issues such as rural poverty and limited healthcare access.

By playing an active part in the ecotourism process, we contribute to the upliftment of resident communities around biodiversity hotspots. As our output supports employment and also education opportunities, pressure on vulnerable ecosystems is reduced.

Passionate about Protecting Wildlife & our Environment

Curating our enriching wildlife experiences is something we simply love doing. But without effective conservation measures in place to secure the continued existence of the stunning array of species we enable our guests to appreciate in their natural homes, fulfilling our passion wouldn’t be possible.

That’s why we choose to support local conservation efforts such as small reforestation projects, especially those aimed at creating corridors for wildlife to migrate between isolated forest blocks.

Within conservation, habitat restoration is one of the most important aspects helping to protect wildlife and safeguard the integrity of our environment. Contributing towards ensuring that endangered species have a more secure home and doing our part to reduce the impact of global warming on the planet is vital. The conservation success stories we support are incredibly exciting. There’s no better feeling than seeing once-decimated wildlife populations thriving thanks to animal translocation and restocking programmes, and conservation education along with initiatives such as poacher reformation programmes.

See our full animal welfare policy

Reducing Emissions through our Sustainability Initiatives

As part of the Inspiring Travel Company (ITC), we’ve come together to instil key initiatives to reduce our carbon emissions. Protecting our planet and helping you travel responsibly while promoting awareness of these issues and supporting local projects is integral to us.

Positive Planet

We’ve partnered with Positive Planet to reduce our carbon emissions.

Working with Positive Planet, we’ve gained a deeper understanding of our carbon emissions and how to mitigate them. With this awareness across the whole of ITC, we’ve developed a strategy with actionable and achievable steps to help us become a part of the climate solution. These steps include educating our team on carbon literacy, using renewable energy sources in our offices, reducing waste and using local supplies. Additionally, we work with carefully selected suppliers in our host countries, who adhere to responsible travel ethics and who conscientiously ensure that operations are run with sustainability in mind.

Find out more about our work with Positive Planet

Carbon Footprint Net Zero Plan

There are many measures which must be taken by the travel industry to mitigate the negative effects of CO2 on the planet. For any company to work towards reaching ‘net zero’, they must aim to remove CO2 from processes as far as this is possible and engage with certifiable offsetting schemes with a view to balancing out residual emissions.

Off the back of partnering with Positive Planet, the wider ITC group has developed and adopted a strategy for achieving Net Zero across the business – a goal we aim to achieve by 2035.

Read our carbon emissions report

Dedicating Donations to our Charitable Partners

By raising funds and supporting the exemplary work that selected African and Latin American charities carry out, we hope to make a difference for resident communities and wildlife. We’ve supported a range of admirable causes in their conservation efforts and continue to donate to inspiring projects.

Money for Madagascar

Image credit: Money for Madagascar

We’re a long-time supporter of Money for Madagascar, making donations for every Madagascar holiday booking. They fund various projects aimed at tackling key issues facing the country, including extreme poverty and loss of biodiversity.

In 2023, we raised £6,442, with a portion of our donations having been multiplied thanks to the Big Give Christmas Challenge.

Learn more about Money for Madagascar

The LATA Foundation

Image credit: The LATA Foundation

Through every Latin America booking, we donate to The LATA Foundation. Just some of the projects they support include providing educational and recreational opportunities for children and young people, supporting healthcare provision and aiding wildlife rehabilitation.

Learn more about The LATA Foundation

Uthando

Image credit: Uthando

With every South Africa booking made, we donate to Uthando. The non-profit and Fair Trade in Tourism organisation funds life-changing community development projects, including the Isiseko Educare Centre which provides education for vulnerable and underprivileged children.

Learn more about Uthando

Travel for Impact

Image credit: Stuart James Arnold and Travel for Impact

For some of our Botswana bookings, we make a donation to Travel for Impact. The NGO works with local charitable schemes to give practical guidance for effective and sustainable operations. Beneficiaries like Polokong can therefore provide daily meals and personal care for the community.

Learn more about Travel for Impact 

How to Travel More Sustainably

What else can you do to travel more sustainably? From eating out locally as much as possible to being water aware, we’ve put together our expert guide to help you lower your carbon footprint.

How to be a Responsible Tourist