Exodus Adventure Travels offers responsible activities and sustainable experiences by designing trips that minimise stress on oceans, the natural environment, and the wildlife and communities that inhabit these areas. We explore a positively impactful way to travel, guided by the company’s Head of Sustainability, Kasia Morgan.
ADVENTURE WITH A POSITIVE PURPOSE
As the majority of people seek to discover diverse regions of the world, the travel and tourism industry has flourished significantly since the 1800s when the concept of holidays began to capture the public’s imagination.
Advancements in modes of transport have broadened destination choices, with a pivotal change shaping modern tourism in the early 1960s – the introduction of jetliners.
Once an exclusive pursuit of the wealthy, international travel is now more accessible than ever as budget airlines, mobile apps, and online booking platforms have made travelling faster and more affordable. However, this increase in tourism has also negatively impacted the environment.
Half a century ago, Exodus Adventure Travels (Exodus) was founded to assist travellers in exploring far-flung countries, cultures, and environments across the globe.
The company emerged when two friends united in their quest to acquire an overland truck and embark on a journey to the Minaret of Jam, located deep in the heart of the Hindu Kush, which made it the most inaccessible of the world’s magnificent monuments.
“As we’ve expanded and evolved, we always remember that we’re only guests in the places we visit. Therefore, we travel courteously and respectfully in smaller groups to minimise our impact and make a conscious effort to support communities and protect nature in the destinations we explore,” introduces Kasia Morgan, Head of Sustainability at Exodus.
Many travel destinations are impacted by climate change, and Exodus acknowledges the carbon footprint associated with travel and tourism.
“Our responsible practices are underpinned by our belief that we need to support people and nature to thrive in harmony – in the way we run our business, design our adventures, and contribute through our Foundation,” she continues.
“Our responsible practices are underpinned by our belief that we need to support people and nature to thrive in harmony”
Kasia Morgan, Head of Sustainability, Exodus Adventure Travels
A BLOOMING PROSPECT
Exodus operates with a nature-positive approach to address climate change and biodiversity loss by reducing negative impacts and promoting the restoration of nature.
A key aspect is measuring and minimising trip-related carbon emissions, including accommodation, food, and transportation.
As a more sustainable and enjoyable transport option, trains hold widespread appeal for many travellers. Thus, Exodus began a well-received collaboration with Byway, the first 100 percent flight-free travel platform.
“We launched our partnership with Byway as part of our climate action plan, and in response to a growing number of customers expressing a desire to travel by train to our adventures. While so far, the number of customers booking train travel to our trips is relatively small, this number is increasing each year.
“We understand that some travellers prefer to book their own train travel to our adventures. Therefore, to encourage this option, we share tips on how to do so on our website,” Morgan emphasises.
Additionally, Exodus supports biodiversity restoration and carbon removal through partnerships with Rewilding Apennines and Blue Marine Foundation.
“When we take travellers to more fragile environments, such as the polar regions, we have an even greater responsibility to tread lightly. For instance, our polar expeditions are completely free from single-use plastics. We also contribute to local areas – our polar partners support Arctic communities, and we engage our customers in the importance of nature conservation.”
As part of its climate and biodiversity action plan, Exodus partnered with Rewilding Apennines in 2021 to support its goal of rewilding 5,000 hectares (ha) of the Italian Apennines over five years.
“We pursue our commitment by pledging to rewild 100 square metres (sqm) for every passenger travelling with us. The wild Italian landscapes are particularly close to our hearts and those of our customers,” she reveals emphatically.
Italy is a popular destination for active and outdoor holidays, and Rewilding Apennines has proven to be an expert partner in nature and wildlife restoration and carbon removal.
CULTIVATING A FLOURISHING FUTURE
The Exodus Adventure Travels Foundation was formed in 2019 in an effort to build on decades of global community projects and initiatives, to expand Exodus’ impact and enable its customers to contribute.
“After five years, we have updated the Foundation’s vision, mission, and focus to better align with our broader sustainability goal of contributing to ‘Thriving Nature and Thriving People’,” Morgan explains.
The vision of the Foundation is to create a world where all travel and tourism supports nature and communities thriving in harmony. Its mission, meanwhile, is to invest in innovative, sustainable tourism-related projects that help destination communities protect and regenerate the natural world
Long-term partnerships include the Foundation’s Free to Roam Project in Kenya, which collaborates with the Tsavo Trust to enhance infrastructure and educate communities, fostering peaceful coexistence between wildlife and people.
“We have established the Mountain Lioness Project in Tanzania, through which we have sponsored 30 women to obtain mountain guide licences, enabling them to lead treks up Mount Kilimanjaro. Additionally, we fund several Community Kickstart initiatives each year, allowing local Exodus leaders and operators to apply for small grants that support grassroots community empowerment and conservation in their regions,” she explains.
Besides its essential existing work, the Foundation launched Citizen Science Departures in 2022. This initiative was developed in partnership with NatureMetrics and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) to support the eBioAtlas project – a global effort to map various species.
Customers wishing to participate can assist by collecting environmental DNA samples from freshwater sources during selected Exodus trips using NatureMetrics eDNA kits.
“In 2024, we executed the programme across 13 trips worldwide, and adventurers had the opportunity to travel to a variety of regions across the globe to collect freshwater samples. These journeys included explorations deep into the dense rainforests of Costa Rica, expeditions across frozen lakes in Finland, and adventures along the Zambezi Valley in Zambia,” outlines Morgan.
Other notable trips that currently run Citizen Science Departures include Hidden Treasures of Jordan, Wildlife and Wilderness of Botswana, Trek America: Canyons and National Parks, and Bulgaria: Realm of the Brown Bear, among others.
“We have established the Mountain Lioness Project in Tanzania, through which we have sponsored 30 women to obtain mountain guide licences, enabling them to lead treks up Mount Kilimanjaro”
Kasia Morgan, Head of Sustainability, Exodus Adventure Travels
PROTECTION AND RESTORATION
Exodus’ animal welfare policy is based on the Association of British Travel Agents’ industry-leading guidelines, developed in conjunction with several veterinary scientists, experts, and travel industry representatives.
“We inform our customers about our policy through our website and encourage them to contact us if they notice any issues, violations, or infringements during our trips. They can reach us either through our general sustainability inbox or by sharing their feedback in our post-trip holiday evaluation forms,” Morgan imparts.
Any complaints related to animal welfare submitted through the forms are jointly reviewed and addressed by the company’s product and sustainability teams.
This process ensures that Exodus does not offer trips that involve harmful practices to animals, such as elephant riding or cetacean-based entertainment. Moreover, the website’s ‘Trip Notes’ section highlights where customers should avoid pursuing these experiences in their free time.
“We support various projects through our Foundation which endeavour to protect animals, including our Tiger Habitat Project in India, where these majestic creatures are threatened by poaching and the encroachment of nearby villages onto their land.
“Furthermore, our Community Kickstart grants fund grassroots wildlife conservation initiatives across our destinations, such as whale shark conservation in the Maldives and anti-poaching support in various parts of Africa,” she expands.
Looking towards 2025, Exodus’ ‘Thriving Nature and Thriving People’ philosophy focuses on furthering how its itineraries benefit communities, promote biodiversity protection and restoration and engage customers into becoming a community of nature enthusiasts.
“Our efforts to reduce carbon emissions and waste remain central. We also look forward to the next chapter of our Foundation’s work, through which we will seek to deepen our impact on communities and the environment whilst increasing customer support. We have much to do and learn, but we are dedicated to our mission of supporting nature and people to thrive through travel,” Morgan concludes.
MINIMISING IMPACT ON DESTINATION COMMUNITIES
Exodus ensures all parties have a positive experience by:
- Treading lightly – Small groups, often cycling or hiking, have a lower impact on local communities and cultural heritage.
- Respecting communities – Exodus pursues the protection of human rights across all trips and avoids disrespectful cultural experiences, with local leaders guiding customers on cultural respect and sensitivities.
- Supporting local businesses – In 2023, 87 percent of the meals provided during trips were enjoyed at locally owned restaurants, whilst locals also owned 92 percent of the accommodations included. Exodus has also incorporated minimum sustainability standards into supplier contracts, encouraging them to source their products locally.
- Going off the beaten track – Exodus is proud to take customers to lesser-travelled places, offer unique experiences, spread the economic benefit of travel, and avoid the negative impacts of overtourism.
- Listening to local communities – The Destination Community Council is a global group of supplier and leader partners that provides a representative voice and offers guidance to enhance sustainability and impact activities, ensuring benefits for destination communities.
- Providing disaster relief – In the unfortunate event that a disaster strikes any of Exodus’ key destinations, it seeks to mobilise funds through the Foundation, which has dependable and effective response partners on the ground.
