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We’re captivated by the places we visit, from the rugged, crimson sands of Australia’s outback deserts to the verdant forests and inky depths of New Zealand’s fjords and valleys. Our passion for our lands, their people and wildlife is part of what makes each AAT Kings experience unique, and is why we work with partners who share our vision for making travel matter, now and in the future. When you travel with AAT Kings and any of our sister brands you can be assured that you are choosing to travel with a company that puts sustainability and the planet at the core of everything we do.
The TreadRight Foundation was founded over a decade ago as a joint initiative between The Travel Corporation’s (TTC) family of brands with a mission to ensure our trips have a positive impact, and AAT Kings is proud to be a founding member.
Community support and cultural preservation by targeting overtourism through the inclusion of new MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® experiences, the creation of a standalone strategy to encourage greater diversity and inclusion at AAT Kings, and our global give-back efforts.
Sustainability and conservation by targeting climate change, sustainable food production and responsible consumption through carbon management, renewable energy, the food cycle, waste reduction, and the elimination of single-use plastics.
Conservation and protection by targeting animal welfare and conservation, and ethical wildlife experiences through our Animal Welfare Policy.
In partnership with the TreadRight Foundation, we have supported more than 55 sustainable tourism projects worldwide which seek to protect wildlife and marine life and have a positive impact on the people and communities we visit. Each tourism project we support is assessed based on its impact on each of the TreadRight pillars of people, planet and wildlife, underpinned by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, which combine to form the basis for our five-year sustainability strategy, How We Tread Right (HWTR).
Since 1995 Rainbow Springs Nature Park in Rotorua on New Zealand’s North Island has provided vital support to vulnerable populations of the flightless Kiwi bird, a beloved national species. The species is under threat from predators and their ground nests lack adequate protection, causing their population to decline each year. To date the National Kiwi Hatchery at Rainbow Springs has hatched more than 2,000 eggs, providing a safe environment for birds to hatch, releasing them into ideal habitats in the wild so that they can continue to reproduce. You can visit the Hatchery to learn more about the vital work they are doing to ensure the survival of the species, with less than 70,000 kiwis left in the wild.
In some areas, more than 80% of the Tasmanian Devil population has been wiped out by Devil Facial Tumour Disease (DFTD) which continue to spread through wild populations in Tasmania. In conjunction with the TreadRight Foundation, AAT Kings support the work done at the University of Tasmania to develop a vaccine to ensure the population of Tasmanian devils can thrive disease-free in the wild. Guests travelling on selected Tasmanian tours can spend time observing the nocturnal behaviour of the Tasmanian Devil and learn more about these fascinating creatures with our Devils After Dark experience.
Launched in 2020, How We Tread Right (HWTR) is AAT Kings’ five-year sustainability strategy. It is the sustainability blueprint for us and our sister brands under our parent company The Travel Corporation (TTC).
Our strategy consists of 11 sustainability goals anchored to the United Nations’ Global Goals, which guide the way we are addressing climate change, sustainable food production, waste reduction, travel experiences, diversity and inclusion, and wildlife: the six main issues that we are currently focused on as a business.
Reach net zero GHG emissions across the value chain by 2050 from a 2019 baseline year
Source 50% of our electricity from renewable sources by 2025
Reduce food waste by 50% across all hotels and ships by 2025
Increase use of local & organic food products by our supply chain by 2025
Reduce printed brochures by 50% by 2025
Eliminate as many unnecessary single-use plastics from our operations and itineraries by 2022
Include at least 1 Make Travel Matter Experience on 50% of TTC itineraries by 2025
Achieve a 20% increase of itineraries visiting developing regions for select specialist brands by 2025
Increase employee and market sentiment regarding diversity and inclusion across our brands
Complete 30,000 volunteer hours by 2025
Achieve carbon neutrality by 2030 or sooner
OUR ROAD TO NET ZERO:
Since the launch of our sustainability strategy, global action on the world’s response to climate change has continued to advance. We have matched that advancement through our decision to commit to net zero.
Read our climate emergency declaration
Our Climate Action Plan outlines how we will reach net zero GHG emissions across the value chain by 2050 from a 2019 baseline year, with accompanying short-term and long-term targets that are validated by the Science Based Target initiative (SBTi).
Our primary focus is to decarbonize, the most effective means to address climate change.
To enable that, our parent company The Travel Corporation has established the following science-based reduction targets, validated by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi):
To cement our commitment to decarbonize, in 2022 we launched a Carbon Fund – a fund dedicated to financing initiatives to reduce the carbon emissions of our business.
This fund is a bold step towards prioritizing the planet and will be used solely for initiatives that contribute to our net zero journey and help restore our planet. Progress made by this fund will be reported on in future Impact Reports.
To further support our journey to net zero, our TreadRight Foundation will prioritize and invest in nature- based solutions developed to address climate change as well as the rapid loss of biodiversity. Learn more about TreadRight and our projects.
We encourage you to read about our carbon measurement methodology, learn more about our Climate Action efforts, and view our recent Impact Report at our Impact Hub
As a founding signatory to the Glasgow Declaration, and signatories to Tourism Declares a Climate Emergency, we are committed to working together with our industry to find solutions to the climate crisis. Read our declaration of a climate emergency and learn more about our efforts here.
There are plenty of things we can all do while travelling to contribute to sustainable tourism practices. We’ve developed a series of tours that each include a signature MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience, allowing our guests to see and understand firsthand the important work we support and its impact.
These experiences have been selected based on the social and environmental impact they have on their communities and those who experience them.
By choosing to travel on an AAT Kings journey that includes a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience, you can be assured that you will be contributing in a meaningful way to the people and places you visit. Each MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience is assessed against a robust set of criteria using a proprietary assessment tool endorsed by industry experts and developed exclusively for The Travel Corporation’s (TTC) family of brands.
As our guest, you’ll be assured that your on-trip experience will have a positive impact, and will encourage the greatest community benefit.
Karrke Aboriginal Cultural Experience and Tours is an authentic aboriginal cultural experience on areas of importance in their cultural knowledge on bush tucker and bush medicines used for spiritual and healing and a lot more, as used by the Luritja and Pertame (Southern Aranda) people and this helps with knowledge being passed on.
100% Aboriginal owned and operated family business, Pudakul offers cultural and nature-based experiences cultural experiences from the Adelaide River Flood Plains on Aboriginal owned Limilngan-Wulna Land. Engage with local Aboriginal people, the environment and wildlife, learn basket weaving, dilly bag making and the techniques used in the process. Learn to throw a spear, play the didgeridoo and clapsticks then learn about local bush food and medicine.
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Maruku is owned and operated by Anangu artists who are the Aboriginal people from the Western and Central Deserts of Australia. For thousands of years, Anangu have passed down their knowledge from generation to generation to keep the land, their culture and their people strong.
Experience this on
The Wadandi people have a deep connection to the Cape region and through this connection sustainability of the land is their way of life. Living with it and their knowledge and experience helps to protect and share their traditions to ensure that they live on. The passing on knowledge of the land through bush tucker (food), bush medicines, land management and traditional way of life strengthens the Wadandi peoples culture.
Experience this on
This organisation recruits and employs local Indigenous people. They reach these groups by way of providing support to assist with employment, and creating sustainable, Indigenous operated commercial enterprises, financial assistance for items such as work related licences, personal protective equipment, training and tools. They also put in place Positive Peer Pressure Programs that are aimed at building connectedness and broadening social networks.
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Te Puia is owned by The Whakarewarewa Joint Trust which is a joint trust between two Te Arawa iwi, Ngati Whakaue and Wahiao Tuhourangi. Te Puia is supporting the retention and development of ahurea (culture) and toi (arts and crafts) Maori, as well as providing training in whakairo (carving) and raranga (weaving).
Experience this on
A feel-good encounter on your New Zealand tour, support the population of New Zealand’s national bird by teaming up with ‘Operation Nest Egg’ on a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience at The National Kiwi Hatchery. Get up close and see kiwi eggs being incubated, the hatching process, and even newly hatched kiwi chicks. Located in Rainbow Springs Nature Park in Rotorua, this national leader in kiwi husbandry is helping to prevent kiwis from becoming extinct and without their crucial ongoing support it’s estimated that the brown kiwi will be extinct in the wild within two generations. You’ll learn how The National Kiwi Hatchery was launched in 2008 to become the most successful kiwi hatching facility in the world and has since hatched over 1850 eggs with a 98% survival rate. As you learn about the work being done to save this rare native bird, know that on your travels you’re contributing to this valuable conservation effort.
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At the heart of Tamaki Māori Village are three pou or pillars - Mana Whenua (The Land), Mana Tangata (The People), and Mana Atua (The Spirit). This experience combines traditional and contemporary elements of Māori culture and is a gathering place for generations of Māori families to come together to share their culture, offering employment and the chance to be involved in preserving and sharing it with the world.
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AAT Kings is committed to only offering ethical wildlife experiences on our trips guided by TreadRight’s Animal Welfare Policy to support a tourism industry free of animal cruelty. The policy is based on the Five Domains of Animal Welfare and you can read more about the policy here.
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