Responsible Sustainable Eco-Tourism Strategy

Travel brings benefits both to the traveller and the countries visited-offering opportunities to learn about different cultures creating jobs and contributing to economic development.

However, tourism has its negative impact too- it can erode cultures, alter the natural environment and quickly lead to the exploitation of local communities.

Kokoda Spirit believes passionately in responsible travel and has promoted it right from the start.

Kokoda Spirit is committed to the development of sustainable eco-trekking along the Kokoda Track. This commitment will enable us to assist the local Koiari and Orokaiva people develop skills and experience to gain employment and develop eco-tourism business across the Kokoda Track. We are also committed to developing and implementing health and education programs to assist the people across the track.

We believe people who work for Kokoda Spirit should be treated fairly, paid a fair wage, are supplied with adequate trekking gear, have a safe work environment, have access to health and education programs and further career opportunities.

We also believe that we should also learn and respect the culture and the customs of the country we are visiting so that we do not offend local people.

We ensure that local people benefit economically from trekking by employing them as porters, cooks, leaders and guides.

We also train our staff in hospitality, customer service, and first aid and assist them with both education and health.

Kokoda Spirit runs community programs across the track to help with the distribution of school books and first aid kits.

We have also trained some of the local villagers to bake bread, scones etc and encouraged the locals to introduce a laundry service for the trekkers to further improve their income. We are also working with the local landowners to prepare local meals and brew local coffee for the trekkers for market value pricing.

We also contribute to the clean up the Kokoda Track campaign and educate Landowners to the best locations of guest houses and latrines.

We also purchase our food locally and eat locally in village and family run guest houses ensuring that the locals benefit economically.

We also minimise our impact on the environment by travelling in small groups, reducing waste and offsetting our carbon emissions.

Environmentally Friendly Trekking- Carbon Emissions Offset

One of the key principles of the Kyoto Protocol is 'user pays'.

Kokoda Spirit has made a commitment to reduce the greenhouse emissions created by our business. In fact, in 2008 we will offset our emissions. At our head office we are now utilising some renewable energy and offsetting the emissions generated by our offices and by staff travel.

We realise that travelling on an adventure trip leads to emission of greenhouse-gases that contribute to climate change.

We are asking that you help offset your adventure’s emissions by embracing one of the key principles of the Kyoto Protocol- user pays.

Kokoda Spirit has calculated the carbon offset amount for our trips and listed it as an optional payment separately to the tour cost, so you can clearly see how much it is.

This is an optional payment that is paid directly to our Australian based carbon offset partner. This company is a ‘profit for purpose’ company that invests all its funds into renewable energy-solar and wind in particular.

After significant research and careful consideration, it is our belief that investment in renewable energy source is the best way to reduce carbon emissions forever.

Please help us to do the right thing for our planet by adding the carbon-offset payment to your final balance.