RESPONSIBLE TOURISM

Headwater holidays are all about getting you to places you can't go in a car and, as such, are much more environmentally friendly than traditional "fly and flop" fortnights on the beach! In fact, last year, Headwater walkers hiked a staggering 462,000 kilometres; our cyclists pedalled an amazing 520,000 kilometres; our canoeists paddled an impressive 9,000 kilometres, and our dedicated cross country skiers notched up a further 39,000 kilometres. That makes a record-breaking total of 1,030,000 carbon neutral kilometres in just 12 months! But you can always do more. Here are just a few suggestions:

• Off-setting carbon emissions and flying "carbon neutral" has significant positive impacts on global warming. You can easily offset your carbon emissions with
• "Switch off" before leaving home for your holiday: turn down/off central heating and hot water systems; switch off all lights - using low energy bulbs in security lights; turn off appliances at the mains rather than leaving on stand-by
• Re-cycle your Headwater brochure after your holiday or pass it on to a friend
• Don't take litter on holiday with you: remove the packaging from clothing, toiletries, etc and recycle where possible
• Buying locally made products is a great way to get under the skin of the place you're visiting and also hugely benefits the local community
• Avoid buying any products made from endangered plants or wild animals
• In countries where bargaining is normal, do it with good humour, bearing in mind that a small cash saving to you could be a significant amount of money to the seller
• In your hotel(s), turn down/ off the heating and air conditioning when not required; switch of lights when leaving a room, and turn the TV off rather than leaving on stand-by
• Try to use water sparingly. Take showers instead of baths and let hotel staff know if you're happy to re-use towels rather than having them replaced daily

World Land Trust

The World Land Trust is an international conservation charity, supported by Sir David Attenborough and Bill Oddie. Since its foundation in 1989 as the World Wide Land Conservation Trust, the World Land Trust has been working to preserve the world's most biologically important and threatened lands, and has helped purchase and protect over 300,000 acres of habitats rich in wildlife, in Belize, Costa Rica, the Philippines, South America and the UK.