Prosecco Hills walking vacation, Italy

Planet

Group size:
This small group tour has a maximum of 16 participants, meaning that we have a low impact on the communities we visit and are able to ensure that we do not disrupt or lead to the displacement of local people. The small number also allows us to stay in a unique, family-run hotel that cannot benefit from coach tours and other mass tourism due to its limited size.

Activity:
Few vacations have as little detrimental impact on the environment and local residents as a walking trip. It is a quiet, low impact activity requiring comparatively little resources to support. We do believe in leaving more than just footprints, however; this walking tour actively encourages guests to chat with local people, visit local cafes and bars, purchase local produce, gifts and crafts and discover what life is really like in this rural part of the Veneto region.

UK office:
It all starts at home so we have first worked at reducing our carbon footprint in our UK offices. Through energy conservation measures and recycling policies, we are proud to be actively reducing the waste produced and our impact on the environment. We support various projects all over the world to try and give something back to the places we visit.

People

Community:
The trip visits several local agritusimi (family-run restaurants) and wineries. All money spent here goes directly to supporting and maintaining these very traditional industries. We also use a local transport company for all transfers needed during the trip and for two of the activities we use local guides.

Accommodation & meals:
We spend the week in the 4-star Hotel Villa Soligo located in the small village of Soligo, a relatively unknown area in the province of Treviso 60km from Venice; so our guests are providing income to an area that does not usually benefit from tourism. All the hotel food is homemade, using locally produced and sourced goods where possible. All the staff employed by the hotel is also local. Packed lunches are purchased from a family-run deli in the village. In recent years, small local businesses like this like these have been badly affected by the competition of big supermarkets chains, so our guests are directly contributing to their sustainability.