With travel, it can sometimes be difficult to know exactly where our money is going. While we can try to make ethical choices – opting to support local enterprises or choosing responsible tour operators – it isn't always clear if our choices are making the positive impact we intend.
That is why G Adventures decided to create the Ripple Score, on the belief that travel should (and can) be a truly remarkable form of wealth distribution. This ranking system – devised in collaboration with Sustainable Travel International and the Planterra Foundation – indicates what percentage of a tour’s local expenditure goes to locally-owned businesses. It was named for the positive ripples they want to make in people’s lives.
To date, 640 of G Adventures' 800 tours have been rated, with their average Ripple Score coming in at 93 – meaning that 93% of the money spent on the ground supports local companies and benefits local people. Some trips go even further though, with a Ripple Score of a whopping 100. Read on to find out more
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