How We Travel

Our Traveler Code of Conduct

We at smarTours love to travel the world and bring new and exciting experiences to our customers. We do so respectfully and responsibly, and we expect the same from our guests for the enjoyment of all travelers in our group and for the protection of the places we visit. 

We are inspired by the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) tips for responsible travel, which act as our guiding principles. We ask that our travelers also abide by these guidelines while on tour. Our responsible travel checklist includes the following:

  • Behave in a way that is mindful of the safety, comfort, well-being, and enjoyment of other individuals on our trips, and avoid behavior that could be perceived by fellow travelers as disruptive, verbally or physically abusive, harassing, discriminatory or obscene. 
  • Appreciate cultural differences in the places we visit, including being respectful of local people, our tour directors, partners, institutions and all others encountered in the destination. 
  • Respect all that makes a destination unique, such as its history, architecture and culture, as expressed in its religion, music, art, food and cooking, and local customs. This includes being mindful of local rules with respect to photography and dress. 
  • Protect the environment and the natural habitat of the destination through care taken when visiting natural areas, archeological or other sites that are fragile to human impact. Do not remove natural resources, such as stones, fossils, shells, plants or flowers from their original environment. 
  • Protect wildlife through adherence to rules and regulations created to preserve places and species of great ecological value, which, in many cases, are in danger of extinction. 
  • Support the local economy by preferring crafts and products made locally, treating local vendors and artisans with respect and kindness, and choosing tourist services that are operated by locals in the community or destination. 
  • Respect human rights and the protection of children from exploitation in any form, especially sexual and labor exploitation. 
  • Comply with all local laws, rules and regulations of the destinations in which we travel, as well as decisions made by the Tour Director for the safety and well-being of the entire tour group. 

We are incredibly proud of the way we travel and we are always open to feedback. We ask that our travelers make us aware of any concerns they may have during travel so that we can investigate and address any issues promptly. Under the smarTours Terms & Conditions, we reserve the right to reject or remove any traveler whose behavior is determined to be disruptive or incompatible with our travel policies. Please visit the UNWTO website for more tips on traveling the world responsibly