Through our hands-on work with travellers, communities, technology, and the broader tourism ecosystem, we continue shaping a tourism model that uplifts people, protects the environment, and creates real, measurable impact.
 

Our Actions Aligned with the Glasgow Declaration

1. Measure

• STOMP.travel has been a central part of our sustainability journey. Since its inception, we have been actively leading its development and testing on the ground in Nepal, working closely with Ethical Travel Portal, who initiated and financed it.

• STOMP enables us and small operators to measure social and environmental impacts, while also improving business operations—especially in lead management and efficiency.

• Beyond STOMP, we are also testing blockchain-based solutions, aiming to introduce token-based transparent operations. This would allow everyone in the tourism value chain to fully understand how money flows, bringing radical financial transparency.

Learn more about STOMP →

2. Decarbonise

• Our tailor-made travel model encourages longer stays, slower travel, and deeper immersion, helping reduce unnecessary emissions from rapid movement and frequent transfers.

• Socialtours continues its commitment to non-vertical integration—we do not own cars, hotels, or other assets in the tourism chain. This encourages the use of local services, distributing economic benefits and reducing the footprint of owning and operating physical assets.

• We continue exploring ways to measure emissions directly, including future integration of carbon calculators via STOMP.
   

3. Regenerate

• Resonate.travel remains an important outlet for our voices. We continue to contribute articles focused on sustainability challenges in Nepal and beyond, helping foster awareness and encourage mindful travel.

• A strong example of regeneration comes from our work supporting the shift to biodegradable prayer flags and khadas in the Everest region. This initiative, led by local Sherpa entrepreneur Mingma Sherpa, has helped reduce plastic waste in sensitive Himalayan environments—including the removal of plastic khadas from the Tenzing Hillary Bridge in Namche.

• Our experiences are designed to be immersive, transformative, and culturally respectful, ensuring that travel uplifts communities while preserving local heritage and nature.

Explore stories on Resonate →

4. Collaborate

• Collaboration is at the heart of Socialtours. We lead the Nepal Tourism Think Tank, a platform bringing together the tourism industry, development partners, and government to co-create sustainable tourism solutions for Nepal.

• We work closely with local communities, NGOs, and grassroots movements to develop new approaches in conservation, community benefit, and sustainability.

• Our commitment to open, inclusive tourism continues—with our model ensuring that business opportunities remain open to local partners, fostering a more equitable and less monopolised tourism economy.

5. Giving Back

• Socialtours pledges 10% of profits annually to causes that matter—focusing on:

   

  • Combating sexual abuse of children and women.

  • Promoting cycling and sustainable transportation infrastructure.

• We continue to lead the Kora Cycling Challenge, Nepal’s largest charity cycling event, now in its 15th year. This event not only raises funds for social causes but also promotes cycling as a sustainable form of transport in Nepal.

• While we do not yet measure the direct climate impacts of Kora, it is a long-term goal to bring this into our sustainability metrics.

Our Vision for the Future of Travel

At Socialtours, we believe that travel should:

• Transform the traveller.

• Benefit local communities.

• Protect the planet.

We continue to:

• Craft tailor-made, immersive experiences that foster deep understanding.

• Lead in measuring impact and driving transparency through technology like STOMP and blockchain-based tools.

• Support storytelling for change through Resonate.travel.

• Build industry capacity via training, consulting, and collaboration.

The road ahead is clear. We remain committed to a tourism future that is inclusive, transparent, regenerative, and climate-positive.