Metropolitan Touring’s new Commitment magazine

Dec 16, 2011
The world in which we live and the one we want to pass on to future generations is in our hands, a truism that is reflected in each and every one of our activities that have an impact on natural resources. To a great extent, we cannot return what we take from Nature, despite our best intentions. However, there are many things we can do to lessen the impact we cause.
Metropolitan Touring is constantly working to find new ways to accomplish this goal, since we are fully aware that healthy ecosystems provide goods and services to humans over the long-term, which in turn help us to live in a healthier world. With this in mind, we designed an Environmental Policy that seeks to provide a road map for our company, to help us navigate the waters of how best to implement practices that impact as little as possible on the environment.
Our Environmental Policy goes right to the heart of our business, and goes far beyond our work in the Galapagos. It’s part of the way we think, part of how we develop new travel products or approach a new partner, part of the moment we pause before clicking on ‘print’ at our desks. All of us have witnessed the success of how what are seemingly simple ideas can have massive impacts. Take replacing disposable water bottles with sturdier, refillable ones on board all our vessels: simple, yet we estimate that, in the first year of the practice alone, 77% less bottles (with all the resource-use associated with their manufacture and transportation to the islands) were sent to the land refill in Galapagos. Simple, yet effective.
Over the last year, we’ve seen the Fundación Galapagos-Ecuador’s work expand to new shores in the islands. Working hand-in-hand with local governments and other agencies, we are today contributing to projects on all four inhabited islands. On mainland Ecuador, our holding group’s new hotel and new Andean rainforest lodge have both raised the bar in intelligent, responsible lodging design in the country. And across the six countries in which we operate, we are having a positive impact and taking steps to be ever-more responsible when it comes to natural resource use.
The road is long and we’ve still a long way to go. But we hope you’re willing to join us on it, to tell us what more we can do or let us know what we’re doing right. We look forward to hearing from you!
Every year, we produce the Commitment, a small booklet, which testifies to our efforts. We look upon this document more than anything as a motivational tool for our team and also for you as you embark on a journey of discovery with Metropolitan Touring.