Sustainable adventure travel

In recent years sustainable travel has been a top priority in all spheres of tourism. People have become aware of the impact of over-tourism in some of their favorite tourist destinations. Due to the nature of adventure travel, sustainability has always been an integral part of Raftrek Travel’s vision and mission.

Sustainable environments

The future of our company and all of its employees depend on the environment. As our job is seasonal, we start each season by cleaning the rivers and beaches we plan on using for tours. Furthermore, we maintain the environment we use throughout the season by practicing and teaching proper etiquette and care. Our „take nothing but memories“ and „leave no trace“ policies are aimed at imposing minimal impact on the environment we work in so that we’ll be able to use it for adventure travel for years to come.

In our company, we try to minimize waste from food packaging by buying groceries in bulk from local producers. We also urge clients to do the same. We urge them as well to use reusable water bottles and drink drinkable tap water to eliminate excessive plastic waste. Inevitably, our staff and our clients will have some waste to dispose of. For that, we provide garbage sorting bins at all our bases and on our catamaran which we make sure to recycle properly. In fact, the sea kayaks on our Sea Kayak Adventure are made of recycled materials.

Self-powered and renewable energy sources

We are continually working on minimizing our carbon footprint, and some of our tours, Sea Kayak Adventure and Packraft Croatia Adventure, for example, are almost entirely self-powered. Kornati Sailing Adventure primarily uses the power of the wind instead of engines to keep CO2 emissions and noise pollution down. On our other multiday tours, for instance, Krka River Weekend Escape and Rivers By the Sea, we aim to visit destinations that are within close driving distance. Furthermore, our vans with optimized fuel consumption make even these tours low impact. As many of our tours take place in National Parks, Nature Parks, and other protected areas, ticket purchases and concessions paid also contribute to the maintenance and conservation of these areas and their wildlife.

Sustainble communities

A big part of our tours is getting a feel of local history, food, culture, way of life, and mentality. We aim to satisfy our clients’ curiosity about all things Croatia by forming great relationships with locals who can give our clients authentic experiences. A particular point of interest for most is Croatian cuisine. We aim to show our clients the best of what local cuisine has to offer. On our tours, we recommend and visit only exquisite local restaurants and taverns which serve quality authentic food.

On the Kornati Adventure sailing, we rely on businesses that use local produce and fish fished in the area. Being located in isolated locations with little to no infrastructure, most island businesses depend on boat-owners to bring clients to them. We have built great relationships with these businesses over the years. With a partner-like relationship, we can guarantee the best possible food and treatment for our clients.

Sustainable is better for everyone!

Introducing global trends like the demand for locally grown food keeps these businesses sustainable and their standards high. This creates a demand for sustainable quality instead of fast profit and quantity. Supporting local businesses indirectly supports their local suppliers and the communities they work in. Also, being a part of the Kornati National Park, these restaurants use only sustainable fishing methods which pose no threat to the environment.

As adventure tourism providers we have a symbiotic relationship with the environments we work in and with the communities, we work with. We try to play our role as the bringer of innovation, global trends and work to rural areas. In return, we get to offer our clients unforgettable adventures in pristine environments and contact with a side of Croatia they are only able to experience off the beaten path. We have thrived on sustainability for the past 10 years, and we hope to do so for years to come.

responsibletravel recommends Raftrek Adventure Travel