Responsible Travel & Sustainability Policy
BnB Colombia Tours & Incentive Travel Colombia (ITC)
At BnB Colombia Tours and our premium corporate division, Incentive Travel Colombia (ITC), we believe that travel should be a force for positive, lasting transformation. We do not view sustainability as an optional addition or a marketing slogan; rather, it is a core value woven into the very fabric of our operations. Whether we are curating bespoke journeys for independent travelers (FIT) or designing high-impact corporate retreats, incentive trips, and congresses, our mission is to ensure that every journey leaves Colombia’s ecosystems protected, its local cultures celebrated, and its communities economically empowered.
This policy outlines our commitments across three interconnected pillars: economic equity, environmental stewardship, and social responsibility. It also introduces our flagship sustainability initiative, the Matavén Impact Experience — which structurally embeds forest conservation and Indigenous empowerment not only into our corporate travel programs but also into every BnB Colombia Tours multi-day journey valued over $1000 USD.
1. Economic Equity & Local Empowerment
We are committed to building a tourism model that distributes economic benefits directly and equitably to the people and places we visit. By bypassing intermediaries and establishing long-term, direct relationships, we foster financial stability and resilience within Colombia’s local economies.
- Direct Local Collaboration: Wherever possible, we choose to work with local businesses, family-owned accommodations, and independent guides based in Colombia. Our preference for direct, long-term relationships over intermediaries keeps the financial benefits of travel within the communities that make each experience possible.
- Year-Round Economic Stability: By promoting and operating tours throughout the year, we help mitigate the seasonal fluctuations of the tourism industry. This provides our guides, drivers, and local operators with steady, reliable income streams regardless of the season.
- Supporting the Micro-Economy: Many of our itineraries feature dining experiences at locally owned restaurants outside of hotels. We actively encourage our guests to purchase souvenirs, handicrafts, and artisanal products directly from the craftsmen and producers, ensuring fair compensation for their work.
- Direct Community Investment: We contribute directly to community-led initiatives and have established ongoing, mutually beneficial partnerships with several Indigenous and rural communities across Colombia.
- Matavén Contribution for Multi-Day Packages: For all BnB Colombia Tours multi-day programs with a value over $1000 USD, we apply the same principle as our corporate division: 1% of the total package value is allocated to verified carbon credits from the REDD+ Matavén Project. Every traveler — whether joining a week-long journey through the Coffee Zone or a multi-destination adventure across Colombia — automatically contributes to the protection of over one million hectares of tropical forest and the well-being of the Indigenous communities who guard it.
2. Environmental Stewardship & Conservation
Protecting Colombia’s extraordinary biodiversity is our duty. We operate with a strict “leave no trace” philosophy, actively working to minimize our operational footprint while directly funding large-scale conservation efforts.
The Matavén Impact Experience
Sustainability is built directly into every journey we design — for both our corporate clients and our independent travelers. Every Incentive Travel Colombia (ITC) corporate program automatically includes the Matavén Impact Experience, and the same commitment extends to all BnB Colombia Tours multi-day packages.
Under this model, 1% of the total multi-day package (valued over $1000 USD), is allocated to verified carbon credits from the REDD+ Matavén Project, one of the largest Indigenous-led forest conservation initiatives in the world, located in the Vichada department, where the Orinoquía meets the Amazon. Whether you are a corporate team on an incentive program or an independent traveler exploring Colombia over several days, your journey actively contributes to protecting one of the planet’s most vital ecosystems.
Through this structural contribution, our programs actively support:
- The protection of over 1,000,000 hectares of tropical forest.
- The prevention of 122,000+ hectares of deforestation.
- The avoidance of more than 38,000,000 tCO₂ emissions.
- The direct funding of Indigenous forest guards, local governance, clean water, healthcare, education, and women’s empowerment within the Matavén territory.
Operational Footprint Reduction
We continuously audit and refine our internal processes to minimize waste and resource consumption:
- Digital-First Operations: We have eliminated paper brochures and handle almost all administrative paperwork, contracts, and itineraries electronically.
- Data & Energy Efficiency: To optimize our digital carbon footprint, we regularly clean our email servers to reduce data storage demands. We utilize shared cloud links for media transfer and ensure office equipment, including Wi-Fi routers, is powered down during non-operational hours.
- Circular Resource Policy: We encourage our travelers to leave behind physical guidebooks, maps, and travel literature at the end of their trips, creating a circular library for future guests and minimizing printed waste.
- Active Waste Management: We advocate for the elimination of single-use plastics across our supply chain. Our guides and guests actively participate in clearing litter from natural areas during tours, ensuring waste is properly sorted and recycled where infrastructure exists.
3. Social Responsibility & Cultural Integrity
We believe that meaningful travel is built on mutual respect, deep cultural exchange, and a commitment to preserving the heritage of our host destinations.
- Small-Group & Tailored Travel: To prevent overtourism and ensure a respectful presence, we operate exclusively in small groups for our FIT travelers (BnB Colombia Tours) and design highly curated, controlled programs for our corporate groups (ITC). This minimizes our social and environmental footprint on local communities.
- Cultural Exchange & Fair Compensation: We include interactive visits to local coffee and cocoa farms (fincas), private home cooking classes, and community-led conservation projects. We pay local hosts fairly for their time, presentations, and expertise, while providing our guests with authentic, immersive insights into Colombian life.
- Pre-Trip Education & Local Integration: We provide our guests with comprehensive pre-trip preparation materials to help them understand local customs, social norms, and environmental guidelines. Upon arrival, guests are welcomed by local expert guides who serve as cultural ambassadors, helping them navigate the destination with empathy and respect.
- Experiential Education: Our guides are experienced conservationists and cultural experts. They share their deep knowledge of Colombia’s history, traditions, and natural resources with our guests, ensuring that travelers depart emotionally richer, highly informed, and ecologically aware.
Our Promise
Whether you are exploring Colombia as an individual traveler or planning a major corporate gathering, we promise to deliver an exceptional, seamless experience that honors the land and its people. Together, we can ensure that the beauty, diversity, and warmth of Colombia remain vibrant for generations to come.
