Khiri introduces comprehensive offsetting program with ClimateCare and new low emissions ‘slow travel’ holiday options. Asian DMC Khiri Travel is on its way to becoming fully carbon neutral. As part of its approach to take responsibility for its impact on the environment, Khiri Travel has partnered with climate and sustainable development experts ClimateCare. The result will be the complete offsetting of carbon emissions for Khiri guests’ holidays and Khiri’s own operations, starting in January 2021. This includes CO2 emissions generated by all of Khiri’s offices in seven Asian destinations, staff commuting, and all business travel by Khiri employees. Once travelers arrive in Southeast Asia, Khiri Travel will offset carbon emissions for guest trips by charging US$1.50 per person per day. The aim is to offset entire itineraries, including accommodation, activities and transport. Funds will go to ClimateCare’s best-in-class carbon reduction projects in the Asian region. Herman Hoven the CEO of Khiri Travel said that Khiri had calculated the average carbon footprint of its itineraries. As a result, a carbon offset rate of US$1.50 per person per day will be automatically added to each travel proposal to partners. Hoven said that partners would have the possibility to opt out if they had their own carbon offsetting program in place. “Otherwise the US$1.50 fee will apply,” he said.  “Our overall aim is to do our best to improve environmental management and decrease any negative impacts on our destinations,” said Hoven. “We want to ensure that not only Khiri as a company, but all our operations on the ground, are carbon neutral.” ClimateCare’s Director of Partnerships, Robert Stevens, said: “We work with forward-thinking organizations such as Khiri Travel to turn their climate responsibilities into positive outcomes, which also support sustainable development.” To further reduce CO2 emissions, Khiri Travel has introduced a new product line: “Rediscovering The Art of Slow Travel”. In these trips there will be no regional flights. All transport will be by train, car or boat. Itineraries will typically be a minimum of 15 days. Accommodation will be vetted against Khiri’s social, cultural and environmental criteria. And excursions will benefit the host communities, mostly in less developed regions.“By offering longer duration trips in-destination, with much less flying, Khiri’s guests will greatly reduce their carbon footprint,” said Nia Klatte, Khiri Travel’s Regional Sustainability Coordinator. “It also gives guests time to slow down and immerse themselves in the local area.” On climate action, Khiri’s position is to follow current advice from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which recommends cutting global carbon emissions to 55% of 2017 levels by 2030 in order to limit global warming to 1.5 o C (2.7 o F). Khiri Travel’s climate position is explained here. Its climate emergency strategy is here. Khiri Travel is a signatory of Tourism Declares a Climate Emergency.

Across Southeast Asia Khiri Reach is helping volunteer groups such as the KuMel Volunteer Connection in Myanmar and helping distribute rice in poor areas of Colombo and Bangkok. Khiri Reach, the charitable arm of Khiri Travel, has been active helping communities in Asia impacted by the Covid-19 crisis. Its focus has been on marginalized communities, many of them in long-standing relationships with Khiri Travel, such as local families, artisans or community based projects that were regularly visited by tours before lockdown.  In Sri Lanka, Khiri Reach donated grocery packages to 250 families in Grandpass Colombo. They worked with local people, all wearing masks and practicing social distancing, as best they could, while distributing packages to local families. In Myanmar, Khiri staff and local volunteer groups have been busy setting up two social enterprises: KuMel Volunteer connection and Honeybee Arts & Crafts. KuMel — the short form of “Ku Nyi Mel” in Burmese or “We will help” — aims to support local communities or organizations who need volunteers to help communities. KuMel also keeps active people well informed about how to find volunteer jobs through its Facebook page and website. Honeybee Arts & Crafts provides local artisans with the opportunity to sell their crafts and souvenirs online and worldwide. Many of the local communities depended on income from tourists. They are now heavily impacted by the travel shut down. All the products available on Honeybee are made from sustainable materials, such as bamboo, paper mâché, cotton (from longyi fabric), recycled plastic, or coconuts. Khiri Travel Vietnam staff also donated funds to a CanCham project to purchase about 148kg of rice to help families in Binh Tan, Hooc Mon, Cu Chi, Tan Phu and Nha Be, suburbs around Saigon where many labourers have been made unemployed. Local communities developed the system of Rice-ATMs — automatic rice dispensers — which limit physical contact. People in need come with their own bags, which they can fill up with free rice.Khiri Travel in Thailand is supporting the Covid Relief BKK Project set up by SOS Thailand (Scholars of Sustenance). Khiri is providing two vans for donating deliveries to communities, homeless shelters and health care centres. The COVID Relief BKK Projects have helped by distributing over 500 bags of dry goods so far. When tourists travel again, Khiri Travel will offer visits to select NGO sites in Asia at cost, so that all profits go in full the projects. By doing so, Khiri Travel hopes to provide extra support to NGOs. These ‘not-for-profit’ travel experiences help community projects such as The Endangered Primate Rescue Centre in Cuc Phuong National Park in Vietnam, Free the Bears in Laos, the Saunders Weaving School and Burmese Star Tortoise Conservation Project in Myanmar, and the Gibbon Rehabilitation Centre in Phuket. “The initial instinct of Khiri staff to Covid was to help vulnerable people in the margins of the tourism industry,” said Nia Klatte, the Executive Director of Khiri Reach, based in Saigon. “We are adding more helping activities every week. Every little bit counts in these difficult times.”