Buying local is not a nice label: it is deciding who receives your money. These are the practices we apply and that you can repeat at home and on route.
In your city
- Skip big chains when a neighbourhood option exists: the corner shop supports a family directly.
- Buy fruit and vegetables locally; usually fresher and with less packaging.
- Prefer independent workshops, kitchens and services over franchises.
On route
- Locally owned lodging instead of international chains.
- Guides from the country, hired directly and paid fairly.
- Regional restaurants rather than tourist menus.
- Craft bought from the maker, not from an airport middleman.
How we do it
In every destination we work with local operators and guides, sleep in family-run hotels and lodges where possible, and in small communities — the Khumbu in Nepal, the valleys of Kyrgyzstan, the High Atlas in Morocco — most of the trip's spending stays there.
A well-designed trip does not just avoid harm: it funds the people who care for the place all year.
