Responsible travel

How we travel

Aventures Anatoliennes is a local travel agency registered with TÜRSAB under licence no. 4860. This policy sets out the commitments governing how we plan and operate our trekking and cultural trips, from office preparation to delivery in the field.

1. Conduct and compliance

  • We operate under TÜRSAB licence no. 4860 and comply with the Turkish regulations that apply to travel agencies. TÜRSAB is the Association of Turkish Travel Agencies: every travel agency operating legally in Türkiye must be registered with it and hold an official licence.
  • We reject corruption in every form, and forced labour.
  • We review these commitments each season and update them when our practice changes.

2. Our teams

  • Our staff work under registered employment contracts with the social-security coverage required by Turkish law.
  • We ensure safe working conditions, in the field as well as in the office.
  • We recruit without discrimination as to origin, gender, belief or age.
  • We do not employ minors and accept no form of child exploitation among our partners.
  • Anyone working with us can raise a concern directly with management, without going through their field hierarchy.

3. Office practices

  • Our exchanges with travellers and partners are digital by default: quotes, trip documentation and invoices.
  • We print only when a paper document is genuinely needed, and double-sided.
  • We separate office waste through the channels available locally.

4. Suppliers and partners

  • We favour local providers: family guesthouses, transport operators, cooks, muleteers and craftspeople from the regions we cross.
  • Where service standards are comparable, we choose small operators and local produce over large companies.
  • We expect our partners to respect people, animals and the natural environment; a serious breach that is not corrected ends the relationship.

5. Partner agencies and tour operators

  • Agencies selling our trips receive the same operational information as our direct travellers: walking grade, logistics and route limitations.
  • We expect them to present our trips without overstating comfort or ease.
  • We share our village and mountain conduct guidance with them.

6. Transport

  • We use only licensed, insured and inspected vehicles, driven by professional drivers.
  • Within Türkiye, we arrange connections by road or sea when the itinerary and timings allow, rather than by domestic flight.
  • We match vehicle size to the group instead of running a half-empty coach.
  • We combine transfers whenever travellers’ schedules allow.

7. Accommodation

  • We favour village guesthouses, B&Bs and small hotels run by families from the region.
  • We prefer places that separate their waste and use water and energy carefully.
  • We choose houses that respect local architecture and customs over out-of-place developments.

8. Activities and excursions

  • We offer no activity that involves animal suffering.
  • We favour experiences led by local people: meals in family homes, workshops, village encounters.
  • We remind travellers that removing archaeological fragments or protected species is prohibited.
  • On bivouac trips, waste carried in or produced by the group is packed out; nothing is left on the trail or at camp.

9. Guides and local crews

  • Our guides, cooks and drivers come from the regions we cross.
  • They are paid according to the agreed terms and work in safe conditions.
  • Every trip is guided in the language of its group: French, English or German, depending on the departure; the guide's language is confirmed in the quote.
  • Our guides brief every group at the start on local customs, trail rules and expected conduct in villages.

10. Destinations

  • We deliberately offer less-visited regions and stages, so pressure is not concentrated on a handful of sites.
  • We adjust our routes when a valley, a trail or a village shows signs of saturation.
  • We respect access rules in protected areas and the permits required on certain summits.
  • We encourage travellers to buy locally, from producers and craftspeople.

11. Traveller information

  • We describe each trip by its walking grade, daily walking times, accommodation standard and the services included or excluded.
  • We use no environmental claim we could not justify.
  • Before departure, every traveller receives the practical guidance and conduct notes specific to their region.
  • Every complaint is reviewed and receives a response addressing the reported facts and any action taken.

These commitments describe how we travel. They are not a certification, an external audit, or a presentation of measured results.