Sharing Our Love Of Canada With The World!
Our team’s mission is to share what we love about Canada for generations to come, and we are committed to exploring responsibly within our ecosystems and our communities. We believe that travel should not only be an enriching experience, but also a force for good.
Our Core Value: Be Good, Do Good
At Discover Canada Tours (DCT), Social Responsibility matters. In addition to operating exceptional travel experiences, we are dedicated to enhancing our visitors’ and staff engagement with initiatives that benefit local communities and society at large. By investing time and resources in sustainable practices and community support, DCT aims at promoting the well-being of employees, visitors, residents, and the environment alike. When traveling with us, guests are not just embarking on a journey, they are investing in something greater by supporting the local tourism economy, and making a positive impact on the people and the planet.
We proudly adhere to the Responsible Tour Operator Practices, which include the following commitments:
Making a Positive Impact
These are some of the practices we have in place to support the community, environment, heritage, and culture of the places we reside in and travel to:
1. Comprehensive Guide Training: Our guides undergo extensive training that emphasizes Indigenous and Sustainable Business Practices, ensuring they engage guests in responsible tourism. Whether in urban areas, natural landscapes, or cultural heritage sites, our guides are equipped to foster a deeper understanding of sustainability among our visitors.
2. Supporting Local Communities and Businesses: We are dedicated to supporting local economies by promoting year-round tourism, especially in the off-season. Our products, such as the Hidden Gems and winter Rocky Mountain Tours, highlight unique destinations and work closely with locally-owned businesses, ensuring that tourism benefits these communities directly.
3. Promoting Indigenous Tourism: We actively support Indigenous tourism by including authentic Indigenous experiences in our tours and partnering with Indigenous-owned businesses. Destinations like Kwa’lilas Hotel, U’mista Cultural Centre, and Squamish Lil’Wat Cultural Centre are just a few examples. We are also developing dedicated itineraries focused on Indigenous experiences and led by Indigenous guides.
4. Enhancing Environmental Sustainability: Through our parent company, Uniglobe Specialty Travel Ltd., we have partnered with Less Emissions to offer high-quality carbon offsets. With the Lessen My Flight™ program, customers can easily calculate and offset their flight emissions, contributing to a more sustainable future
5. Commitment to Giving Back: Our commitments extend to supporting local charities and global initiatives with diverse purposes. We work closely with associations that offer employment opportunities to young adults with autism spectrum disorder, and support numerous fundraising efforts.
Proud Supporters Of:
The Covenant House
BC Children’s Hospital
Ocean Wise
BC Elks Association
Camp Goodtimes
BC Cancer
Because I Am A Girl
Langley Association for Community Living
The Salvation Army
Make-A-Wish Foundation
Downtown Eastside Women’s Centre
Greater Vancouver Food Bank
Surrey Food Bank
Lessen My Flight™
Downtown Business Improvement Association
Environmental Responsibility
To protect the environment, we implement the following practices in our office and on our tours:
- Eco-friendly Purchases: Environmentally friendly, recycled materials are prioritized in our purchasing decisions.
- Socially Responsible Partnerships: Collaboration with socially responsible suppliers is key to our operations.
- Carbon Offsets: Clients have the option to purchase carbon offsets, contributing to a reduction in their environmental impact.
- Energy Efficiency: Power-saving features are utilized on all electronic devices to conserve energy.
- Sustainable Hydration: Guests and employees are encouraged to bring reusable water bottles. Our guides will be happy to provide suggestions on where you can refill your bottle in the destinations that we visit.
- Recycling Initiatives: Recycling bins are available on all tour buses and at our office to reduce waste.
- ShareWares at Events: Single-use items are eliminated at staff and client events by using ShareWares, which includes reusable cups, plates, and cutlery.
GreenStep Certification & 2030 Pledge
We have partnered with GreenStep Solutions to create and implement a sustainability action plan and management system.
Our bronze certification reflects the ongoing efforts to minimize our environmental impact and promote responsible tourism practices. Looking ahead, we are determined to enhance our sustainability measures and work towards the gold certification level.
We have signed the Sustainable Tourism 2030 Pledge, to demonstrate our commitment to improving our sustainability score between now and 2030, and beyond!
