Are you booking a trek in Nepal, Peru or Tanzania with an international trekking company based in U.S., UK, Australia or everywhere else? Ask them this question;
WHICH LOCAL COMPANY IN PERU, NEPAL OR TANZANIA DO YOU CONTRACT & PARTNER WITH?
As a tourist shopping for a trek, researching the company before you book is essential. Why? Because 99% of trekking companies in Nepal, Peru, & Tanzania unfortunately do not adhere to minimum pay, maximum weight and all other working conditions imposed by law or otherwise to make the lives of porters half way decent on the trail.
When international companies do not share details of their local partners, it is easy for local companies to get away with exploiting porters and still have the brand of the international company to shield them from accountability. In such case, the international company that refuses to practice transparency in their business operations perpetuates the exploitative practices of the local contract agency in Peru, Nepal and Tanzania. International companies are therefore equally liable for these exploitative practices but are also shielded from tourists finding out about such exploitative actions practiced by their local partner agencies.
In short, lack of transparency protects BOTH the international and local companies at the expense of the porters. What can you do as a tourists? Contact the international company that is offering the trek of your choice and ask them the questions as demonstrated below. If they refuse to tell you the local company name, move on.
International companies use a flimsy defense by asserting it is against their policy to reveal their local agency contact’s name. Let them know that such policy perpetuates the poor treatment of porters and cultivates lack of accountability in the trekking tourism industry. Demand that they change this self-serving business policy if they truly believe in sustainable and responsible tourism like many of these companies claim to be about. Responsible tourism requires fair and equitable treatment of porters and an international company’s adherence to secrecy goes against this very notion. Looking away from the exploitation happening with the porters as an international company is UNACCEPTABLE. And sadly, they will look away because profits are more appealing. DO NOT LET THEM.
Below, a customer interrogates a highly successful and famous company that markets treks worldwide who claims to support ethical travel. We are convinced that the reality does not live up to their brand and their lack of transparency fits well with what we already know about this company. Beware of false advertising and false assertions about responsible or ethical tourism. We can demand changes on these shady business practices and replace them with valuing the workforce, i.e. the porters, more than greed driven profits.
Note: KPAP which is referenced below is not a tour company. It is an organization launched by a foreigner in Tanzania that claims to support porters’ welfare.
