No matter how, where or when: to travel means in itself means leaving an impact on the environment and local communities we visit.

At Behind the Mask Travel, we do not shy away from the reality of the footprint we create, but are committed to limiting this operational impact to the minimum.  The ways in which we try to do this are twofold.

We first of all prefer to work with local operators that employ native people, who are best at preserving the natural resources they are home to.

Secondly, we invest in small yet meaningful local conservation projects. In 2023, we attributed funds to Culatra Sustainable Community – promoted by the association of residents of the island (AMIC) in partnership with Sciaena. Culatra Island is located in southern Portugal, part of the Ria Formosa Natural Park, a complex coastal lagoon ecosystem that comprehends wetland with brackish water, seagrass meadows, dunes, urbanizations, and a large beach that connects to the ocean.

The aim of the project Culatra Sustainable Community is to create opportunities for the sustainable development of the Island. During the project development, stakeholders realised the urgent need of a place that serves as a workshop/atelier to carry out activities that effectively implement circularity and reuse of materials, contributing also to the reduction of waste in the island, such as fishing gear or single use plastic food and beverage containers. Together with one other donor, Behind the Mask Travel funded a working space for the AMIC to get together.

In 2024, together with our clients and partners, we will continue to support local impactful action. We will share more updates on this during the course of the year.