OUR ETHICS
Responsible travel, done properly. For people and for the places we visit.
At Crux Expeditions, ethics aren’t a statement on a wall. They’re a set of decisions we make before, during, and after every expedition.
We work in places where tourism has an impact, whether it’s acknowledged or not. Our responsibility is to make sure that impact is considered, proportionate, and handled with care.
Fair Pay, Proper Treatment
Behind every expedition is a local team. Guides, drivers, porters, cooks, fixers and coordinators. Without them, none of this works.
We pay properly for skilled work, agree terms clearly in advance, and avoid the practice of driving prices down to make trips look cheaper on paper. We don’t rely on vague promises of “supporting locals” or on tipping culture to make up shortfalls.
Where tipping is appropriate, it’s explained clearly and handled transparently, so people are paid fairly without uncertainty or dependence on generosity at the end of a trip.
This isn’t about being generous. It’s about being correct.
Long Term Partnerships, Not Transactions
We work with local partners we know and trust, many of whom we’ve worked with for years.
These aren’t interchangeable suppliers. They’re collaborators who understand the terrain, the culture, the realities on the ground, and the pressures tourism can create. We choose partners who share our standards around safety, treatment of staff, and conduct, and we walk away from arrangements that don’t meet those standards.
Long term relationships create continuity, accountability, and better outcomes for everyone involved. That matters more than finding the cheapest option.
Respect for Culture and Context
We don’t treat local cultures as scenery.
Before travelling, clients are briefed on local customs, social norms and expectations, including dress, behaviour, and etiquette. This isn’t about restriction. It’s about understanding where you are and behaving accordingly.
We encourage curiosity and genuine engagement, but never at the expense of dignity or privacy. Communities aren’t part of the itinerary, and people aren’t attractions.
Respect makes travel richer. It also makes it more honest.
Community Impact Beyond the Obvious
Our responsibility doesn’t stop with the expedition team.
Where possible, we route spend into the wider local economy by using locally owned accommodation, transport and services, and by avoiding structures that funnel money away from the places we operate in.
In some regions, we also support small scale community initiatives, usually quietly and in response to local priorities rather than outside agendas. That might mean contributing materials, funding repairs, or simply employing extra local staff when it makes sense to do so.
We avoid performative projects. Impact should be useful, not visible.
Knowing the Limits
Ethical travel isn’t about pretending impact can be eliminated. It can’t.
It’s about understanding where impact exists, reducing it where possible, and taking responsibility where it can’t be avoided. That requires judgement, local knowledge, and sometimes saying no to things that would be easier or more profitable to say yes to.
We’re comfortable with that.
Why It Matters
Because travel shapes places, whether intentionally or not.
Because how people are treated matters more than how good the photos look.
And because adventure only makes sense if it’s done with care.
At Crux, ethics aren’t an add on. They’re part of doing things properly.