As the world holds women up high this International Women's Day, custom tour operator Audley Travel is celebrating the women across its global network and local communities who make the difference to the Audley experience.

The specialist travel company firmly believes that the people it works with in destination can make the difference between a good trip and an incredible one for its clients, which is why it remains committed to engaging and empowering female guides and community ambassadors, as well as working with female-owned and run local businesses across the destinations.

Audley's US business is led by Heather Heverling, President and Managing Director (North America), who is incredibly passionate about female empowerment in the travel industry – both in management in the US and also ensuring that female guides and accommodation owners in Audley's destinations are fairly and directly compensated for the work they do.

Heverling says: “The vast majority of decisions on where Americans travel on vacation are made by women, so it's natural they would want to make their travel plans with businesses that fairly reward the women who work for them and that actively seek out female-owned and run businesses to work with.”

Examples of Audley's accommodation and excursions (which are also certified by the operator as part of its Responsible Choice collection), include:

Dunia Camp, Tanzania

Dunia Camp is a remarkable semi-permanent camp, fully led by a team of female staff – the only one in all of Africa. Tanzania is a predominantly male-dominated society, and the struggles that many women face are a daily occurrence. The women, who call themselves Dunia Angels, work as chefs, guides, managers and housekeepers to support their families.

The small team also work closely with local park rangers to avoid poaching and share animal sightings, particularly those of the endangered black rhino, and the camp is officially recognized by Responsible Tourism Tanzania and Fair Trade Tourism for its commitment to sustainability.

With every Audley booking made with Asilia, a donation is made to its Twende Porini program. This program is an initiative that takes a group of 15 children (aged between seven and 14) from the villages bordering the Serengeti National Park to one of the company's camps in the bush for five days. 

A seven-day tailormade trip to Tanzania includes three nights at Dunia Camp in the Serengeti. It costs from $9,200 person (based on two sharing) and includes domestic flights, transfers, accommodation on a fully inclusive basis at Dunia Camp and twice daily game drives. 855 435 1768 / www.audleytravel.com/us/tanzania

Female-led skills and crafts sessions in rural Japan

Run by an all-female team, Tour du Lac in Japan has created a range of experiences that take clients into the rural communities around Lake Biwa, a half-hour train ride from Kyoto. Their aim is not only to introduce them to the region's traditional customs, but also to the people who uphold them, celebrating rural, domestic histories as something just as valuable as Japan's big-ticket cities and sights. Working closely with local communities, the team includes experiences that are often over-stylized or overlooked by the tourism industry, and create the opportunity for visitors to try these usually women-led skills and crafts for themselves, authentically – for example, a Mochi rice cake-making class.

A 13-day bespoke 'Japan by Rail' trip including a Tour Du Lac experience around rural Lake Biwa costs from $9,965 per person (based on two sharing) and includes transfers, accommodation and excursions. 855-435-1768 / www.audleytravel.com/us/japan

Female run social enterprise in India

Flame of the Forest in Kanha, India was hand-built sustainably in 2008 in collaboration with local craftsmen and techniques, using local materials and is a great choice for clients who love nature. The lodge was created by owner Karan and his wife Isa as a lifestyle choice, to live with nature and with the indigenous people – the team, including the manager, consists of locals from the Gond tribe which in turn contributes to the betterment of the local community through education and employment opportunities.

The lodge is located on the riverbank – an area central to the everyday life of local people. Isa formed a social enterprise HATHI to provide a workspace and skill training (sewing and stitching) for local women and make products which are sold in the lodge shop as well as in Europe. Part of the profit is used to run health and hygiene workshops for village women.  

A 10-day custom trip to India includes four nights at Flame of the Forest Lodge, as well as time in Bandhavgarh National Park. The trip costs from $5,090 per person (based on two sharing) and includes transfers, accommodation and game drives. 855-435-1768 / www.audleytravel.com/us/india

A female run project to rewild jaguars - a world first!

The 53-thousand-hectare Caiman reserve in the Pantanal wetlands is home to Brazilian wildlife NGO Onçafari, and a team who have monitored jaguars with camera traps and collars over the last 12 years. They have habituated these elusive big cats to their jeeps, so that the jaguars know the vehicles are not a threat. As a result, visitors can easily spot jaguars on safari.

Biologist Lili was the leader of the first project in the world to rewild jaguars - two orphaned cubs learned how to hunt their own food and survive in the wild during their time in a specially built giant enclosure. In a carefully managed program, the cubs learned under the guidance of Lili and her team but never saw them.  Both jaguars thrived and have become mothers and possibly grandmothers already. 

A nine-day bespoke trip costs from $9,100 per person (based on two traveling) and includes four nights in Caiman as well as time in Iguaçu, and Rio de Janeiro. The price includes domestic flights, transfers, accommodation and excursions. 855-435-1768 / www.audleytravel.com/us/brazil

ENDS

Notes to Editors

Arranging trips that have a positive impact on local communities is one of the reasons that Audley certified as a B Corporation last year, joining a growing community of socially responsible businesses focused on being a 'force for good.' Audley's certification represents the tour operator's achievement in meeting rigorous social and environmental standards across its entire business within five key impact areas of governance, workers, community, environment and customers and reflects the operator's long-term commitment to ensuring the entire business operates ethically and with the preservation and restoration of the communities that clients visit at its core.