Joining a global community of companies who use business as a force for good.

RAW Travel – Australia's leading international hiking specialist – is proud to announce its certification as a registered B Corporation.

B Corporations (or BCorps) are a growing community of leading companies who are redefining business by balancing purpose and profit, using business as a force for good.

BCorp Certification involves a rigorous independent assessment of social and environmental performance across five impact areas: Governance, Employees, Community, Environment and Customers.

RAW Travel Founder Dave Reynolds has set the bar high since RAW's inception almost two decades ago and continues to lift the bar for travel to positively impact communities and the environment: “Part of the value of B Corp is that it is a difficult certification to achieve, so people can have confidence in that standard, in a time when there has been a lot of 'greenwashing'. It's an independent assurance, a mark of trust'', he says. Nathan Gilbert, Executive Director of B Lab (responsible for certifying B-Corps) says: “We are delighted to welcome RAW Travel to the B Corp Community. Their commitment to doing business differently will be an inspiration to others and really help spread the idea that we can redefine success in business to be as much about people and planet as it is about profit. We know that RAW Travel is going to be a fantastic addition to the community and will continue driving the conversation forward.”

RAW Travel is now part of a community of over 2788 businesses globally who have certified as B Corps. The cross-section of industries and sizes include well-known brands like Intrepid Group, Patagonia, Ben & Jerry's, Australian Ethical Super, Alessi, Koala and Beyond Bank Australia.

Dave Reynolds says: “We are proud to play our part in supporting local communities. Our staff volunteer 3 days per year to support a range of causes. We also ensure we limit the environmental impact of travel. We want people to continue to explore and feel positive about their experience. We carbon-offset all trips and flights booked with us and plant native trees on behalf of our customers to support local biodiversity projects.”

RAW is set to become Australia's first climate positive hiking company in 2020 with the added bonus that costs are not passed on to travellers.

RAW eliminated single-use plastics some time ago and is now actively engaging with local communities to help reduce their plastic footprint, dedicates time to cleaning up beaches and waterways and funds targeted education programs.

RAW's environmental and social initiatives form part of the company's bold '10% for the planet' initiative. The company donates 10% of its profit to carefully selected sustainability programs.

Media contact:
For more information or to arrange an interview with RAW Founder Dave Reynolds, please contact: Birte Moliere (RAW Sustainability Lead) Phone: 0478 597 373 Email: sustainability@rawtravel.com

About RAW Travel RAW Travel is Australia's leading operator for international walks. Founded 20+ years ago by avid walkers and responsible-travel advocates Dave & Melinda Reynolds, RAW focuses on walking holidays to ensure minimal footprint, maximum immersion in nature and culture, and real opportunities for self-challenge.
RAW specialises in self-guided walks and is Australia's market leader for the Camino and other pilgrimage walks. Since RAW's inception, 'adventure' has been RAW's DNA and forms an inherent part of its business strategy, culture and customer-experience.

RAW has a reputation as a sustainable tourism leader and recognises its responsibility to continuously pioneer and improve industry standards. RAW sees tourism as a huge opportunity to drive positive change and challenge industry and governments to develop better policies. www.rawtravel.com


About B Lab

B Lab is a non-profit established to serve a growing community of companies using business as a force for good. B Lab measures and verifies a company's environmental and social performance using the B Impact Assessment, and ensures rigorous standards are met by all B Corps. www.bcorporation.com.au/