Sustainability.
Travel, done right, leaves things better than it finds them.
We will not pretend to have all the answers. Responsible travel is not a destination — it is a direction. And the most honest thing we can say is this: we are moving, we are committed, and we are nowhere near done.
What we can say with certainty is that every decision we make — about the experiences we offer, the properties we recommend, the communities we work with, and the activities we refuse to promote — is made with a deliberate awareness of its impact. Not because sustainability is a marketing position. Because it is the only way to travel that makes sense in this part of the world, at this point in time.
Truly India is a proud signatory of the Glasgow Declaration on Climate Action in Tourism — a global commitment to halve tourism's carbon emissions by 2030 and reach net zero by 2050. Signing was not a symbolic act. It was a commitment to accountability, and we intend to be held to it.
What we believe
Travel, at its best, is one of the most powerful forces for the preservation of culture, the protection of natural landscapes, and the economic empowerment of local communities. When it is done thoughtlessly, it can do the opposite — eroding the very things that made a destination worth visiting in the first place.
We believe in a version of travel that contributes more than it takes. That treats the places it moves through with genuine respect. That puts money, opportunity, and visibility into the communities and ecosystems that make the Subcontinent what it is.
That belief is not a brochure position. It shapes every itinerary we build.
Our commitments
No Animal Exploitation.
Truly India does not offer, promote, or recommend any experience that involves animal rides or the use of animals for entertainment. We will not send a guest onto an elephant, a camel, or any other animal as a tourism activity. Where animals are part of a journey, it is through conservation — wildlife safaris in protected habitats, rehabilitation centres, and researcher-led encounters that contribute to the protection of species rather than their commodification.
Local Communities at the Centre.
The Subcontinent's finest experiences are almost always in the hands of its people — the local guide who knows a forest like a language, the family that has run a spice estate for four generations, the craftsperson whose skill took thirty years to develop. We design our journeys to channel as much of the economic benefit of travel as possible directly to the communities who make it possible. Local guides over imported ones. Community-run experiences over corporate offerings. Regional food over international menus.
Supporting Responsible Accommodation.
The properties we recommend are chosen not only for the quality of experience they deliver but for how they operate. We favour accommodation providers who employ local staff at fair wages, source food and materials from the surrounding region, manage water and energy responsibly, and actively invest in the communities around them. Not every property we work with is perfect — but the direction of travel matters, and we look for partners who are moving in the right direction.
Regional Development as a Goal.
We are not simply moving guests through a landscape. We are participants in the economies of the regions we operate in. The more Truly India's journeys spread benefit — to artisans, to village homestays, to small wildlife lodges run by local families, to guides and naturalists who might otherwise have no market for their knowledge — the more sustainable those communities become. Regional growth is not a side effect of what we do. It is part of the brief.
How this shows up in our journeys
In practice, our sustainability commitments are not a separate department or a policy document. They are embedded in the way we design every programme:
When we build a culinary itinerary, we go to the home kitchen and the local market — not the hotel restaurant.
When we design a wildlife journey, we work with lodges that employ local naturalists and contribute a portion of every stay to conservation. We do not include captive animal experiences.
When we design a cultural programme, we bring in the local block-printer, the classical musician, the community weaver — not a staged performance at a heritage hotel.
When we select accommodation, we ask how the property was built, who it employs, where it sources its food, and what it puts back into its surroundings.
When we include a village visit, it is because the community has chosen to open itself to guests — not because it has been identified as a photo opportunity.
The Glasgow Declaration
As signatories of the Glasgow Declaration on Climate Action in Tourism, Truly India has committed to:
- Measuring and publicly disclosing our carbon footprint
- Developing a clear decarbonisation pathway aligned with the 2030 and 2050 targets
- Prioritising emissions reduction over offsetting
- Supporting the transition to a more sustainable tourism economy across the Subcontinent
We are in the early stages of this process. Our emissions measurement work is underway. Our supplier engagement on sustainability standards is ongoing. We are not where we need to be — but we know exactly where we are going, and we are moving there with intent.
An honest word
The travel industry has a complicated relationship with sustainability. Long-haul flights carry a carbon cost that no offset fully addresses. The infrastructure of luxury travel — the private vehicles, the air-conditioned rooms, the well-appointed lodges — is not light on the earth. We know this.
What we can do is ensure that the travel we facilitate generates the maximum possible benefit for the places and people it moves through, minimises unnecessary harm, and contributes to a model of tourism that the next generation of travellers — and the next generation of communities — can still access and benefit from.
That is the work. We are in it. And we are committed to being honest about both our progress and our limitations.
Make your journey count for more
Many of our guests arrive with a desire to contribute — to a conservation project, a rural community, an artisan collective, or an educational initiative in the region they are travelling through. The challenge is almost never the intention. It is finding the right fit — something genuine, well-run, and truly connected to the place.
This is something Truly India can help with. We have on-ground relationships with a range of causes and organisations across the Subcontinent — from wildlife conservation trusts and community development programmes to craft cooperatives and heritage preservation projects. We know which ones are doing meaningful work, and which ones are worth your support.
If you would like your journey to carry that additional dimension — a visit, a contribution, a hands-on experience, or simply the knowledge that your travel is directly connected to something that matters — tell us. We will find the right fit together.