Avanti Destinations Earns Prestigious Sustainability Certification

Custom travel specialist Avanti Destinations has achieved B corporation certification for all three of its main offices – Portland, Barcelona, and Manchester (UK). The tour operator had to meet rigorous third-party standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency relating to five key areas: governance, workers, community, environment, and customers.

“I am proud that we are one of only a handful of tour operators headquartered in the U.S. to receive certification,” said Paul Barry, CEO of Avanti. “B corporation standards are in alignment with our company values, and they give us a framework not only to do good now, but to continue to do even more good in the future.”

To be certified as a B corporation, a for-profit business must achieve a total score of 80 points. Avanti’s audited score was 81.1. Companies on average score only 50.9. When Avanti decided in 2024 to apply for B corporation certification, Avanti conducted an internal audit and found that, even before making any changes, they calculated the company’s score to be just 20 points shy of the required 80.

“We already were doing good things relating to our suppliers, employees, and the communities where we send travelers,” said Alison Atkinson, commercial director, who heads up Avanti’s sustainability and B corporation certification efforts.

“For example, we supported disaster relief and educational initiatives in Morocco’s Atlas Mountains following the 2023 earthquake. But to achieve certification, we needed to clearly document policies and procedures, as well as implement additional policies and programs. For instance, we now have an animal welfare policy to ensure that tours offered by our suppliers do not harm animals or wildlife.”

More Than 2,000 Sustainable Products

Atkinson, who is based in Barcelona, was a biologist before joining the travel industry. In mid-2025, she introduced Avanti’s “Footprints” program to enable advisors to identify accommodations, transfers, and tours sold by Avanti where the suppliers are making a significant commitment to sustainability.  These products are indicated by a green three-leaf logo on the company’s advisor portal.

Today, more than 2,000 Avanti travel products have been “Footprints”-certified. Avanti fact checks suppliers’ answers to a detailed survey.

“Symbiotic” Tourism

“Because we sell international travel, advisors’ clients travel overseas on planes,” said Barry.  “Even if these clients take walking tours, cycling, or hiking tours, travel by train, and stay in environmentally-conscious hotels, jungle lodges, or eco-resorts once they reach their destinations, long-haul air makes their carbon footprint large.  Since we cannot change that – we focus on something we call ‘symbiotic’ tourism, working hard to benefit the local communities where our travelers go. Many of our suppliers are involved in sustainability initiatives, such as wildlife protection, supporting local businesses, or community-building.”

B corporations must be re-certified every three years, at a higher level than the previous certification, and pay an annual fee based on sales volume. Since its founding 45 years ago, Avanti has sold custom vacations to independent travelers and groups exclusively through travel advisors, not directly to consumers.