Responsible Policy
We are a special interest travel company that loves Bulgaria and knows it well. We put our soul into providing unique opportunities to experience adventures and village life, to meet people with different religious believes, and to explore monasteries, culture, and history through tailor-made trips with professional multilingual guides.
We want to share our knowledge of and love for Bulgaria and its nature, history, and people with our guests. ODYSSEIA IN strives to develop our country in harmony with the sustainable tourism criteria.
We encourage the protection of our unique cultural and natural heritage by setting examples of successful and sustainable tourism. We support projects for reforestation and for restoration of religious sites and huts.
We strive to provide high international standards for adventure and environmentally friendly travel while providing rewarding work experiences for the young Bulgarians and training local providers and staff.
We believe that the key components of sustainable tourism that a tour operator must practice are:
- Keep the Money Local
Whenever possible buy local and stay at homesteads as much as possible and so develop the capacity of the hosting communities. Guesthouses are our preferred accommodations.
- Create Job Opportunities
Hire, train and encourage local people to get involved with their tourism product.
- Protect Local Environment and Culture
Run tours to minimise impact on the local environment and cultural heritage, and give the communities visited a financial incentive to maintain and protect both.
- Give Back to the Communities Visited
Run and support conservation and education projects, and give to and support charities and initiatives in the communities visited.
GREEN DAYS SOFIA – Forum on the Green and sustainable business and tourism issues
Global economy is facing a huge challenge - to become sustainable. Located in the southeastern corner of Europe, the Balkans are still destinations for authentic, green and exotic experiences. Villages living with the rhythm of bygone centuries, vibrating living traditions, impressive mountains, the Danube, globally important biodiversity and ecosystems untouched by millennia, friendly and enterprising people, wine and cuisine ever bio.
Green Days presents to the public advices on how to be a responsible consumer and traveller, natural products tasting (cheese, honey, bread, wine, coffee etc), different travel tips and travel destinations, conference panel, photo contest, donating with cause and green initiatives …
Green Days are co-organized by Bulgarian Association for Alternative Tourism (BAAT) and Odysseia-in Ltd. with the support of the Bulgarian Ministry of Economy and Tourism, the Sofia Municipality and a group of media. The next Green Days will be held in Sofia from 28th April 2011 till 1st May, 2011.
Economic Responsibility
We involve the Bulgarian villages in our product and help local people find new sources of income.It is no secret that such remote regions often lose their inhabitants. This is why we lead tourists to these villages and we are happy that their money stays locally.By developing tours off the bitten tracks, we provide a source of income to people in poor and rural areas and make sure that our money stays local. We estimate that, through our business alone, we brought on annual base more than 400,000 Euro to our suppliers in rural Bulgarian regions: mountain huts, guesthouses and family hotels.
Our continuous efforts have been highly appreciated by environmental NGOs and private companies who develop their own donor’s policy. In 2008 the Bulgarian Donors Forum awarded Odysseia-In for the thirdconsecutive time with “The Most Generous Company” award (2006-7-8).
Environmental Responsibility
Reforestation in Pirin National Park
Pirin National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and one of our favourite national treasures. The area we have chosen to work with was severely damaged by a large forest fire in 2003. The fire burned 70 hectares of century old forest - predominantly pines (Pinus heldreichii, Pinus peuce Grieseb and Pinus nigra). The first two are endemic species still existing only on the Balkan Peninsula, and are in danger of extinction. For this reason, Odysseia-In decided to start the first ever reforestation project in Pirin National Park in partnership with Allibert - Montagnes et Desert (France), the regional Forestry Unit and several volunteers..jpg)
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Reforestation in Vitosha Nature Park
The 3 euro Campaign 2008-2010
In 2009 we met 347 tourists, who travelled with tour operators supporting this initiative: AlpinSchule Innsbruck, Baumeler Reisen, Explore Adventure Holidays, Inntravel Holidays, La Balaguére, ADEO, Viajes Tuareg, Destinations Queyras. Per each customer the partner company allocated 3 Euro and we did the same. As a result we collected altogether 2082 Euro. The money was allocated to “Let Nature Remain in Bulgaria www.forthenature.org and “For Eho hut www.ehoto.org ” The campaign continues.
The campaign continues in 2011 with a huge investment project for fully rehabilitation of the Eho hut in order to make it the first ever green and energy efficient tourist establishment in Bulgaria! The total amount the campaign is willing to collect is almost 80.000 Euro via private and corporate donations and events largely covered by media.
Social Responsibility
Restoration of Saint Nicholas Monastery
Odysseia-In initiated first an expert evaluation of the murals. Afterwards the restoration work begun. Different steps were undertaken to encourage Bulgarian institutions to support this project but finance support is urgently needed. In 2006 and 2007 we organised two photo exhibitions in Sofia – the main topic was Saint Nicholas Monastery and Sofia Holy Mountain. We managed to raise awareness and encourage other people, business companies and also Sofia Municipality to take part in this project. In 2008 we created a new hiking route in the area of the monastery.
As a tour operator we plan to include the monasteries around Sofia in our culture tours. We believe that opening them again will greatly contribute to the development of the region and this could be of benefit to the local communities.
Odysseia In is the only travel company in Bulgaria that has put the development of the profession of the mountain guides not only as as business priority (to achieve a quality adventure tourism) but also as a corporate mission. The first trainings started in 1998 with a French-Bulgarian project for development of tourism in the mountains of Bulgaria. The project was supported by the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs and co-financed from the Bulgarian side by Odysseia In. These projects go together with the establishment ot the "Mountains and People" Association in 1999. The financial and logistic support from Odysseia In continues to these days, and in December 2010 the "Mountains and People" Association" was accepted as a full memmebr of the "Union of International Mountain Leaders Associations" (UIMLA). Thus the training conducted by the "Mountains and People" Association receives an international recognition.
Books about the mountains and the green ideas
The portfolio of the publishing activity of Odysseia In Ltd. includes many unique for Bulgaria titles. With higher social importance are: “The Mountains from close” (bible on how to became mountain guide, 2008), “Hospitality and Adventure Guidebook Bulgaria" (2009), “Sustainable and Responsible tourism, Good practices from France and Bulgaria” (2010). Order these and many more books & maps at www.zigzagbg.com
