Yogesh Srivastava’s MyEcoTour focuses on sustainable, responsible, and immersive tourism experiences, combining luxury travel with environmental and community impact. It aims to reduce tourism’s carbon footprint through responsible travel practices and reforestation initiatives.
The tourism sector is a significant contributor to global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, through its many components like transportation, accommodation, food, shopping, and tourism-related activities.
The late Dr Ruchira Srivastava founded Whispering Earth LLP, a Mumbai-based ecotourism company promoting responsible travel experiences that support local ecosystems and communities. After her demise, Yogesh Srivastava heads the company.
Through its flagship brand launched in 2023, MyEcoTour the company encourages low-impact tourism, regenerative travel practices, and partnerships with local conservation projects. It aligns with India’s growing eco-tourism movement, linking travellers to authentic cultural and natural experiences that benefit host regions economically and environmentally.
MyEcoTour combines immersive experiences, measurable environmental action, and a distinctly future-facing brand model that sets it apart in tourism.
Sustainable Tourism Approach
The company’s public communication consistently advocates practical, responsibletravel choices, from selecting eco-conscious accommodation and supporting local businesses to reducing waste, respecting local cultures, and remaining mindful of carbon impact. MyEcoTour is a bespoke travel brand that curates customized domestic and international travel experiences with a focus on wildlife, nature, wellness, cultural immersion, rural tourism, and offbeat destinations. Their focus on rural and seasonal tourism models is designed to direct visitor spending toward local farmers, artisans, and community enterprises while helping preserve cultural continuity.
The company promotes carbon-conscious travel and tree-planting initiatives. The figures are impressive: more than 80 tonnes of CO₂ offset by neutralizing the carbon footprint of guest journeys through tree-planting initiatives in partnership with organizations like Grow Trees and Tree Nation. Over 900 trees have been planted through these initiatives.
MyEcoTour emphasizes:
- Eco-friendly accommodations
- Community engagement and local livelihoods
- Wildlife and nature conservation
- Reforestation projects
- Responsible travel experiences that connect travelers with local cultures and environments
- Slow Travel Experiences from cycling through the Swiss countryside to wildlife safaris that help travellers experience the fragile environments.
MyEcoTour designs tours that are sensitive to the environment whether it is calculating carrying-capacity awareness in Ladakh, forging partnerships with eco-friendly lodges or using the services of green-certified operators at various island destinations like Bali, the Maldives, and Seychelles.
The HEART framework that dictates operations and decisions at MyEcoTour
• H- Harmony: Creating balance between tourism and nature.
• E-Eco-consciousness: Making environmentally responsible choices.
• A- Aspirations: Striving for continuous improvement.
• R- Respect for all forms of Life: Honouring biodiversity and ecosystems.
• T- Transformation: Facilitating positive change through travel.
Four key pillars of sustainable tourism defined by MyEcoTours
: • Calculate Carbon Footprint: Measuring the environmental impact of each journey by analysing transportation, accommodation, and activities to understand the ecological footprint.
• Offset Through Tree Planting: Planting trees to compensate for carbon emissions and creating sustainable forests that absorb CO2 while supporting biodiversity.
• Purchase Carbon Credits: Investing in certified carbon offset projects that fund renewable energy, methane capture, and other greenhouse gas reduction initiatives.
• Empower Local Communities: Ensuring tourism benefits local populations through fair employment, cultural preservation, and support for community-based initiatives.
