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Our Ethical Commitment

The bottom line: We believe nature is the most important thing on this planet. We do everything we can to ensure the lakes, forests and natural beauty can be enjoyed and preserved now and for generations to come.

What do sustainable and regenerative travel mean to us?

A word from the founder

Heidi Savolainen

The owner of the company is commited to developing sustainability in tourism and is recognised for her expertise.

Sustainability Ambassador of Finland

Visit Finland has nominated Heidi as a Sustainability Ambassador 2025 for promoting equality in tourism.

Scandinavian Outdoor Award for Accessibility

Heidi Savolainen has granted a Scandinavian Outdoor Award's IMPACT PRIZE for accessible adventures.

Sustainability has been one of our core values from day one. The company began with the aim of connecting travellers with the local people, culture and nature through adventure. We started out small in 2014 with our owner Heidi guiding small groups on her own. One of the most popular tours was the Live Like a Local: Homestay tour in Orivesi which has been certified as an Authentic Finnish Tour by Visit Finland.

In 2017 as business increased and we partnered with other guides, we wrote our first official Quality Manual which communicates our values for responsible and sustainable travel and were awarded the Green Start certification. We have been a partnering company with Metsähallitus Parks & Wildlife Finland and we are committed to respecting the rules and regulations they have organised to protect Finland’s natural environment. Our commitment extends beyond Finland’s 41 National Parks to include all outdoor areas throughout the country.

Like many other companies we also tell our customers about Finland’s Everyone’s Rights. We also go one step further to promote education about “Everyone’s Responsibilities.” For example, we follow the leave no trace policy and educate our customers about the careful calculation of food on expeditions to ensure we carry less and waste less.

Building for the future

Adventure Apes Lodge, a local schoolhouse converted to a six-room lodge, opened in January 2019 in the countryside of Kuusamo. In the renovation, we reused materials whenever possible, employed local craftspeople from Kuusamo and Posio and are in the process of installing a geothermal heating system.

On tours starting from the Lodge, we work to encourage positive global citizenship, educating customers on ways to reduce our energy and water consumption, recycling and minimising our food waste. Many times we are also building birdhouses or bug hotels together with our international visitors.

We want to support the small local communities around us and often arrange activities and gatherings for locals. We want the locals to benefit from our business and many times include local people in our tours in a way or another.

We cooperate with a non profit organisation supporting visually impaired children and their families and organise regularly adventure weeks for such families. See a video about our winter tour for visually impaired children.

Our Grannie Knitting Club meets regularly to knit woollen socks for our clients to use. You can find these amazing products for sale in our souvenir shop, too.

In Orivesi we are leading Orivesi Grannies go International group consisting of local elderly people and international youth. We gather together around local food and cook together from pure local ingredients as we want to bring people together and socialise.

Our work towards sustainability has been recognized

Adventure Apes’ commitment to sustainable tourism has been formally recognized through several respected certifications. The company has earned the Sustainable Travel Finland label, a mark awarded to operators who demonstrate continuous improvement in ecological, cultural, social, and economic responsibility. In addition, Adventure Apes holds the Green Start certification and the Good Travel Seal, both of which highlight their dedication to minimizing environmental impact while ensuring authentic and responsible travel experiences for visitors. These certifications are not only proof of their values in action but also a trusted guarantee for travelers seeking eco-conscious adventures.

Beyond certifications, Adventure Apes and its founder have also received recognition through prestigious awards. CEO Heidi Savolainen was honored with the Scandinavian Outdoor Travel Impact Prize for her pioneering work in accessible tourism, showcasing the company’s holistic approach to inclusivity and sustainability in travel. Furthermore, she has been named a Visit Finland Sustainability Ambassador for 2025, underlining her role as a leading voice in promoting responsible tourism practices both in Finland and internationally. These acknowledgments illustrate how Adventure Apes is setting an inspiring standard for sustainable and inclusive adventure travel.

Learn more about our sustainability work

Good Travel Seal

We are Good Travel Seal certified since September 2022. It is a sustainability certification and support programme designed especially for tourism-related businesses.

Read More

Green Start Certified

Green Start certification for responsible tourism recognises Adventure Apes’ action plan for reducing environmental impact and promoting accountability within its operating environment and customers.

Read More

We mean what we say. Our sustainability commitment in practice.

Finland is home to pure, unspoiled nature that is free for everyone to enjoy. We have over 180,000 lakes to enjoy swimming and fishing any day of the year. Two thirds of our land is covered by forests where you can breath clean air and listen to birds singing a private concert, just for you. We are working hard to maintain this beauty.

Here is how:

  • We choose our tour destinations carefully to avoid the impacts of mass tourism.
  • We cooperate with small, local companies who share our values of eco-friendliness, sustainability and safety.
  • Whenever possible, we shop local. From bread and jam for breakfast to skis for our Lapland tour, we support the local economy.
  • We encourage, and provide opportunities for, our customers to buy Finnish souvenirs from small companies rather than in big chain stores. We also have a small souvenir shop on our own.
  • We prefer overnighting in small, high-quality accommodations. Most of our tours include stays at cosy cottages, locally-owned bed & breakfasts or guest houses, or our Adventure Apes Lodge in Kuusamo.
  • We enjoy the delicacies of small restaurants and cafes.
  • We are actively working to find ways to reduce our energy and water consumption.
  • We recycle and sort our waste.
  • We leave no trace. This means we don’t leave anything behind in nature. Anything that can not be burnt in the camp fire, we take with us back home where we will sort and recycle it.
  • We regularly maintain our gear to keep it in good condition and ensure it is recycled properly if and when it needs to be replaced.
  • We carefully calculate food consumption on our travels. This means less to carry and less food waste.
  • We use reusable cups, plates and eating utensils from the Finnish company Kupilka. Made from the environmentally-friendly natural fiber Kareline, this reusable dishware helps us to reduce disposable waste.