Your FAQ's, answered

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Why is your approach 'muchbetter'

Our platform allows small local businesses to compete online at a low cost. This funnels money directly into local communities, arresting the ‘leakage’ problem.

Our assessment of 'muchbetter' businesses - i.e. those truly committed to sustainable practice - is designed to be truly independent, unbiased and neutral, which makes us a bit different.

We provide further support for pioneering organisations who use travel as a tool to advance conservation and sustainable development initiatives in their community.

Our unique model pushes up sustainability standards in travel generally, and tackles greenwash problems which threaten the green movement. 

We even offer sustainability consultancy to help others start on the road to muchbetter-hood.

There is more about all this below.

  How do businesses get on the site?

1. They sign up or are suggested by the community.

All suggestions from fellow adventurers go straight into the directory. Businesses also sign up directly.

2. We check them out. We check they are either a local, independent business, or at least an independent business who looks like they care about green issues. If they look at all suitable, we get in touch. If not, we say goodbye.

3. Locals appear immediately. Local businesses can immediately add more detailed information about their business, add product listings and encourage reviews from customers - all for free.

4. Others need to be 'muchbetter'.  Meanwhile, non-local businesses (ones who operate in a number of countries) are invited to apply for muchbetter approval. Any local business can go for this too. We only award this to a select band who can show a true commitment to benefiting the local communities and protecting the environments they work in.

5. The community does the rest. All businesses are immediately open for independent reviews and feedback from guests. That way you get the most accurate and up to date impression of a place, from people just like you. 

 

What is the application process to get muchbetter status?

All businesses applying for muchbetter status complete an application form telling us more about who they are and what they offer. We also ask them to provide a detailed sustainability policy, and their action plan for improvement. For total transparency, we make this all available on their main profile.

Respected industry audits, accreditations and recommendations help us decide, but are not the final word. We get to know them over phone and email. We also scour the web for reviews, and only when we are 100% satisfied that they fit the bill do we welcome them.

        

How do you remain independent, unbiased and impartial?

There is plenty of greenwash out there. To remain independent and unbiased, muchbetter status is not available to buy at any cost. In fact, it comes with discounts and a wide r ange of extra priviledges which costs us more time and money, so we have NO commercial incentive to award this membership. That is why we think you can trust our judgement! Look out for the green bar and approval stamp on search results. 

We know we won't get every assessment right first time. As we are not reliant on them paying us to be here, we will not hesitate to downgrade or suspend travel members who we no longer feel are truly committed. Our model is designed to keep us independent and unbiased – the holy grail, and if we may so, one of the most special things about us.

 

Do you do any further checks once they are accepted?

muchbetter status is re-checked and re-awarded every year. We use the action plan to check up on progress every year, and ask for evidence they are moving forward with plans. That allows us to see their continual ongoing commitment.

We plan to visit more and more of our members to experience their operations first hand. For now we have to settle for the next best thing – asking you, the muchbetter community for recommendations and reviews. All reviews are passed on to our members, and we take up any potential issues direct with them.

How are you pushing up the standards of sustainability in travel?

We are here largely as a way to encourage more businesses to go green. We incentivise them to go muchbetter by offering extra discounts, increased exposure on the site and access to additional services. It is not easy to get it though, so one by one we are upping the standards of sustainability in travel. We also offer a sustainability consultancy to help them get there too.

What sorts of travel businesses do you work with?

We primarily support only local, independent businesses. That usually means they are owned and operated by a year round member of the community: Guest houses, hotels, lodges, bed and breakfasts, campgrounds. Local guides, instructors and schools. Conservation organisations, not for profits and community groups. In some cases we do work with international tour operators who share our same commitment to working with local, independent and ethical businesses.

What's this about a sustainability consultancy?

Many people don't feel like they are up to the standards of muchbetter just yet. But far be it for us to turn them away if they want to go green. We have teamed up Sustainable Travel International to develop a short, useful and jargon-free green consultancy to help them start to identify ways they can save money and act more sustainably in their daily operations.