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OUR QUALITY &
SAFETY CHARTER
DEFINITION & OBJECTIVE
This charter draws on our more than 20 years of experience and reflects the continuous improvements in group travel logistics.
This document describes Makwa’s commitments to safety and quality. It serves to inform our clients and show to our
partners our determination to bring together the very best travel conditions for each and every one of our tours.
Appendices available upon request :
TRANSPORT PERMITS : Commission des transport du québec (Ctq) | u.s. department of transportation (us dot)
Travel agent license issued by the OPC
Regulation Respecting Travel Agents, (CQLR c. A-10, r. 1)| Commercial Use Authorizations: art. 10.3 Commercial Visitor Services
PARK PERMITS AND REGULATIONS IN NATIONAL PARKS : U.S. national park service | Parks Canada
Aventure Écotourisme Québec Certification | The seven Principles of Leave No Trace
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- TRANSPORT -
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A SAFE TRANSPORTATION
Makwa’s top priority, for each and every tour, is safe transportation.
In North America, a special permit is required to drive a minibus or bus with 24 passengers or less. We have the necessary permits to drive both in Canada and the United States.
Each itinerary is designed to minimize the number of kilometers to cover and offer comfortable travel throughout the tour. Among other things, we limit the average distance covered to 600 km per day. There is a mandatory 15-minute break (minimum) for every 2 hours of driving, nighttime travel is prohibited (except with prior authorization) and, of course, seatbelts must be worn at all times.
Our tour leaders / drivers :
- are licensed to drive 24-passenger vehicles (this license furthermore attests that they are physically fit to drive [health/vision] and are familiar
with the Highway Safety Code)
- have taken complementary training on operating Makwa’s vehicles and have successfully passed an internal driving test
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- TEAM -
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A TEAM YOU CAN RELY ON
Our team is made up of passionate tour leaders who are specially recruited to meet the specific needs of our clients.
Each tour leader:
- has taken first aid training and has a valid cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) certificate.
- has his criminal background checked,
- is bilingual (English and French).
- is at least 21 years of age (most of our guides are over 25 years of age).
Before leaving on tour, all our tour leaders receive more than 25 hours of training preparing them to deal with any situation that may arise.
Among other things, this training, resulting from more than 20 years of on-the-ground experience, covers the following :
- Risk management, to prevent and eliminate the risk of potentially dangerous situations.
- Emergency plan, to ensure efficient crisis management.
- Safe driving behaviors and reflexes.
- Tour guide techniques.
- Working with an adolescent clientele.
- Camping techniques.
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- SAFETY -
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TRAVELER SAFETY
We comply with all legislative and regulatory requirements in effect, whether in terms of transportation, support, safety or any other tour-related issues.
We have a travel agent license issued by the Office de la Protection du Consommateur (Consumer Protective Agency). This license allows its holder to issue surety bonds to indemnify our clients, should this ever become necessary.
In addition, we have civil liability insurance coverage in the amount of $5,000,000.
We have all the required commercial licenses and authorizations to operate legally in all the American and Canadian parks featured in our tours. We also make sure that all of our tours comply with the stewardship practices as well as the acts and regulations in effect in these parks.
CERTIFIED BY "AVENTURE
ÉCOTOURISME QUÉBEC"
We are certified by Aventure Écotourisme Québec (AEQ), an association of professional ecotourism
and adventure ecotourism enterprises. This non-profit association ensures the quality and safety of member operations.
We select all our tour partners based on their ability to meet the same strict criteria for quality, safety and regulatory compliance that we uphold in our own operations.
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From planning your tour to making sure your return home is hassle free, our experienced
team is always on hand to advise you, answer your questions and offer quick, reliable
solutions.
In the event of an emergency during the tours, we’re never more than a phone call away
with our 24/7 emergency line. All incidents or issues are systematically reported
and promptly resolved.
After the tour, we’d love to have your comments and feedback, as we’re always striving
to improve our services. At Makwa, we don’t rest on our laurels.
If you need to make a claim, we’ll propose fair solutions on a timely basis.
PERSONALIZED FOLLOW-THROUGH
AND A RESPONSIVE TEAM
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RESPONSIBLE TRAVEL
At Makwa, we take our social and environmental responsibilities seriously. As such, Makwa works in partnership with Leave No Trace Canada to reaffirm our commitment to limit the environmental and social impact of our presence as we travel the world.
We also educate our fellow travelers, whether young or young at heart, on how to protect our natural heritage.
More concretely, we do this by sharing and applying the seven principles of Leave No Trace.
Whether interacting within the group or with local communities, we promote human experiences that are synonymous with new encounters, sharing and mutual respect.
We make every effort to create an environment that is conducive to positive intercultural experiences for both our travelers and the communities we meet.
Whenever possible, we eat local and work with partners directly on site to make sure that communities directly benefit from tourism.