Our sustainability approach

How we think about people, planet and the places we call home.

People, planet & profit

At OURWAY, we believe that how you travel matters as much as where you go. As a small family-run operator working across six Scandinavian cities, we take our responsibility to the people and places we work with seriously — and we always have.

Scandinavia is a global leader in sustainable thinking, and we hold ourselves to the same standard. When you travel with OURWAY, you’re choosing an operator that considers the impact of every decision — on our guests, our guides, our cities and our environment.

Employee wellbeing

We believe in offering a safe and supportive working environment for everyone we work with across all locations. As a remote team, we stay closely connected through regular communication and an open-door policy that means our people always feel supported — wherever they are based.

Opportunities for all

Our recruitment process across Scandinavia is fully digital. We work with established local guides and believe that anyone with the passion and expertise to deliver an exceptional experience should have the opportunity to do so. We encourage the guides we work with to engage with relevant trade bodies, and we are always open to feedback on how we can improve the experiences we offer together.

Training with technology

All training and planning material is available online, including guide contracts. We minimise waste and continuously look to use the smartest, most efficient tools to support our operations. We stay connected as a team through regular video calls and digital briefings, ensuring everyone working with OURWAY is aligned and informed.

Work routines

We appreciate the guides we work with and the energy they bring to every experience. We are mindful of workload and always ensure a reasonable number of experiences are scheduled. We regularly check in with everyone we work with and actively welcome feedback — keeping our working relationships healthy matters as much to us as the experiences we deliver.

Customer relations

We build lasting relationships with everyone we work with — guests, partners and guides alike. We choose to work with people who share our values of care, consideration and respect for the cities we operate in. That shared commitment is what allows us to deliver experiences that are not only exceptional but responsible.

Planet

Impact assessment

We are committed to regularly reviewing the environmental and economic impact we have on our destinations whilst assessing our socio-cultural implications as a business. By doing so, we understand how we play our part and set the highest standards for the tourism industry as a whole.

Celebrating sustainability

We design our experiences to promote the sustainable and ethical choices of local businesses and public bodies, encouraging guests to consider the use of resources within the Scandinavian capitals — regarded as a global benchmark for sustainability in modern cities.

Local focus

Promoting independent businesses above multinational corporations within our visited neighbourhoods fosters a community-based mindset. We encourage our guests to engage with independent cafes and restaurants and highlight hospitality establishments in areas that may not benefit from the highest footfall due to rental costs and corporate ownership. This leads to greater sustainable conditions and practices within the local social economy.

Counteracting ‘overtourism’

Our private tour model is by nature a solution to overtourism. Rather than moving large groups through the most crowded spots, we take small private groups to culturally significant areas with traditionally modest footfall — supporting a wider use of public spaces and city businesses.

Methods of travel

Most of our experiences are on foot, keeping our environmental footprint minimal by design. When transport is needed we work exclusively with drivers and vehicle partners who use electric or hybrid vehicles wherever possible.

Thinking digitally

We operate a fully digital business — all bookings, communications and planning are handled online, reducing paper use and keeping our processes lean.

Recycling

We operate entirely paperless — no brochures, no printing, no physical materials of any kind.

Profit

Employment

We review the fees and benefits of the guides and partners we work with on a regular basis to ensure everyone working with OURWAY directly benefits from our success. This leads to better wellbeing and stronger relationships with the local economies of our destinations.

Embracing innovation

By regularly reviewing the latest technology, we invest in more efficient systems and applications to reduce waste and stay focused on our responsibilities to our people and the destinations we operate in.

Taxes

We see taxation as a responsibility, not a burden. Our business is interdependent on the countries and destinations we operate in. The public infrastructure and institutions we rely on to provide the best working conditions for our guides and the best experiences for our guests are funded by our tax contributions.

Trusted clients and partners

Local operators are prioritised over cheaper overseas alternatives. This increases the likelihood of a positive socio-economic impact in our cities. By investing in each destination’s local business community, we nurture a culture of cooperation between our guides and partners within the local tourism sector.