Tarannà, travel agency; Barcelona
They say that the journey itself is more important than the destination; just ask the Barcelona-based agency Tarannà, which has turned the organisation of special trips into a business model. Moreover, these trips focus firmly on sustainability.
The company provides its customers with the opportunity to offset the carbon footprint of their journey. How? Thanks to the Bosc Viatger (Travelling Forest) programme, through which, voluntarily, the Tarannà community has already succeeded in planting more than two thousand trees throughout the country.
A sustainable travel agency
For over 10 years now, the travel agency has been involved in forest protection, encouraging its customers to take part too. It all started with a project in the Sant Boi area of Baix Llobregat, and the creation of a peri-urban forest garden that acts as a “pantry forest” where migratory birds can stop to regain their strength.
This first step sparked greater involvement in the environment. Proof of this is the commitment that the company adopted in 2020 to plant 1,200 trees in the following decade. A target they have more than met, as they have already planted 2,500 and have now set a new one of 10,000 trees.
Several areas are benefiting from this positive environmental impact. Firstly, Gallecs in the Vallès Oriental county, where they have restored an area damaged by erosion and promoted the planting of various species of aromatic plants.
Secondly, Torroella de Montgrí, with the planting of over a hundred pine trees aimed at repopulating its continental dune system. More recently, in the Guilleries-Savassona massif, in 2021, with an initiative to develop the undergrowth and increase the biodiversity by planting native species such as stone pine, holm oak, oak, service tree, and wild pear. Projects have been replicated in other parts of mainland Spain, such as the “Valle de Iruelas” in Ávila, with over a thousand trees planted to strengthen the forest mass.
There are others that are quite special, like the “Sierra de Gredos”, where they have promoted the planting of pine and birch trees to curb the erosion and loss of biodiversity that the area suffered during the 2009 fire. Or the Viu de Llevata area in Lleida, which is aimed at recovering a landscape of great value that did not evolve properly after suffering the effects of fire.
Customers at the forefront of environmental commitment
What Tarannà is most proud in all these activities is the involvement of its customers. They have therefore made a firm commitment to achieving tangible results and to monitoring progress year after year.
The goal? Achieving what they call the “pollinator effect”. In other words, getting everyone involved in the cause. Or, as they like to say at Tarannà: “let's all roll up our sleeves once and for all”. In the same vein, they seek to align their suppliers with the principles of responsible management. This is not easy, as they work worldwide, and the level of social and environmental commitment varies in each place.
To achieve this, they require collaborators to manage waste properly, use water efficiently, and promote the use of alternative fuels to fossil fuels. And above all, they attach importance to the good practices carried out by their partners, as a way of promoting Tarannà's commitment outside the company itself.
And this path is lined with the milestones they have achieved. Such as becoming pioneers in renouncing the use of wild animals in activities such as visiting dolphinariums in Mexico or interacting with elephants in India, while also ensuring strict compliance with animal watching rules around the world.
For all these reasons, customers see them as a unique agency. But always with the same motto: this journey helps trees breathe.
