REPORT IMPACT
ANNUAL IMPACT REPORT 2025
4,490 PARTICIPANTS 21 DESTINATIONS 6 CONTINENTS
Our 2025 Impact Report looks back on trips that took place in 2024, sharing insights into the development of our students, how we contributed and collaborated with our global initiative partners, the emissions generated by our operations and the development of our staff team.
In 2024, 4,490 participants travelled with us to 21 destinations across 6 continents, supported by our teams in Beaconsfield, Melbourne , Cape Town and Bangalore, as well as our Ground Teams around the world. It’s always a pleasure to look back on the year, taking stock of the various ways our trips contributed to the delivery of our educational outcomes, and contributed to driving positive change across our global community.
This report will identify key achievements and tracking against our three impact objectives, as described below, as well as introducing some of the achievements from within our team this year, too.
1.
The success of our programme and trips in delivering our educational outcomes, and the impact this has on travellers’ personal development.
2.
The impact of our community initiatives with regards to engaging students on important global issues, and supporting local communities to further their goals.
3.
The size of our carbon footprint, how it has been mitigated though offsetting and reforestation programmes, and how we’re progressing towards our reduction targets.
sTUDENT IMPACT
DELIVERING OUR EDUCATIONAL OUTCOMES
In 2024 we worked with our pool of leaders around the world to seek opportunities to enhance students’ learning and development on trips through structured review and reflection activities. All travelling leaders were invited to training sessions and provided with a handbook to aid the development of their skills in this field. Alongside our suite of pre-departure modules that students can access in the build-up to their departure, this helps us to deliver our desired educational outcomes, across the three pillars of Personal Growth, Global Citizenship and Wellbeing, outlined on the following pages.
PERSONAL GROWTH GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP WELLBEING THREE PILLARS
Students will gain a greater understanding of how to act for a more sustainable future, at both local and global levels.
Students will be immersed in different cultures and experiences, growing to understand their role within our global community.
Students will be challenged to think critically about topical issues that affect our past, present and future around the world.
Students will be empowered to build on their self-care strategies, enhancing their physical and mental wellbeing.
Students will experience and reflect on the power of being pushed outside of their comfort zone, allowing the development of initiative, confidence, and resilience.
Students will build a deeper connection to their own identity & personal values, developing their independence and sense of self.
MEASURING SUCCESS
We asked our students to report on their own development on the trip, and they provided us with insights as to how they felt the experiences they had matched the intended educational outcomes, as well as the learnings that they will take forward with them into the future. The latter showcases the lasting impact that results from the students travelling on a World Challenge trip –identifying ways that the learning and development undertaken will continue to create positive change in the months and years to follow.
PERSONAL GROWTH
99% OF STUDENTS...
RETURNING HOME
DEVELOPED LEADERSHIP SKILLS ON THEIR TRIP.
STEPPED OUT OF THEIR COMFORT ZONE ON THEIR TRIP.
USED INITIATIVE TO SOLVE PROBLEMS WHILST TRAVELLING.
89% 72% 70%
“I HAVE LEARNED THAT I CAN BE INDEPENDENT AND HANDLE CHALLENGING SITUATIONS AND THAT I CAN GENUINELY DO ANYTHING I PUT MY MIND TO.”
MILA – STUDENT
“I GAINED MORE CONFIDENCE IN MYSELF, IN TRAVELLING IN DIFFERENT COUNTRIES AND IN PUTTING MYSELF INTO UNCOMFORTABLE SITUATIONS THAT I NORMALLY WOULDN’T. IT HAS LED ME TO TRY NEW THINGS AND VIEW SITUATIONS FROM DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES.”
NEVE – STUDENT
“I HAVE BECOME MORE CONFIDENT AND SELF-ASSURED. AS A RESULT, I WILL BE MORE LIKELY TO FIND MAKING NEW FRIENDS EASIER AND I WILL BE MORE LIKELY TO TRY NEW ACTIVITIES.”
MARTIN – STUDENT
MEASURING SUCCESS
GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP
98% OF STUDENTS
TOOK ACTION TO BE MORE SUSTAINABLE WHILST TRAVELLING WITH US.
RETURNING HOME
of students will increase efforts to protect nature and the environment. of students will look for sustainable ways to travel in the future.
“WE DID CONSERVATION WORK, WHICH HAS INSPIRED ME TO TRY AND FEED MY PASSION TO BECOME A MARINE BIOLOGIST, BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY, I’VE GAINED SO MANY GOOD FRIENDS ALONG THE WAY.”
JAYNIE – STUDENT
“I HAVE LEARNED TO SEE HOW BIG THE WORLD IS. THIS HAS MADE ME ASK MYSELFHOW I CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE?”
WILIAM – STUDENT
MEASURING SUCCESS
WELLBEING
96% OF STUDENTS
USED SELF-CARE STRATEGIES TO MAINTAIN THEIR WELLBEING WHILST TRAVELLING WITH US.
“I HAVE RETURNED FROM MY EXPEDITION FEELING LIKE A VERY DIFFERENT PERSON TO THE GIRL WHO I WAS AT THE START, I FEEL MORE MATURE AND HAPPIER IN LIFE AND I CAN NOW SAY THAT I WILL CONSTANTLY BE PUTTING MYSELF OUT OF MY COMFORT ZONE.”
ANNA – STUDENT
“I HAVE STRENGTHENED MY ABILITY TO ADAPT TO NEW AND CHANGING ENVIRONMENTS WHICH IN TURN HAS MADE ME FEEL MORE CONFIDENT.”
OLIVIA – STUDENT
W ORLD C H A L L E
EMPOWERING LEADERS TO EMPOWER STUDENTS
In 2025 we will further expand the training resources available to leaders to provide them with additional tools to enhance learning and development for students on the trip. We will also provide training sessions to bring these materials to life.
MEASURING SUCCESS
WHAT OUR LEADERS SAID
We also ask our Expedition Leaders to feedback on the growth and development of the students that travelled with them in 2024.
Here are the results:
PERSONAL GROWTH
Did students demonstrate recognition of learning through reflection on experiences outside of their comfort zone?
GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP
Did students demonstrate consideration of responsible travel in their decision making on trip?
Did students demonstrate that they were comfortable using self-care strategies on the trip?
COMMUNITY INITIATIVES
In 2024 we visited 60 of our initiative partners around the world, including 36 community and 24 conservation programmes.
36
COMMUNITY INITIATIVES
60
24 INITIATIVES
CONSERVATION PROGRAMMES
The impact of the initiatives we visited spans 10 SDGs.
Participants spent a total of contributing, collaborating, and learning with our network of global initiatives.
15,152
DAYS 1,347
1 THE IMPACT OF THE INITIATIVES WE VISITED SPANS SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS
PARTICIPANTS
took part in nature-based initiatives in 2024.
Photo by Alex Frood on Expedition in Borneo
n ai Sun Bears
n t
41hoursofwildlife monitoring datacollection 14 in 9 countries WILDLIFE CONSERVATION PROGRAMMES Moonbears 3organicpfarming rojects
Turtle conservation
REGENERATION PROGRAMMES
Across destinations
41 planting ove 24reforestat elephants
IMPAC T A WARD
N ITIATI
E PARTN E
In 2024, we launched the WORLD CHALLENGE IMPACT AWARDS to recognise initiative partners who are making a lasting difference in their communities while creating meaningful, educational experiences for our student teams. These awards celebrate partners who demonstrate a commitment to local impact, continuous improvement, and transparent reporting.
This year, we were proud to present eight awards to outstanding partners across five countries:
4 Partners in
VIETNAM
for significant improvements to community infrastructure - including road repairs, solar streetlights and shared spaces - that enhance daily life and safety for residents, while providing teams with structured, purposeful work.
1 Partner in
1 Partner in
PERU
1 Partner in
for offering full cultural immersion and involving students in the reconstruction of a community longhouse, supporting both cultural preservation and reparation efforts.
MOROCCO
for close collaboration on school renovation projects that improved learning environments and demonstrated the power of teamwork.
for maintaining vital agroforestry systems that support long-term food security and livelihoods, while sharing deep ecological knowledge through practical, team-led activities.
BORNEO TANZANIA
1 Partner in
for delivering infrastructure improvements where they’re needed most - enhancing schools in ways that directly benefit local children.
In 2025 we will host a series of optional training sessions for initiative partners, focusing on key areas to enhance collaboration and impact. We will also develop additional resources to help partners build capacity and drive long-term success.
SOLAR LIGHTS
IMPACT STORIES
VIETNAM
In Vietnam, teams collaborated with our partner to install over 150 solar lights, bringing safer and more accessible lighting to a rural village.
BORNEO PERU
In Borneo, teams contributed to the completion of a school hostel, expanding access to education by enabling students from a wider area to attend.
In Peru, teams planted saplings that will be used by local women to produce medicinal ointments. This initiative provides an essential income stream, empowers women and supports their livelihoods.
ESWATINI
In eSwatini, teams supported the construction of a new clinic at a Neighbourhood Care Point (NCP). This vital addition strengthens the centre’s ability to provide care and resources to the local community.
TURTLE CONSERVATION
Our teams spent time with five turtle conservation initiatives, learning about and actively supporting efforts to protect endangered marine life and their habitats.
EXPAND SOCIAL ENTERPRISE
ENGAGEMENT
In 2025 we plan to incorporate more social enterprises into World Challenge itineraries as “Impact Experiences” and meaningful R&R options, enriching teams’ experiences whilst also supporting local communities.
CLIMATE ACTION
To find out more about how we’re working to reduce and mitigate against our impact on the climate crisis, read our CLIMATE ACTION PLAN.
We’re committed to transparently reporting our carbon emissions, which we began tracking and measuring in 2021. To benchmark our progress, we use 2019 (our last ‘normal’ year of operation) as a baseline against which we measure progress.
Our Carbon Footprint in
This metric allows us to compare our annual emissions without the totals being swayed by the number of travellers we take overseas, so we can compare future years to the baseline more accurately.
WHY OUR 2023 FOOTPRINT HAS CHANGED
Those of you with a keen eye may notice some changes to the numbers from last year’s report. We’ve rectified a calculation error that was highlighted after publication. We’re committed to transparent reporting, so wanted to right this in 2024’s report!
OUR FOOTPRINT IN 2024
From 2023 to 2024, our emissions per passenger have reduced from 4.34 to 3.66 tonnes per traveller. This intensity measure shows that despite the increase in volume of travellers year-on-year, we are still successfully moving towards our target of halving emissions from 2019-2028. That said, we are still sitting slightly higher than
our baseline of 3.16 tonnes per traveller in 2019. This has likely been impacted by changes to the way we calculate our footprint, and the increase in the emissions factor for flights that has occurred since 2019 was calculated – meaning the amount of emissions attributed to flights is higher now than it was then.
Emissions per person decreased emissi o n s
OFFICE AND STAFF EMISSIONS
Emissions in this area have decreased from 0.07 to 0.06 per person from 2023 to 2024. While the emissions generated by those aspects of our operation are quite similar year-on-year, they are balanced by higher volumes of travellers. They remain significantly lower than 2019, due to the changes we have made to our offices and style of operations since then.
OUR TRIP EMISSIONS
Trip emissions per passenger are largely level from 2023 to 2024 – a 0.01 tonne per person increase likely reflects the implementation of an internal flight on all Nepal trips which is required to allow safe passage across the destination where concerns around road travel safety are significant. This increase has been mitigated by more accurate measurement of different types of accommodation which has allowed us to report better on the emissions of community hosted, teahouse and camping nights.
This figure remains much higher than the 2019 baseline, likely due to the changes in our calculation methodology which were implemented in 2023 – more accurately measuring meals provided on the trips. We will continue to assess whether recalculating data from previous years is necessary to ensure the most accurate tracking of our progress.
We will continue to review the itineraries we operate, identifying opportunities to reduce the footprint of each one, where we can.
Our flight emissions
17% down in 2024
OUR FLIGHT EMISSIONS
Our flight emissions are 17% lower in 2024 than they were in 2023. This is, however, still 11% higher than our 2019 baseline. The decrease seen this year can largely be attributed to better availability of more efficient flight routes. In the years since the pandemic there has been a gradual re-opening of flight paths with different airlines. As this availability has increased, it has been easier to select more efficient routes for groups travelling.
The emissions factor used to calculate the emissions of the flights used in 2024 is higher than that in 2019. The factor changes year to year as occupancy and general efficiency of air travel changes, and is therefore not something within our control – simply, air travel in 2024 is more carbon intensive than it was in 2019.
MITIGATION REGENERATION AND
In 2024 we focused our contributions to mitigating the negative impact of our trips on the environment to nature-based solutions.
In collaboration with Eden:People + Planet we funded the regeneration of 40 hectares of land in Chimanimani, Mozambique.
Chimanimani is a biodiversity hotspot – home to at least 78 endemic plant species, and threequarters of Mozambique’s Afromontane Forest cover. This mountainous region also contains significant spiritual and cultural sites which preserve the heritage of the country. The area has lost almost 40,000 hectares of tree cover since the year 2000, and the project supported aims to restore the land, whilst also providing resident communities with sustainable livelihoods to prevent further degradation. By restoring the land, the project will increase carbon storageabsorbing harmful greenhouse gases from the atmosphere and protect the habitats of resident wildlife, strengthening overall biodiversity.
The project is carefully monitored and managed by Eden Reforestation to ensure it is protected long-term, collaboration with the community in Chimanimani further bolstering this.
World Challenge is part of the Travelopia group, who have an ongoing partnership with the Blue Marine Foundation to support marine conservation around the world. Since the start of the partnership, a lot has been achieved through
7 GLOBAL BLUE CARBON PROJECTS
56
HECTARES OF BLUE CARBON HABITAT HAVE BEEN RESTORED.
60,000
MANGROVE AND SEAGRASS SEEDLINGS HAVE BEEN PLANTED.
200+
COMMUNITY MEMBERS HAVE BEEN UPSKILLED AND ENGAGED IN MARINE RESTORATION.
OUR PEOPLE TEAM TRAVEL 2024
Our team continues to expand in order to support the growing numbers of young people travelling with us each year. Our people play a crucial role in ensuring that our travellers are supported, prepared and safe, and contribute to the creation of the positive impact outlined in this report. In 2024 thirteen members of the team travelled internationally.
EXPEDITIONS
8 members of the team headed out on expeditions to Malawi, Borneo, Vietnam, eSwatini, Norway and Croatia, to experience the impact and adventure first-hand.
INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCES
6 members of the team visited international conferences including ITB Berlin, International Pow-wow in Los Angeles, WTM London, and the World Youth Student Travel Conference in Lisbon where World Challenge were a finalist for the Best Sustainable Tour Operator Award.
GROUND TEAM RECCES
Two members of the team headed out to meet our new Ground Team in Slovenia.
LOS ANGELES
NORWAY
LONDON
LISBON
BERLIN
SLOVENIA
CROATIA
MALAWI
BORNEO
VIETNAM
ESWATINI
“My trip to Borneo was fantastic, and it’s something that I think about almost daily. It was such an honour to experience the expedition through the eyes of our students, and to share in every moment with them. I had thought I’d simply be accompanying them on the trip, but it ended up having a profound impact on me as well. I loved learning about life in Borneo when living with a local family, and about the jungle and all the species that call it home during our trek.
This trip also gave me the opportunity to meet the team in Borneo that I work with every day, allowing me to strengthen our relationship further.
Quite simply, it was an amazing two weeks, and I’ll never forget the incredible moment we saw pygmy elephants in the wild.”
EMILY, PRODUCT MANAGER, WORLD CHALLENGE
NORWAY
“Joining the team in Norway pushed me out of my comfort zone, giving me the kind of experience we aim for our travellers to have. I did things I didn’t think I would ever find the confidence to try, and it was so enlightening to put myself in the students boots. I came back feeling energised and confident.”
LIZ, PRODUCT & SUSTAINABILITY TEAM MANAGER, WORLD CHALLENGE
CHARITY GIVING AND
In 2024 several members of the team took advantage of the opportunity to use their volunteering days, here’s what a few of them got up to:
LIZ
Liz helped facilitate youth activity days with the Youth Adventure Trust.
EMILIE
Emilie assisted with tree planting
EMMA
Emma helped with the weekly harvest at the Oxford City Farm.
LUCIE
Lucie supported her local foodbank.
in Scotland.
FUNDRAISING
MARCH CHARGE 25KM
Chris, Denise, Nat, Sam and Kairi raised AUS $3,296 for The Cancer Council of Australia by participating in the March Charge 35km walk.
COASTREK
AUS $ 1,489 was raised by Issy, Nat and Caity for the Heart Foundation in Australia through the Coastrek event.
LIFESAVING VICTORIA
Troy raised AUS $400 for Lifesaving Victoria.
BAKE OFF
Both the Melbourne and Buckinghamshire offices fundraised for organisations providing adventurous activities to disadvantaged youth in their respective countries through office bake off competitions.
Donations were made to the Youth Adventure Trust in the UK and Stewart House in Australia.
PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT
Mental health first aid training was completed by Denise Clery, Chris Sharman and Zak Kennedy.
ILM Level 3
Leadership and Management
Irshaad, Chelle and Holly completed ILM Level 3 Award in Leadership and Management.
Insights training
21 members of the UK team had Insights training.
‘Diffuser’ training
Lucie, Pippa and Vicky attended ‘Diffuser’ training which is about dealing with difficult emotions in the wake of an incident.
Secondment to Australian office
Vicky headed off on secondment from the UK to the Melbourne office.
Situational Leadership course
Caity completed a Situational Leadership course.
Global incident simulation
The UK and Melbourne Ops teams each participated in an extensive incident simulation.
First aid training
Zoe and Ella both completed first aid training.
L OOKI N G AHEA D W ORLD C H A LLEN G E 2025 to
As we move into 2025, we continue to seek opportunities to expand the positive impact that our trips can have, both on the young people who travel with us, and the destinations we travel to.
OUR KEY GOALS INCLUDE
Build relationships with social enterprises in our destinations to add positive impact experiences to itineraries, supporting those organisations and giving students additional opportunities to engage with meaningful experiences.
Seeking opportunities to reduce our emissions through adaptations to the itineraries we run such as lower-emission transport and accommodation, and more efficient overland journeys.
Continue to build our network of community and conservation partners around the world to expand our impact through collaboration with them.
Identify opportunities to further enhance the learning and development of young people through our training and pre-departure programme.
Encourage staff to participate in volunteering and fundraising activities, and provide them with opportunities to travel, learn and develop.
