STUART, FLA.—Big Five Tours & Expeditions announced its official certification as a Certified B Corporation, joining a global community of businesses that meet the highest verified standards of social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability. This milestone, in the company’s 52 years, marks the beginning of an exciting chapter—one focused on not only honoring the legacy of ethical travel, but on building the future of the industry in collaboration with its most valuable ally: the travel advisor.
Founded in 1973 by the late Mahen Sanghrajka, Big Five was born out of a vision to offer more than just tourism experiences, but instead to create journeys that enrich lives, preserve heritage, and protect the natural world. Long before “sustainable travel” became a buzzword, Mahen established core principles that still guide the company: respect for local cultures, environmental stewardship, and a steadfast focus on doing what is right, even when it’s difficult.
Big Five views its travel advisor network not merely as sales channels, but as purpose-aligned partners. These advisors are critical to delivering the kind of transformational journeys the company designs—journeys that go beyond luxury and make a lasting difference on humanity and on the world. As Big Five accelerates its innovation in regenerative travel, and ethical travel curation, it is building new tools, resources, and storytelling frameworks specifically to support advisors in their client relationships. By educating and equipping travel advisors, Big Five ensures that responsible travel scales—not just in reach, but in depth of impact.
A Milestone & a Commitment
“Becoming a Certified B Corporation is both a milestone and a commitment that started with a conversation with my father in 2015. It validates the work we’ve done for decades and inspires us to continue innovating responsibly. The most amazing part is seeing the evolution of the travel advisor community. Years ago, after a speech on responsible tourism, I would get asked, how do I start. Now I get asked, where do I start and how do I elevate? I cannot tell you how proud I was to hear this,” said Ashish Sanghrajka, President of Big Five Tours & Expeditions.
The B Corp certification process—a rigorous, months-long evaluation of the company’s impact across governance, workers, environment, community, and customers—confirms that Big Five’s operations align with that purpose at the highest global level. Every aspect of the company’s operations—from its supply chain to internal governance to environmental policies—was placed under a microscope. Now, out of more than 357 million businesses worldwide, Big Five is one of no more than 10,000 companies with this certification. This certification confirms the integrity of systems the company has built over decades and demonstrates that Big Five’s purpose-driven model holds up to the highest global benchmarks.
B Corp certification requires recertification every three years, with a mandate to improve.
“Trust is priceless. We went through this painstaking process for our advisors and their clients, because we believe proving what you say is really what you do, it’s not just necessary. It’s respectful. My father taught me that when I was a child and reminds me of it every day in his own way,” he concluded.
For more information on Big Five, their commitment to sustainable and purpose driven travel or the programs they offer around the world, visit www.bigfive.com. For more information on Big Five’s certification as a Certified B Corporation, click here.
