The new foundation will look to positively impact the lives of communities worldwide by supporting grassroots projects which target poverty, increase access to education and healthcare and promote conservation.

A registered charity, the Explore Foundation is managed by an independent board but benefits from Explore’s community of overseas partners and contacts to help identify and support projects in countries which Explore customers visit.

Managing director of Explore Michael Edwards said: "A Foundation has been a long-standing goal of Explore’s, and it has been several months in the making.

"We’re incredibly proud of what we do at Explore, giving travellers a fantastic time and memories that last a lifetime. But this, launching a Foundation, is probably one of the single things that we’re most proud of in our 41- year history."

The foundation is launching with two projects, which Explore has worked with for several years: Lone Buffalo in Laos and One Bike in Tanzania.

In Laos, Lone Buffalo has developed a programme called Develop Together, which aims to give secondary school students access to learning opportunities and expert workshops.

Set at the foot of Mount Kilimanjaro, One Bike is a social enterprise which uses bicycles to empower and improve the local community through education, environmental awareness and promoting sustainable tourism.