As a travel company that engages with various stakeholders in tourism, namely consumers, tour guides, travel agencies, hotels, transport companies, restaurants, and attractions, Charmission Travel understands our key role and influence in the sustainability development of tourism. Therefore, we are committed to promoting sustainability. We aim to follow, implement and promote good 

sustainability practices to maximize positive impacts and minimize negative impacts on tourism of our operations and to influence our clients and partners to do the same.

Our sustainability policy is divided into 10 themes. Each theme consists of a set of principles and practical actions accordingly.

1. Sustainability Management & Legal compliance

1. Charmission Travel commits to sustainability management by following these actions:

2.  Appointing an employee who is responsible for sustainability coordinator tasks.

3.  Communicating a sustainability mission statement to customers, partners, and suppliers.

4.  Having an accessible and written sustainability policy that aims for a reduction of the negative social, cultural, economic and environmental impacts of the company’s activities; and includes employee related health and safety aspects.

5.  Collaborating and actively involved in external forums and working groups which are supportive to sustainability in tourism.

6.  Conducting baseline assessment of the company’s performance on sustainable practices.

7.  Having a sustainability action plan with clear targets, actions, measures, responsibilities and time planning.

8.  Developing documented procedures to monitor and evaluate the implementation of the sustainability policy, objectives and targets.

9.  Ensuring company’s transparency in sustainability by public reporting and communicating.

10.  Ensuring that all staff are fully aware of our Sustainability Policy and are committed to implementing and improving it.

11.  Charmission Travel also commits to complying with all national legislation, regulations, and codes of practice.

2. Internal management: social policy & human rights

Charmission Travel has a clear written and well-communicated social policy that includes the following principles:

1. To grant employees the freedom of employment and contract termination with notice (ideally minimum one month) and without penalty.

2. To include labor conditions according to national labor law and a job description in the employment contract.

3. To provide medical and liability insurance according to the national law.

4. To grant employees fixed paid yearly holiday and sick leave and unpaid annual leave allowance.

5. We have a health and safety policy for employees that complies with national legal standards, as well as a clear disciplinary procedure that is effectively communicated to employees. We also have a system in place to measure employee satisfaction on a regular basis.

6. We provide periodic guidance and training for employees on their roles, rights, and responsibilities regarding health and safety issues, including fire and relevant natural disasters. Additionally, we create opportunities for students to participate in traineeships, internships, and apprenticeships.

7. We are committed to practicing human rights by ensuring the enforcement of the following practices: We do not hinder trade union membership, collective labor negotiations, or representation of members by trade unions. We prohibit discrimination in recruitment, conditions of employment, access to training and senior positions, or promotion based on gender, race, age, disability, ethnicity, religion/beliefs or sexual orientation. We ensure that all employees have equal access to resources and opportunities for personal development through regular training and education.

For further information, please refer to: Social Policy, Human rights, Training And Education.

3. Internal Management: Environment and community relations

1. We are committed to practicing environmental protection and enhancing community relations by enforcing the following practices: We actively reduce the use of disposable and consumer goods and favor the purchase of sustainable goods and services, including office and catering supplies, giveaways, and merchandise. We purchase products in bulk to reduce packaging materials and set our copy and printing machines to double-sided printing or other paper-saving modes by default.

2. We use non-hazardous, non-eutrophic, and biodegradable cleaning materials that are certified with an eco-label, if available locally. We also implement measures to reduce brochure wastage or adopt an ‘internet-only’ policy. We are actively committed to measuring, monitoring, and reducing our energy consumption, and we calculate and compensate for our CO2 emissions.

3. We purchase green energy and energy-efficient lighting for all areas when available, and we switch off lights and equipment when not in use. We use automatic on/off systems with timers or movement sensors and set our equipment to energy-saving mode by default when feasible. When buying new equipment, we prefer low-energy options that are cost-effective and of good quality.

4. We have an active policy to reduce water consumption, which is implemented and monitored regularly for benchmarking purposes. We use sustainable water sourcing that does not adversely affect environmental flows, install water-saving equipment in toilets.

5. We comply with national waste disposal legislation and take action to reduce the number of non-refillable plastic water bottles used in our office. We also separate all recyclable materials for collection and proper disposal.

6. We implement waste-reducing methods when using ink and toner cartridges for printing and copying, whenever feasible. We comply with national wastewater treatment legislation, ensuring that wastewater is reused or released safely.

7. We measure and reduce staff-related travel and use more sustainable modes of transport. We calculate our emissions with the aim of reducing and compensating for them through a reliable, locally available program. We also reduce transport-related impacts through telework, tele/video meetings, work-at-home policies, or other means.

8. We provide periodic guidance, training, and information to all staff members about their roles and responsibilities with respect to our internal environmental practices. When planning, designing, and constructing new buildings or renovations, we base our decisions on locally appropriate and feasible sustainable practices and materials.

4. Partner agency

We convey our sustainability policies to our partners by booking sustainable tours with them. We regularly evaluate the sustainability practices of our key partners to ensure that they are truly sustainable and comply with all relevant national laws

5. Transport

We strive to ensure that the vehicles used on our tours do not cause more pollution than average. We believe that transport is an important aspect of sustainable tourism, and we do our best to reduce the average pollution level.

To achieve this, we select the most sustainable transport options to the destination, considering both price and comfort. We also include sustainable public transport options for international or long-distance journeys. When selecting transport options for transfers and excursions at the destination, we consider and give preference to more sustainable alternatives, taking into account price, comfort, and practical considerations.

Additionally, we integrate and promote sustainable holiday products and packages based on recognized methodologies. These include sustainable transport, accommodations, and activities.

6. Accommodations

We aim to achieve a fully sustainable tourism supply chain, and our partner accommodations play a crucial role in this effort. We encourage and motivate them to adopt sustainable practices. Incentives are offered to accommodations which engage actively in sustainability.

To achieve this, we prefer and select accommodations that are locally owned and managed, and that employ members of the local community. We also work with accommodations and restaurants that incorporate elements of local art, architecture, or cultural heritage while respecting the intellectual property rights of local communities.

We will terminate our cooperation with any accommodation if there is clear evidence that they are jeopardizing the provision of basic services such as food, water, energy, healthcare, or soil to neighboring companies.

Upon request, the company supports collaborative initiatives with other tour operators and/or stakeholders to promote sustainability among accommodations in destinations.

7. Excursions and activities

1. We place a high value on animal and community welfare and aim to offer tours that leave only a minor footprint. We are committed to safeguarding the authenticity of communities and the natural environment, and we strongly oppose harming wildlife or polluting the environment.

2. To achieve this, we maintain an inventory of environmentally or culturally sensitive excursions offered in each destination. We advise our guests on behavior standards during excursions and activities, with a focus on respecting local culture, nature, and the environment.

3. We communicate our sustainability objectives and requirements to contracted and other relevant excursion providers through various means, including code of conduct, representative agents, social media, email, discussions, and meetings. Our goal is to minimize negative visitor impact and maximize enjoyment.

4. We do not offer any excursions that harm humans, animals, plants, or natural resources such as water and energy, or that are socially or culturally unacceptable. We also do not offer excursions in which wildlife is held captive unless it is part of a properly regulated activity that complies with local, national, and international law.

5. We do not engage with companies that harvest, consume, display, sell, or trade wildlife species unless it is part of a regulated activity that ensures their utilization is sustainable and complies with local, national, and international law.

6. We have skilled and/or certified guides to lead our guests in sensitive cultural sites, heritage sites, or ecologically sensitive destinations. We promote and advise our guests on excursions and activities that directly involve and support local communities by purchasing services or goods, traditional crafts, local food production methods, or visiting social projects. We also promote and advise our guests on excursions and activities that support the local environment and biodiversity, such as visiting protected areas or environmental protection projects.

8. Tour leaders, local representatives and guides

1. We aim to involve as many locals as possible in the tourism business by employing them. We stand for a fair and safe working environment that supports and respects local communities.

2. To achieve this, we ensure that all employees have a written employment contract that includes labor conditions and a job description, and that they fully understand the terms and conditions. We prefer to work with local tour leaders, representatives, guides, porters, drivers, cooks, and other local staff when their abilities are equal, and we provide training as needed.

3. We ensure that our local partners comply with all applicable international, national, and local laws and regulations, industry minimum standards, and any other relevant statutory requirements. We pay our tour leaders, local representatives, guides, porters, and other local staff contracted by us at least a living wage that is equal to or above the legal minimum or relevant industry standard.

4. We ensure that our tour guides, hosts, and other contracted employees are qualified and receive regular training. We also inform our local employees about relevant aspects of our sustainability policy and ensure their compliance through newsletters, references or supplements to contracts, emails, or training and information sessions.

5. We offer a special sustainable travel module in our training program for local tour guides and hosts. This module covers the main responsible tourism aspects and the role expected of employees. It also includes knowledge about the destination and its relevant sustainability aspects.

6. Our tour leaders, local representatives, and guides inform clients about relevant sustainability matters in the destination such as protection of flora, fauna, cultural heritage, resource use, social norms and values (e.g., tips, dress code, photography), and human rights (e.g., sexual exploitation).

9. Destination

1. We aim to maximize positive impacts and minimize negative impacts at our destinations to ensure their sustainable development.

2. To achieve this, we consider sustainability aspects when selecting new destinations and may offer alternative, non-mainstream options. We do not select destinations where tourism leads to structural negative local effects unless our involvement results in clear counterbalancing effects. We also consider selecting new destinations that are reachable through more sustainable means of transport.

3. We comply with legally based spatial planning, protected areas, heritage regulations, and destination management strategies of local, regional, and national authorities. We support initiatives that improve relationships between accommodations and local producers and work to influence and support local government concerning sustainability, destination planning and management, use of natural resources, and socio-cultural issues.

4. We support biodiversity conservation, including protected areas and areas of high biodiversity, through financial contributions, political support, and integration into our product offerings. We do not promote souvenirs that contain threatened flora or fauna species as indicated by the CITES treaty or the IUCN Red List or historic and archaeological artifacts except as permitted by law.

10. Customer communication and protection

1. At Charmission Travel, we place great importance on our customers’ welfare and information. We ensure clear and constant communication and high protection for our clients.

2. Prior to booking, we make a company guideline for client consultation available, which is followed by our client advisors. We ensure that customer privacy is not compromised and comply with relevant standards and voluntary codes of conduct in our marketing and advertising messages. We do not promise more than we can deliver.

3. We provide clear, complete, and accurate product and price information, including sustainability claims. We also provide factually correct, balanced, and complete destination information, including sustainability aspects. We inform clients about the environmental impact of different transport options to reach the destination (if not included in the package) and offer sustainable alternatives where available. We also inform customers about sustainable alternatives for accommodations, excursions, package holidays, and transport options if available.

4. After booking and during holidays, we inform customers about risks and precautions related to health and safety matters in the destination. We keep a contact person and telephone number permanently available for emergency situations and train our personnel on how to deal with emergencies. We motivate clients to use local restaurants and shops where appropriate and inform them about sustainable transport options in destinations when feasible.

5. After holidays, we are committed to systematically measuring client satisfaction and taking the results into account for service and product improvements. We also have clear procedures in place for handling complaints from clients.