Sustainable tourism | Travel Team 2000

We want a Planet even bluer!

By helping to protect the natural environment of the places we visit, their culture, habits, and traditions, we are ensuring the happiness of the local populations, which will also enhance their willingness to welcome travelers. We will undoubtedly have a better holiday experience, and we will help ensure its preservation!

Be a conscious traveler and follow our tips:

Whenever possible, choose direct flights: Travel with less stress and with the certainty that the ecological footprint of your journey is minimal. Whenever possible, opt for airlines that have CO2 emission offset programs. Ask us, and we'll tell you everything!
How about a train journey? For trips within the same geographic region, it is the ideal mode of transportation: comfortable, modern, efficient, with the bonus of enjoying landscapes you wouldn't see if you flew or drove.
Say no to plastic. Whenever possible, bring a reusable water bottle, avoid plastic bags, and do you really need a straw in your drink? Carry the 3 Rs rule in your luggage: reduce, reuse, and recycle!
Respect nature! Stay on marked trails in natural parks, don't litter anywhere, and if you smoke, be extra careful: cigarettes, besides containing thousands of chemicals, can cause fires.
Souvenirs? Yes, but only if they're very typical! Always prefer local crafts and products over trinkets that you can buy anywhere. The materials used should also receive special attention: don't buy anything made of fur, teeth, ivory, or coral, among others. And please, resist the temptation to take "souvenirs" from nature or culture. Remember that if everyone took a little piece of the Colosseum in Rome, it would soon disappear.
Be digital. Do you really need to take all the maps, brochures, leaflets, and the like? Check first if what you need is available online. The same applies to your travel documents: keep everything on your phone, tablet, or PC and travel lighter!
Take hotel instructions regarding water consumption seriously. Water is increasingly scarce – don't waste it!
No one wants to gain weight on vacation, right? Right! Don't be the traveler who "loads up the plate": you'll end up eating too much and wasting food.
Speaking of food, be adventurous! Even if you're staying in an all-inclusive resort, try a local restaurant. You'll be helping the local economy and might discover unknown delicacies.
Protect wild animals. Look, listen, but please don't touch. Whether it's an elephant, a small monkey or bird, a turtle, or a dolphin: human touch can transmit fatal diseases. And don't feed them; you'll be altering their natural behavior and making them more vulnerable.

Your trip is more than posts on Instagram or Facebook. Respect the places, their inhabitants, customs, and traditions. Don't take pictures of anyone without asking first, especially not children. Resist the temptation to take selfies in places that deserve respect, whether they are places of worship or considered sacred, memorials, or sites of tragedy. Did you know that there are countries that punish with imprisonment those who do so?

And what if we advise you to be a Slow Traveler? Try to stay in one place for as long as possible; slow down and get to know the location, the people, the customs, smells, and flavors better. Slowly but surely...

Conscious of the contribution we can make to Sustainable Tourism, we have developed the following Policies:

Sustainable Accommodation Policy

Our company is committed to promoting sustainable accommodation. The sustainability of an accommodation establishment is of fundamental importance, as it allows our company to extend sustainability practices to a central element of our travel/supply chain. In most cases, we do not select accommodation for our clients. In such cases, our policy is to recommend to our clients the most sustainable accommodation options within their budget. When we have the opportunity to select accommodation, we will give preference to establishments that follow sustainable practices in all aspects of their operation.

Scope This policy will be part of the Sustainability Policy. The policy applies to the selection of accommodation suppliers with whom our company collaborates. This policy takes effect immediately upon approval by the Management and disclosure to our Employees. The policy will be formally reviewed every two years to ensure its relevance. Any changes to this policy must be duly authorized.
Principles of Sustainable Accommodation In our effort to select the most sustainable accommodation providers available, we prefer establishments that adhere to these fundamental principles:

Right comfort for the right price: The establishment is hygienic, sanitary, and safe and can offer good comfort and service that meets our clients' expectations. Sustainable accommodation practices can be found in all price ranges; therefore, our goal is to identify the most sustainable options available within our clients' budget.
Fair business: The establishment follows fair business practices, including transparency and compliance with the law, human rights, and economic/social equity, as well as environmental and animal protection.
Minimize impact on the environment and society: The establishment prioritizes sustainable practices to minimize its effects on the surrounding environment and society.

General Considerations on Sustainability Sustainable practices can be found in all budget ranges. Therefore, our company primarily analyzes practices to identify the most responsible suppliers. Evaluations of accommodations marketed by our company can be done in various ways:

Information provided by our Local Agents
Site visit by our company's sustainability coordinator/manager
Observations from our guide/local representative
Customer feedback form

The following considerations will be taken into account in the evaluation of accommodations and will serve as the basis for our company's preference:

Human care: We intend to work with companies that take good care of their human resources, which is of fundamental importance to the tourism sector. Therefore, we assess whether the supplier maintains good working conditions for its staff (minimum wage, reasonable working hours, adequate lunch breaks, etc.).
No plastic usage policy: Accommodations minimize the use of plastic and, as a common practice, do not offer plastic water bottles to their guests. Instead, the supplier provides places where guests can fill the pitchers provided in the room and their own bottles.
Waste management: Preference will be given to suppliers with a waste separation policy that ideally goes beyond organic waste separation for composting and plastic for recycling.
Energy efficiency: Preference will be given to suppliers following energy-efficient practices, such as energy-saving bulbs and energy-efficient equipment, advising their clients on optimized electricity use.
Water consumption: The accommodation uses water efficiently. Locations with a water-saving system in the toilet and "Western" shower will be preferred over others.
Child protection: Accommodations must ensure that the rights of children are respected and safeguarded. Our company does not collaborate with suppliers employing children under 14 years old, and those employing children aged 15 to 18 must ensure special working conditions to protect them (e.g., part-time or internship). We condemn the exploitation of children in the facilities and premises of subcontracted accommodations. We will terminate any contract if the accommodation does not take appropriate measures to prevent and/or stop the sexual exploitation of children within the direct supply chain.
Local supplies: Accommodations are encouraged to purchase and use local food products produced based on fair trade and sustainability principles.
Biodiversity care: Accommodations limit their negative impact on local and global biodiversity whenever possible.
Authentic charm: Accommodations incorporate elements of local art, architecture, or cultural heritage into their building.
Community value: Accommodations respect the intellectual property rights of local communities and contribute to the local community as much as possible (e.g., sponsoring local events, donating to local heritage sites). If it is found that a contracted accommodation compromises the integrity and access of the local community to essential resources, essential services, livelihoods, and access to important sites, we reserve the right to terminate the contract without notice.

Encouraging the Improvement of Sustainable Practices Our company follows a long-term strategy to improve the sustainability of accommodations. Upon request or on its own initiative, we support initiatives to collaborate with other tour operators and/or stakeholders to promote accommodation sustainability. Whenever possible, we talk to accommodation managers about their current practices and what they can do to follow more sustainable practices (e.g., through a visit from a company representative or our guides).

Additionally, we can share best practice standards and guidelines with accommodations, including:

Information about our sustainability certifications
Self-assessment tools
Training manuals

Sanctions If we become aware that an accommodation acts based on unsustainable practices, our company will warn them. If that supplier does not change its practice, our company will terminate any form of collaboration (informal and contractual) and blacklist that company from any other association.

Sustainable Tours and Visits Policy

Our company is committed to promoting sustainable tours and visits. The sustainability of a tour/visit provider is of paramount importance, as it allows our company to extend sustainability practices to a central element of our tours/supply chain. When selecting tours/visits/activities for clients, it is our policy to recommend the most sustainable options within their budget. When we have the opportunity to select tours/visits, we will give preference to companies that follow sustainable practices in all aspects of their operation.

Scope This policy will be part of the Sustainability Policy. The policy applies to the selection of tour/visit providers with whom our company collaborates. This policy takes effect immediately upon approval by the Management and disclosure to our Employees. The policy will be formally reviewed every two years to ensure its relevance. Any changes to this policy must be duly authorized.
Principles of Sustainable Tours/Visits In our effort to select the most sustainable tour/visit providers available, we prefer companies that adhere to these fundamental principles:

Right product for the right price: The destination to be visited is hygienic, sanitary, and safe and can offer good comfort and service that meets our clients' expectations. Sustainable tour/visit practices can be found in all price ranges; therefore, our goal is to identify the most sustainable options available within our clients' budget.
Fair business: The organizing company follows fair business practices, including transparency and compliance with the law, human rights, and economic/social equity, as well as environmental and animal protection.
Minimize impact on the environment and society: The organizing company prioritizes sustainable practices to minimize its effects on the surrounding environment and society.

General Considerations on Sustainability Sustainable practices can be found in all budget ranges. Therefore, our company primarily analyzes practices to identify the most responsible suppliers. Evaluations of tours marketed by our company can be done in various ways:

Information provided by our Local Agents
Site visit by the company's sustainability coordinator/manager
Observations from our guide/local representative
Customer feedback form

The following considerations will be taken into account in the evaluation of Local Agents, tour/visit organizers, and will serve as the basis for our company's preference:

Human care: We intend to work with companies that take good care of their human resources, which is of fundamental importance to the tourism sector. Therefore, we assess whether the supplier maintains good working conditions for its staff (minimum wage, reasonable working hours, adequate lunch breaks, etc.).
No plastic usage policy: Tour/visit organizers minimize the use of plastic and, as a common practice, do not offer plastic water bottles to their clients. Instead, the supplier provides places where guests can fill the pitchers provided in the room and their own bottles.
Waste management: Preference will be given to suppliers with a waste separation policy that ideally goes beyond organic waste separation for composting and plastic for recycling.
Energy efficiency: Preference will be given to suppliers following energy-efficient practices, such as energy-saving bulbs and energy-efficient equipment, advising their clients on optimized electricity use.
Child protection: Tour/visit organizers must ensure that the rights of children are respected and safeguarded. Our company does not collaborate with suppliers employing children under 14 years old, and those employing children aged 15 to 18 must ensure special working conditions to protect them (e.g., part-time or internship). We condemn the exploitation of children and will terminate any contract if the supplier does not take appropriate measures to prevent and/or stop the sexual exploitation of children within the direct supply chain.
Local supplies: Tour/visit organizers are encouraged to purchase and use local food products produced based on fair trade and sustainability principles.
Biodiversity care: Tour/visit organizers limit their negative impact on local and global biodiversity whenever possible.
Authentic charm: Tour/visit organizers incorporate elements of local art, architecture, or cultural heritage into the activities.
Community value: Tour/visit organizers respect the intellectual property rights of local communities and contribute to the local community as much as possible (e.g., sponsoring local events, donating to local heritage sites). If it is found that a contracted organizer compromises the integrity and access of the local community to essential resources, essential services, livelihoods, and access to important sites, we reserve the right to terminate the contract without notice.

Encouraging the Improvement of Sustainable Practices Our company follows a long-term strategy to improve the sustainability of tour/visit organizers. Upon request or on its own initiative, we support initiatives to collaborate with other tour operators and/or stakeholders to promote sustainability in tours/visits in our destinations. Whenever possible, we talk to tour/visit organizers about their current practices and what they can do to follow more sustainable practices (e.g., through a visit from a company representative or our guides).

Additionally, we can share best practice standards and guidelines with our tour/visit organizers, including:

Information about our sustainability certifications
Self-assessment tools
Training manuals

Sanctions If we become aware that a tour/visit organizer acts based on unsustainable practices, our company will warn them. If that supplier does not change its practice, our company will terminate any form of collaboration (informal and contractual) and blacklist that company from any other association.

Learn more about Sustainable Tourism with the World Tourism Organization. We thank you. But above all, the Planet thanks you!