MINDFUL AND RESPONSIBLE TRAVEL

In the age of more accessible tourism, we have become more conscientious about providing travel experiences, and this has had a positive impact on how our clients travel. We operate small tour groups because we believe that this is the best way to provide people with authentic travel experiences that are beneficial to the local community and respectful of the natural world of the culture and environment.

SUSTAINABILITY COMMITMENT

In addition to providing high-quality travel products and exceptional experiences for travelers, we are committed to incorporating the following values and principles into our business operations with the help of a passionate staff team.

Destinations: We aim to promote destinations that are mindfully managed in environmental and cultural aspects. To do so, we commit to the following:

▪ Work closely with local suppliers and experts to avoid over-developed tourism hubs and spots.

▪ Encourage to travel in the low season to have less pressure on the destinations.

▪ Highlight and promote the destinations with transparent sustainability regulations and policies. Support the local tourism authority in regulating the

▪ Go further to remote mountainous and countryside regions where there is less pressure on the destinations. Attached itinerary is our most sustainable itinerary.

▪ Self-manage and try to lessen the presure by controlling the tour capacity.

▪ Maintain the group size ranges from 8 to 12 persons at one.

Excursions and tour activities:

▪ Before booking, thoroughly inspect and assess the activities to avoid any visit that threatens local wildlife and habitats, while also increasing support for organizations whose mission is wildlife protection and rescue centers.

▪ Prioritize the experiences and activities, crafts bought, and farm products made by locals. This way, we hope to directly help and benefit the community at the destination.

▪ Provide in-detailed tour activities with the company’s “Do and Don’t” in every tour itinerary to enhance the awareness of tour guides and travelers toward cultural respect and the company’s sustainability practices.

▪ Encourage more zero-emission activities such as walking and cycling when possible.

▪ Prioritize using the service providers with sustainability certificates or have strong commitment and proven practices toward responsible travel.

▪ Tentatively advise on long-haul holidays over short or hop-on hop-off vacations.

▪ Forbidden souvenir: We do not allow the purchase of souvenirs containing threatened flora and fauna species, any illegally obtained historic/archaeological artefacts, drugs or illegal substances, and abide by local and international laws in place to prevent this. Our forbidden gift list to be continue..

All accessories and jewelleries made from ivory such as comb, toothpick box, ashtray ect....
Corals using to make decorations such as soap astray...
Any kinds of pickled wine using wild animals and plants such as snake wine, monkey hand wine ect..popularly consumed in the remote areas in Northern Vietnam.

Accommodation:

▪ Focus on small-scale accommodations which are locally or family-style run. Besides that, we work closely with the homestay network via individual or NGOs projects in remote areas to support more vulnerable communities.

▪ Sustainable operation and practices are a must-do in our hotel checklist that includes energy efficiency, plastic reduction, food waste, waste management, and locally staffed business.

▪ Prefer the accommodation that preserves or integrates local architecture and the use of local materials into the design.

▪ Motivate and encourage the accommodation with a sustainability certificate or consistency in sustainable practices.

Transportation:

▪ Strongly promote and encourage the use of public transport such as trains, and buses as the mode of travel for our office team and the clients. All tickets purchased will be covered by the company.

▪ In multiple-destination itinerary, within the distance from 500km to 1000km, highly advise to include public railway into the itinerary. At any destination that suppliers provide shuttle bus services (e.g Halong bay cruises..), include in the program.

▪ Encourage more zero-emission activities such as walking and cycling when possible.

▪ Promote long haul holiday adventure which is the complex of different local transport mode that includes private transfers, throughout Vietnam by bicycle, boats and cruises in the bay, scooters for city exploration and many hiking options.

▪ Promote moutain e-bike over car for those who love cycling but not physically fit enough. This option also encourage cycling options for family travel.

▪ Assigned per group size as the following logic:

1 - 2 persons: 5 to 7s car
3 persons: 7s car
4 - 6 persons: 16s van
7 - 12 persons: 29s coach
13 - 18 persons: 35s coach
19 - 25 persons: 45s bus

▪ Ensuring that all employees have a written employment contract, including labor conditions and a job description, and fully understand the terms and conditions.

▪ Preferring to work with local tour leaders, local representatives, local tour guides, porters, drivers, cooks, and other local staff in case of equal ability, and provide training as required.

▪ Ensuring that our local partners comply with all applicable international, national, and local laws and regulations, industry minimum standards, and any other relevant statutory requirements whichever requirements are more stringent.

▪ Paying tour leaders, local representatives, guides, 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.

Partner agencies: Despite working with very few partner agencies, we are committed to

▪ Prefer partners with strong sustainability credentials and comply with good sustainable and responsible travel.

▪ Ensuring that partner companies comply with all relevant national laws protecting the rights of employees and equity.

▪ Informing key partners on the Travelife and national tourism standards.

▪ Having a cooperation contract including an annex of the national code of conduct for local partners to encourage their practices towards sustainability;

▪ Evaluating the sustainability practices regularly of our key partners to ensure their practices are truly sustainable.

▪ Informing key partners about the travel companies’ sustainability policy and that they are expected to comply with it and/or communicate it to final customers where relevant.

▪ Including key sustainability clauses in contracts with inbound/receptive partners.

▪ Motivating incoming/inbound partners to participate in sustainability trainings for travel companies.

▪ Having a written contract with partner agencies.

▪ Including clauses in the partner contracts that enable contract partners to end the contractual agreement prematurely if the partner company does not take adequate measures to prevent sexual exploitation of children within the direct supply chain.

▪ Ensuring that partner companies comply with all relevant national laws protecting the rights of employees

Communication: Transparency in communication and business is one of the factors that contribute to long-term success. Therefore, we are committed to transparency, ethics, and working in compliance with local laws. We are also dedicated to social accountability and labor law.

▪ Our sustainability policy and mission statement are published on our official website and shared among our staff members, partner agencies, local suppliers, and individual clients.

▪ The company’s code of conduct is enclosed in every operation profile pre-trip departure for tour guides/leaders.

Customer communication and protection

Prior to booking, we commit to this by:

Make available a company guideline for client consultation, which is followed by client advisors.
Ensure that customer privacy is not compromised;
Comply with relevant standards and voluntary codes of conduct in marketing and advertising messages, and not promise more than is delivered.
Make product and price information clear, complete and accurate, with regard to the company and its products and services, including sustainability claims.
Provide destination information, including sustainability aspects, which is factually correct, balanced and complete.
Inform clients about the environmental impact of different transport options to reach the destination (in case these are not included in the package), and to offer sustainable alternatives, where available.
Inform the customer about sustainable alternatives concerning accommodations, excursions, package holidays and transport options, if available.
Clearly inform (potential) direct customers, about sustainability commitments and actions.

After booking and during holidays, we commit to this by:

Provide Information to consumers about the natural surroundings, local culture and cultural heritage in the holiday destination.
Inform consumers about key sustainability aspects and issues in the destination and receive recommendations on how to make a positive contribution.
Inform customers about risks and precautions related to health and safety matters in the destination;
Keep a contact person and a telephone number permanently available for emergency situations;
Train personnel and keep guidelines available, on how to deal with emergency situations;
Provide clients with documented guidelines and/or codes of conduct for sensitive excursions and activities, to minimize negative visitor impact and maximize enjoyment. When possible, guidelines are developed in collaboration with relevant NGOs and the affected community;
Provide customers with information about commercial, sexual or any other form of exploitation and harassment, particularly of children and adolescents;
Inform clients about applicable legislation concerning the purchasing, sales, import and export of historic or religious artefacts and articles containing materials of threatened flora and/or fauna in the destination;
Motivate clients to use local restaurants and shops (where appropriate);
Inform clients on sustainable transport options in destinations, when feasible;
Encourage clients to donate to local charity and sustainable initiatives;

After holidays, we commit to this by:

Measure systematically client satisfaction and take into account the results, for service and product improvements;
Include sustainability as an integral part of the research into client satisfaction;
Have clear procedures in case of complaints from clients;

Support and donations: In cooperation with our oversea partners, we have supported several community projects over the years

▪ With School Worldwide, we built a toilet room at Tan Thanh 2 elementary school in Ben Tre in 2013.

▪ With School Worldwide, we repaired a classroom and the room of the teacher at Ban Ho elementary school in Sa Pa in 2014.

▪ With Habitat and our partner in Boneo, we built a homestay at Kota Kinabalu in 2015.

Social Policy, Human Rights, and Safety: We commit to sustainable internal management by having a clear, written, and well-communicated social policy that includes the following principles:

▪ To include national labor law-compliant labor conditions and a job description in the employment contract.

▪ The wage rate must be clearly stated in the contract and must be equal to or greater than the national minimum wage.

▪ To determine and compensate overtime work hours based on an agreement between both parties.

▪ Provide medical and liability insurance in accordance with national regulations.

▪ To provide employees with paid holidays, sick leave, and annual leave allowance.

▪ To have a health and safety policy that complies with national legal standards for employees.

▪ At all relevant locations in Hanoi and Hochiminh City, there should be first aid kits and trained personnel.

▪ To comply with the national Minimum Age for Employment Entrance.

▪ As a small business, we hold a monthly staff meeting to solicit new ideas and performance reviews or to provide a forum for employees to voice their concerns. The number of the Director is an emergency hotline.

▪ To have a transparent and effectively communicated disciplinary procedure.

▪ To have a measurement system for employee satisfaction on a regular basis via regular meetings.

Sustainability Management & Legal compliance: We commit to sustainability management, practiced by these following actions:

To have an appointed employee who is responsible for sustainability coordinator tasks.
To have a sustainability mission statement that is communicated to customers, partners and suppliers.
To have 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.
To collaborate and actively involved in external forums and working groups which are supportive to sustainability in tourism.
To conduct baseline assessment of the company’s performance on sustainable practices.
To have sustainability guidelines and assessment system in place to identify the sustainability performance of key suppliers/partners.
To have sustainability action plan with clear targets, actions, measures, responsibilities and time planning;
To develop documented procedures to monitor and evaluate the implementation of the sustainability policy, objectives and targets;
To ensure company’s transparency in sustainability by public reporting and communicating;
To ensure that all staff are fully aware of our Sustainability Policy and are committed to implementing and improving it.

We commit to complying with all national legislation, regulations and codes of practice.

Since January 2023, we have added to our team a Sustainability Coordinator who is a lead guide and key contact for Travelife implementation into the travel business operation, particularly involving planning, making strategies, training, and reporting on the sustainability practice progress. The focus will be on how the office works and how travelers, suppliers, and internal teams follow the responsible travel policy.

SUSTAINABILITY AT WORKPLACE

Greener Office Policies

Purchasing Policy

Papers:

Always print double side (Try your best to go paperless!)
Use micro-fiber cloths instead of paper towels.

Plastics:

NO single-use plastics in any form or purpose.
Invest in reusable silverware and serving utensils.
Celebrate birthdays/special events with compostable plates.
Always use your own refillable bottle.
Store snacks/coffee/tea in Tupperware if there is a office kitchen.
Lable trash bins: Biodegradable – Recycle (glass/plastic/paper) - Others

Energy:

Turn off air-condition 30 minutes before leaving the office.
Switch off all electricity devices before leaving the office.
Keep the shades open during daylight hours.
Enable power-saving or sleep mode when devices are not in use.
Public transport commute is encouraged for all staffs.
Keep eyes on thermostat , especially in the summer. (22 to 26 degree on average).
Always refill your bottle from 20L blue container.
Donate or recycle old electronics

The office is equipped with an LED lighting system to conserve energy and water. The electric meter is also installed so that the power consumption is measured per departure. The quantity of water is monitored based on a monthly fee.

Purchase in bulk.
Buy products with less packaging or eco-friendly wrap.
NO archeological/historical artifacts and or/products that threaten flora and fauna as indicated in the CITES treaty and the IUCN Red list.
Purchase eco-friendly cleaning products.

Prefer purchasing office supplies with sustainability labels.
Support local coffee and tea/fruit is produced and processed locally. When purchasing products, we consider price, quality, availability, and sustainability.

Approved by

Managing Director