Sustainability Policy - Gulliver DMC

OUR MISSION

We, as a Destination Management Company who engage with various stakeholders in tourism, namely consumers, tour guides, travel agencies, hotels, transport companies, restaurants, and attractions, understand our key role and influence in the sustainability development of tourism. Therefore, our main goal when developing and promoting new services and products is to include local experience with cultural, social and environmental sustainable elements provided by neighborhood suppliers in all aspects of everyday business. 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 of the places that we operate in.

Our sustainability policy is divided into 5 themes: Sustainability Management & Legal Compliance, Internal Management: Social Policy, Human Rights, Environment & Community Relations, Supply Chain Management, Destinations and Customer Communication & Protection. Each theme consists of a set of principles and practical actions accordingly.

1. SUSTAINABILITY MANAGEMENT & LEGAL COMPLIANCE

We commit to sustainability management practiced by below listed actions:

To have an appointed employee who is responsible for the sustainability management performance;
To have a sustainability mission statement that is communicated to suppliers, partners and customers;
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 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.

2. INTERNAL MANAGEMENT: SOCIAL POLICY, HUMAN RIGHTS, ENVIRONMENT & COMMUNITY REALTIONS

We commit to sustainable internal management, to practice a clear social policy, human rights and environmental protection, and to improve community relations by ensuring the implementation of the following practices:

FOR OUR EMPLOYEES

The freedom of employment and contract termination with notice (ideally minimum one month) and without penalty;
Determinate and compensate of overtime working hours based on agreement;
Include labor conditions according to national labor law and a job description in the employment contract;
Wage rate is to be mentioned in the contract and equals or above the national legal wage; pay a fair wage for the work they do and the skills they have;
Provide medical and liability insurance, grant employees fixed paid yearly holiday and sick leave and unpaid annual leave allowance according to the national law;
Employees shall not be prevented from free association and shall not be prevented from performing collective bargaining activities;
Make comfortable and safe working conditions for our employees;
Have a measurement system for employee satisfaction on a regular basis;
Provide guidance and training for employees on roles, rights and responsibilities regarding health and safety issues;
Provide awareness about training and opportunities for our employees;
Create opportunities for students in participating in traineeship/internship;
Encourage employment opportunities for persons with special needs;
Prohibit discriminations, regard to recruitment, conditions of employment, access to training and senior positions, or promotion in terms of gender, race, age (child labor), disability, ethnicity, religion/beliefs or sexual orientation.

FOR OUR OFFICE AND COMMUNITY

Reduce the use of disposable and consumer goods, the amount of packaging materials;
Set copy and printing machines by default to double-sided printing or other forms of paper saving modes;
Use cleaning materials which are non-hazardous, non-eutrophic and biodegradable and are certified with an eco-label, if locally available;
Use natural locally produced items that can be reused as much as possible;
Buy with minimal packaging;
Print brochures on environmentally friendly paper or avoid printing materials whenever possible.
Monitor and reduce energy consumption on monthly basis;
Purchase, reduce and implement green energy and energy efficient lighting for all areas and switching off lights and equipment when not in use;
Reduce water consumption, implemented and monitored on a yearly basis;
Comply with the national legislation concerning waste disposal;
Develop and implement a solid waste reduction and recycling policy;
Ensure doors and windows are always closed when heating or Air Conditioning is on. Keep the suggested degrees to lower energy consumption;
Motivate the others in the building to check and fix leaks in water system;
Take action to eliminate the plastic bottles of drinking water for office use;
Separate all materials which can be recycled and organize collection and proper disposal;
Recycle bin for paper which will be collected when is full after the employees call;
Properly dispose or use rechargeable batteries or use corded equipment;
Measure and reduce staff related travel and use more sustainable modes of transport. Calculate its CO2 emissions, with the aim to reduce and compensate and financially encourage employees to use public transport or sustainable means of transport;
Provide periodic guidance, training and/or information to all staff members, about their roles and responsibilities with respect to internal environmental practices;
Contribute to the protection and preservation of local historical, archaeological, culturally, and spiritually important properties and sites, and not impede access to them by local residents.

SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT

At Gulliver DMC, we understand the importance of implementing sustainable practices throughout the entire supply chain. With this in mind, we adhere to the following when selecting partner agencies, accommodation, transport, activity providers, guides and tour leaders:

PARTNER AGENCY

Keeping a list of the sustainability practices of all partners within our supply chain, and preference is given to those who operate according to the recognized sustainability standards;
Minimalizing the ecologic footprint of the office by travelling mainly via public transport (taking into account price), working as paperless as possible, separating waste, and to make use of certified recycled paper;
Having a written sustainability annex to contract with each supplier that focus on human rights, child labor, sexual exploitation of children, anti-corruption and bribery, waste management and protection of biodiversity;
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;
Ensuring that partner companies comply with all relevant national laws protecting the rights of employees.

ACCOMMODATION

Selecting accommodations that comply with sustainability and quality standards;
Including standard sustainability clauses in all contracts with accommodation providers that focus on child labor, anti-corruption and bribery, waste management and protection of biodiversity;
Having accommodations sign a sustainability addendum;
Clearly and actively communicating our sustainability objectives and requirements regarding accommodations to contracted and other relevant accommodations;
Working with accommodations and restaurants that incorporate elements of local art, architecture, or cultural heritage; while respecting the intellectual property rights of local communities;
Terminating cooperation with supplier and clearly inform the provider in case of clear evidence that contracted supplier jeopardize the provision of integrity of basic services such as food, water, energy, healthcare, or soil to the neighboring companies.

EXCURSIONS AND ACTIVITIES

Having an inventory of environmentally or culturally sensitive excursions which are offered in each destination;
Advising guests on behavior standards during excursions and activities with a focus on respecting the local culture, nature, and environment and promoting/advising our guests on experiences in the destination which support local environment and biodiversity such as visiting protected areas or environmental protection projects;
Promoting and advise our guests on excursions and activities which directly involve and support local communities by purchasing services or goods, traditional crafts and local (food) production methods, or visiting social projects;
Not offering any excursions that harm humans, animals, plants, natural resources such as water and energy, or which are socially and culturally unacceptable;
Not offering any excursions in which wildlife is held captive, except for properly regulated activities in compliance with local, national, and international law;
Having skilled and/or certified guides to guide our guests in sensitive cultural sites, heritage sites, or ecologically sensitive destinations;
Update our supply chain of our sustainability achievements on quarterly basis and encourage them to do the same.

TOUR LEADERS, LOCAL REPRESENTATIVES AND GUIDES

Tour leaders, local representatives and guides are an extremely important asset for us. They make sure tours run smoothly and our sustainability policies are implemented. We commit to this by:

Preferring to work with local tour leaders, local representatives and local tour guides;
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;
Ensuring that all employees have a written employment contract, including labor conditions and a job description, and fully understand the terms and conditions;
Paying tour leaders, local representatives and guides, as well as other local staff contracted by us at least a living wage that is equal to or above the legal minimum or relevant industry standard;
Ensuring that tour leaders, guides and representatives under contract are qualified and trained regularly and are aware of our sustainability policy & specific guidelines;
Having tour leaders, local representatives and guides inform clients on relevant sustainability matters in the destination (e.g., protection of flora, fauna, and cultural heritage, resource use), social norms and values (e.g., tips, dressing code and photography) and human rights (e.g., sexual exploitation).

DESTINATIONS

Gulliver DMC aims to maximize positive impacts and minimize negative impacts at destination to ensure the sustainable development of the places that we operate in. We commit to this by:

Avoid destinations with unacceptable sustainability practices;
Consider selection of new destinations which are reachable through more sustainable means of transport;
Closely cooperate with our local partners, suppliers, tour guides, industry-peers, destination authorities and organizations to promote and improve sustainability standards;
Support local producers who have a sustainability reputation;
Support biodiversity conservation, including protected areas and areas of high biodiversity, through integration in product offers and financial contribution;
Not promote souvenirs which contain threatened flora and fauna species as indicated in the CITES treaty and the IUCN ‘Red List’; or historic and archaeological artefacts (except as permitted by law).

5. CUSTOMER COMMUNICATION AND PROTECTION

Customers welfare and information are very important to us. At Gulliver DMC, we ensure clear and constant communication and high protection to our clients before booking, after booking, during and after holidays. We commit to this by:

Not to promise more than is delivered;
Conduct marketing campaigns that are in accordance and full compliance to the national law and regulations, industry standards and provide clear, complete and accurate information to our customers;
Provide destination information, including sustainability aspects, which is factually correct, balanced and complete;
Inform customers about sustainable alternatives concerning accommodations, excursions, package holidays and transport options, if available;
Provide information to customers about the natural surroundings, local culture and cultural heritage in the destination;
Inform customers 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 (24/7);
Provide clients with documented guidelines and/or codes of conduct for sensitive excursions and activities, to minimize negative visitor impact and maximize enjoyment;
Provide customers with information about commercial, sexual or any other form of exploitation and harassment, particularly of children and adolescents;
Inform customers 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;
Inform customers on sustainable transport options in destinations, when feasible;
Measure systematically customers satisfaction;
Have clear procedures in case of complaints from clients.

Gulliver DMC is in full compliance with GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) and national laws Act on the Provision of Tourism Services, Consumer Protection Act and Personal Data Protection Act.

TRAVELIFE PARTNER AWARD

The Travelife Partner award is a recognition of our commitment towards social and environmental sustainability. We comply with more than 100 criteria related to sustainability management, office operations, working with suppliers and customer communication. We are working towards further improvements aiming to eventually reach Travelife Certified stage.

Travelife is a three-stage certification program for tour operators and travel agents:

Travelife Engaged
Travelife Partner
Travelife Certified

We have awarded the Travelife Partner (stage 2).

Travelife Partner sustainability certificate

More about Travelife

Date and place: 10. 5. 2024., Dubrovnik