Sustainability policy (Latest update)

Table of Contents

• PURPOSE
• OUR VISION:
• SCOPE
• SUSTAINABILITY MANAGEMENT AND LEGAL COMPLIANCE
• INTERNAL MANAGEMENT: SOCIAL POLICY AND HUMAN RIGHTS
• INTERNAL MANAGEMENT: ENVIRONMENT
• GENERAL SUPPLIERS POLICY
• INBOUND PARTNER AGENCIES
• TRANSPORT
• ACCOMMODATIONS
• ACTIVITIES AND EXCURSIONS
• TOUR LEADERS, LOCAL REPRESENTATIVES AND GUIDES
• DESTINATIONS
• CUSTOMER COMMUNICATION AND PROTECTION
• CONTACT / RESPONSIBLE PERSON
• EFFECTIVE DATE
• REVISION HISTORY

PURPOSE

Realistic Asia is dedicated to delivering responsible travel experiences focusing on outstanding service and meaningful and memorable travel for our travelers as well as the care of our destination and bringing better value for our partners. We love the place we call our home and want to share its beauty with our clients and keep it for future generations. For this, we developed and go along with the following sustainable policy.

OUR VISION:

Combine excellent service and unique value with creating good impacts for our destination : We work towards offering high-quality travel experiences that contribute positively to the local community and the environment. We believe in providing our clients with unforgettable memories while being responsible and sustainable.

Keep our destination the same beautiful for our children : We recognize the importance of preserving the natural environment and cultural heritage of the places we visit. We will strive to operate in a way that does not negatively impact these areas and ensures they are maintained for future generations.

SCOPE

This policy applies to all employees, contractors, partners, and clients of Realistic Asia. It will be communicated to our customers, suppliers, and people we do business with.

Our sustainability team decides on the annual board meetings and is responsible for implementing the company’s sustainability policy.

SUSTAINABILITY MANAGEMENT AND LEGAL COMPLIANCE

Realistic Asia commits to continuous improvement of sustainability practices, including the ongoing monitoring and evaluation of our sustainability policy, with dedicated personnel and resources to achieve our sustainability goals.

Realistic Asia complies with all applicable legal requirements and works to prevent any incidents or conditions that might result in a violation of law. We monitor our operations, our suppliers, and partners for potential violations. In case we encounter any violations from our staff, suppliers, or partners, we immediately terminate the working relationship with them.

INTERNAL MANAGEMENT: SOCIAL POLICY AND HUMAN RIGHTS

We believe a happy staff can contribute more to delivering meaningful and joyful travel experiences to our customers. Therefore, we maintain a clear human resource policy to ensure a healthy and safe working environment for our employees:

Promote equality and treat people fairly : We treat all people equally and fairly, regardless of their race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, or religion.

Pay fair wages and respect labor laws : We ensure that all of our employees and partners are paid fair wages and that we operate in compliance with local labor laws.

Organize training and professional development for our staff : We provide our staff with training and development opportunities to enhance their skills and promote their personal and professional growth.

Protect children from the risk of exploitation as a result of our operations : We do not participate in or support any activities that exploit or harm children, and we take measures to protect them from any potential risks.

Ensure that our operations will not result in the abuse of human rights : We operate in a way that does not violate human rights and will take action to address any human rights issues that arise.

Commit to the well-being of the staff: we try our best to create a safe and healthy working environment for our employees, where they can perform their duties and professional growth.

These expectations are set within our company, but we also expect all our partners and suppliers to share the same principles in their operations and team management.

INTERNAL MANAGEMENT: ENVIRONMENT

As our business continues to grow, we are determined to reduce the negative impact of our operations and increase the benefits to the environment and community as it is our home, and we want it to be the same beautiful for future generations. For this, we set up the following commitments and actions:

Measure and set targets: We are continuously seeking opportunities to improve our environmental performance by establishing objectives and targets, measuring progress, and reporting our results, including but not limited to energy, water, and paper.

Energy Efficiency: We measure consumption and implement measures to reduce energy consumption through energy-efficient technologies, practices, and employee awareness.

Water Conservation: We measure water consumption and implement within our team water-efficient practices and technologies to reduce it.

Reduction in Single-Use Plastic: We significantly reduced the use of single-use plastics within the company operations by banning disposable cups and plates in the office, providing staff with reusable dinnerware, and setting up the kitchen for them.

Reduction of Paper Use: We work towards printing only necessary documents and implementing the paperless document flow with our partners. Additionally, we actively use digital marketing materials.

Circular Economy Adoption: Moving towards a circular economy model by extending product lifecycles and promoting reuse and recycling materials.

Sustainable Sourcing: We work on increasing the use of sustainable sources materials and products in operation and work with the suppliers to ensure the sustainable sourcing practice.

Pollution prevention: Implement measures to prevent air and water pollution by reducing emissions and responsible disposal of hazardous substances.

Employee Engagement: Engage employees in sustainability initiatives through training, workshops, and incentives, and encourage them to contribute to our environmental goals.

Community Outreach: Support local environmental initiatives or community projects that benefit the environment, such as planting and clean-up events.

GENERAL SUPPLIERS POLICY

Realistic Asia is committed to delivering meaningful and immersive holidays for our clients, offering them to explore the places they visit sustainably. We are committed to avoiding any harmful impacts on society, culture, and nature as much as possible. We expect the same level of engagement and commitment from our suppliers.

Give preference to locally owned businesses : We prioritize supporting local businesses and entrepreneurs to contribute to the economic growth and development of the communities we visit.

Support small and medium-sized companies : We actively work with small and medium-sized enterprises to provide them with opportunities to reach a wider audience and grow their businesses.

Collaborate with like-minded organizations : We collaborate with like-minded organizations that share a similar sustainable approach and values to advance responsible tourism practices. It means, that they should have a written sustainability statement as an integral part of their business policy and/or a clear sustainability policy in place.

Build long-term relationships with suppliers and support them in growth and development : We strive to build long-term relationships with our suppliers and support them in their growth and development, contributing to the economic sustainability of the destinations we visit.

Open Communication: We maintain open communication with our suppliers and partners to share experiences and feedback on sustainable matters to improve mutual knowledge and address the issues efficiently.

Promotion of sustainable practice: We offer incentives and informational support for partners that are actively engaged in sustainable operations.

Follow the Best Practice: We expect our suppliers to adhere to the following responsible business practices:

- Complying with all local, regional, national, and international regulations.

- Respecting all human rights including labor rights, children’s rights, and women’s rights.

- Committing to fair employment conditions.

- Following anti-corruption, anti-bribery, anti-extortion, and anti-discrimination policies.

- Protecting children from sexual exploitation through tourism.

- Protecting the environment and natural resources.

- Acting in the best interest of local communities.

- Protecting the interests of Realistic Asia and its clients.

INBOUND PARTNER AGENCIES

We work with partner agencies with similar visions for sustainable travel and are committed to offering responsible ways to explore the destination. We actively exchange with each other sustainability-related matters and work together on development the of products for our clients.

TRANSPORT

Transport plays a crucial role in the tourism industry, making travel possible. At the same time, it puts a lot of pressure on the environment, so it is important to keep it as sustainable as possible. For this, we implemented the following measures:

Carefully plan the route: When we craft itineraries for the excursions, we carefully work on the route to minimize the use of the transport.

Incorporate sustainable modes of transport for our experiences : We provide a range of sustainable transport options for our clients, such as bicycles, cyclos, row-boats, e-carts, public transport, and walking during the tour, to reduce the negative impact of transportation on the environment.

Choose the most sustainable transport options available: When selecting transport for guests, we commit to choosing the most environmentally friendly options available for traveling to, from, and within the destination – taking into consideration distance, price, route, and comfort.

Consider the group size: We use appropriate vehicle sizes for group sizes and select the most efficient vehicles available.

ACCOMMODATIONS

Accommodation is a crucial part of any trip, and choosing the right one will enrich the travel experience and let the travelers get deeper into the destination exploration. We are continuously looking for hotels, lodges, and resorts that share the values of responsible travel and connect their guests with the local people and culture. Also, staying in sustainable accommodation helps to reduce the environmental impact and contribute to the local community, which will put the travel experience on a new level.

During the process of selecting the accommodation for our clients, we follow these criteria and procedures:

Fair business: We work only with accommodations that follow legal compliance and fair business practices (hiring staff among locals, paying fair wages, providing opportunities for professional growth, not practicing human trade, child labor, and sexual exploitation, etc).

Care of environment: We work with hotels that are committed to reducing the negative impact on the environment (use eco-friendly materials, use energy and water saving and waste management practices, etc.)

Supporting local community: We give preference to the accommodations that support the local community (give job opportunities for locals, promote local cultures and heritage, and use local suppliers for their business operations, etc).

Set high-quality standards. We give preference to the accommodations that create a great experience for travelers, making them feel comfortable and safe.

During the process of selecting partnering accommodations, we conduct the inspection trips and share with them the self-assessment forms with the key sustainable practices to follow up with their sustainable performance.

ACTIVITIES AND EXCURSIONS

The activities and excursions we plan for our travelers help to enrich the travel experience and make it more meaningful. We want to offer local immersion for our clients and help them to build connections with our destination bringing benefits to travelers, the community, and the environment.

When planning the excursion, we follow these mentioned practices:

Respect local culture: All excursions and activities run by or on our behalf respect local customs, traditions, and cultural integrity.

Benefit the local community : We work closely with the local community when designing the activity to understand their needs and priorities and develop tourism initiatives that benefit both visitors and the local population.

Cooperate with local specialists, experts, and craftsmen : We collaborate with local specialists, experts, and craftsmen to create unique and authentic experiences for our clients while preserving traditional skills and cultural heritage.

Offer alternative routes or ways to explore the places at risk of over-tourism : We offer alternative routes and activities to help reduce the negative impact of tourism on destinations that are at risk of over-tourism.

Offer only ethical experiences: We do not offer activities that exploit wild animals, involve sex exploitation, or human trade, offer any illegal activities, or bring harm to the cultural heritage and local community.

During the process of selecting partnering excursion and activity providers, we conduct the inspection trips and share with them the self-assessment forms with the key sustainable practices to follow up with their sustainable performance.

TOUR LEADERS, LOCAL REPRESENTATIVES AND GUIDES

Guides are the main persons who build the connections between travelers and destinations. It is them, who give the most valuable information and help clients get around. The guides must be professional and have great destination and sustainable knowledge. When working with guides, we adhere to the following principles:

Fair partnership: We hire local and qualified guides, who have the best knowledge of destination and custom care. We pay them fair wages and provide safe and healthy working conditions.

Qualification: All our guides are licensed and receive the necessary training. We share with them our sustainability policies related to their activity and work with them for each experience we offer to make sure the tour will be conducted sustainably and important information will be delivered to the clients.

DESTINATIONS

Sustainable destinations

When offering the places to visit to our clients we have the power to make the choice about the destination and what impact it will have on the local community and environment. Therefore, we have the following set of rules for the destinations to ensure that travelers will have a joyful experience and the tour will be run without harm to the place they visit:

Off-the-beaten path: We commit to offering our clients less-known destinations or nonstandard travel routes to avoid overtourism.

Contribution to local communities: We commit to creating a positive impact on the local community during tourist visits (choosing local suppliers to benefit the local economy, educating travelers about respectful ways to explore the local culture and traditions, encouraging guests to shop responsibly, and educating them about prohibited souvenirs, etc.)

Environmental impact: We commit to operating the tour while keeping the natural resources intact and reducing the negative impact on the environment through transport selection, travel route planning, and educating our travelers about sustainable practices.

Communication: We aim to provide our travelers with relevant information to encourage responsible tourism practices via our blog, social media, and travel advice from our consultants and guides.

CUSTOMER COMMUNICATION AND PROTECTION

Our customer protection and their positive experience during interaction with our company are our priority. Therefore, we developed the following principles for customer care and communications:

Privacy Policy: We collect and process only relevant data gained from our customers. We explain to them how it is collected, stored, processed, and for what purposes. We also explain their rights to their privacy.

Marketing and communication: We make sure that the information about the product the customer receives via our website, marketing channels, and our travel advisors is clear and accurate. We do not tolerate misleading and promising what is not possible to make.

Provide relevant information about the destinations to clients : We share important information about the destinations we visit with our clients, including environmental and cultural considerations, to help them make responsible travel decisions.

Sustainability communication: We inform our customers about the social and environmental impact of their journey and the sustainable choices they can make, including transparent communication on sustainable accommodations, the activities that benefit the local community and environment protection, responsible ways to interact with wildlife and domestic animals, responsible shopping practice and prohibited souvenirs.

Provide exceptional experience : We ensure that our clients receive excellent customer service and a positive experience, for this, we follow strict health and safety regulations, emergency procedures, and customer care policies.

Taking feedback seriously : We actively seek feedback from our clients to improve our services and ensure their satisfaction.

Focus on quality and improvement : We are committed to continuously improving our services and developing innovative travel experiences that meet the needs of our clients while also being sustainable.

CONTACT / RESPONSIBLE PERSON

All staff are responsible for the ownership and undertaking of this policy.

All staff are responsible for the promotion and implementation of this sustainability policy within their departments.

The implementation of this policy will be led by the Sustainability Coordinator, Irina Hatcher, who can be reached at bd@realisticasia.com.

EFFECTIVE DATE

This policy is effective from 06-02-2024.

REVISION HISTORY

This policy was revised on 06-02-2024

This policy will be revised by 22-01-2025