Sustainable policy of our offers and services

Our company strives to promote environmentally friendly tours.

The sustainable development of tour providers is crucial, as it allows our company to extend sustainable practices to a key element of our tours / supply chain. When selecting tours/activities for clients, our policy is to recommend the most environmentally responsible options within their budget. Whenever we have the opportunity to choose tours, we will prioritize partners and providers who follow sustainable practices in all aspects of their operations.

This policy will become part of the Sustainability Policy. It applies to the selection of tour providers that our company works with.

This policy comes into effect immediately upon approval by the Managing Director and distribution among staff. The policy will be formally reviewed every two years to ensure its relevance. Any deviations from this policy must be approved by the Managing Director or an authorized delegate.

Principles of Sustainable Tourism

In our efforts to select the most sustainable tour providers, we prioritize partners and suppliers who adhere to the following core principles:

1. The Right Product at the Right Price

The establishment must be hygienic, sanitary, and safe, and able to provide comfort and service that meets the expectations of our clients. Sustainable tour practices can be found across all price ranges; therefore, we aim to identify the most sustainable options available within our clients’ budgets.

2. Fair Business

The partner or provider follows ethical business practices, including transparency and compliance with the law, human rights, economic and social justice, and environmental and animal protection.

3. Minimizing Environmental and Social Impact

The partner or provider prioritizes sustainable practices aimed at minimizing their impact on the environment and society.

General Considerations on Sustainability

Currently, there are no internationally certified tours in Nepal. However, some providers are well-known for their best practices. Sustainable practices are available at all budget levels. Therefore, our company actively reviews its operations to identify more responsible suppliers.

We assess our tours in several ways:

• Site visits by our company’s sustainability coordinator/manager

• Observations from our tour guides

• Client feedback forms

When evaluating tour providers, the following considerations determine our company’s preferences:

Care for People

We aim to work with tour providers who care for their human resources—this is crucial in the tourism sector. We assess whether the provider maintains good working conditions for their staff (e.g., minimum wage, reasonable working hours, proper lunch breaks, etc.).

No-Plastic Policy

Tour providers minimize the use of plastic and typically do not offer plastic water bottles to guests. Instead, they provide refill stations where guests can top up room jugs or their personal bottles.

Waste Management

We verify that the tour provider separates at least organic waste for composting and plastic for recycling where possible. Preference is given to providers who go beyond these basic waste management practices.

Energy Efficiency

Tour providers use energy-efficient methods such as energy-saving light bulbs and appliances. They encourage clients (e.g., through signage and verbal reminders) to turn off lights and appliances when not in use, or implement centralized shut-off systems (automated).

Child Protection

Tour providers ensure the rights of children are respected and protected. If children under the age of 14 are employed, the company must provide special work conditions to protect them (e.g., part-time hours or internships).

Local Sourcing

Tour providers are encouraged to purchase and use local food products that are based on principles of fair trade and sustainability.

Biodiversity Care

Tour providers limit their negative impact on local and global biodiversity where possible (e.g., not including endangered species on their menus).

Authentic Appeal

The tour operator’s building (inside and/or outside) incorporates elements of local art, architecture, or cultural heritage.

Community Value

Tour providers respect the intellectual property rights of local communities and contribute to the local community wherever possible (e.g., by sponsoring local events or donating to heritage sites).

Encouraging More Sustainable Practices

Our company follows a long-term strategy to increase the sustainability of its regular tour providers. Upon request or on our initiative, we support joint actions with other tour operators and/or stakeholders to promote sustainability at our destinations.

Where possible, we talk to the tour owner/manager about their current practices and what they can do to follow more sustainable methods (e.g., through site visits by our manager or via our guides).

We may also share best practice standards and guidelines with our tour providers, including:

• Information on certification programs such as Travelife for tour operators

• Self-assessment tools

• Training materials

Sanctions

If a tour provider is found to operate unsustainably, our company will issue a warning. If the provider does not improve their practices, we will terminate all forms of cooperation (both informal and contractual) and blacklist the company from future collaboration.

Communication with Tour Providers

Our company communicates with tour providers through various methods:

Email
We mainly communicate via email and phone. In particular, when sending emails, we may address certain sustainability aspects.

Voucher
After confirming a booking, we send a payment voucher to the tour provider. With regular providers, we agree to send this voucher by email to reduce paper waste. However, some providers in Nepal still prefer printed documents.

Contract
We sign contracts with regular tour providers who serve a sufficient number of clients. These contracts include an overview of our Code of Conduct and the sanctions, which providers read and agree to.

Personal Visit
Whenever possible, we visit the tour site in person and speak with them about how they can improve their services and become more sustainable. Often, our tour guides deliver these messages.

Our Company Promotes the Following as Mandatory Policy:

• Child labor prevention

• Anti-corruption and anti-bribery

• Waste management

• Biodiversity protection

Incentives

Our company will prioritize working with tour providers who are able to operate sustainably and take responsibility for their environmental and social impact. When sufficient volume exists, we may offer additional benefits, such as hotel promotion on our website or special contract terms.

Example Email Text

Dear Tour Partner,

We would like to share with you the progress of our Travelife sustainability program, which will lead to more responsible travel practices and tourism operations, and support a more sustainable tourism industry in Nepal as a whole. We would like to actively involve you in our long-term progress toward ensuring more sustainable tourism in our country.

Therefore, we kindly ask you to respect and adhere to our Sustainability Code of Conduct, which is attached to this message for your signature.

If you are interested in receiving more information about sustainability in the tourism sector to give you more ideas on what you can do, please let us know so we can send you some documentation.

If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to us.

Kind regards,
The Ecotrek Team