Travel business awarded international certificate for sustainable tourism

Travelife is the leading international certification for sustainable tourism development that is recognized globally. Currently, more than 35 national tourism associations around the world are working together to implement this program to their members, including: ABTA (British Travel Association), PATA (Pacific Asia Travel Association), KATO (Kenya Association of Tour Operators), TATO (Tanzania Association of Tour Operators) and FTT in South Africa.

Travelife standards cover the ISO 26000 social responsibility management system for the environment, biodiversity, fair business practices, human rights, and employer-employee relations.

To achieve this title, in addition to continuous efforts in long-term development strategy and business orientation, commitment to actions always closely linked to sustainability and social responsibility of a leading travel business in Vietnam, Saigontourist Travel has strived to implement 147 criteria related to management and operation of a system of 18 branches and 24 transaction offices nationwide; building and developing a diverse range of domestic and foreign products; building a global network of business partners; and managing customer information data.

Mr. Naut Kusters, Manager of Travelife organization for travel businesses affirmed: "I believe that the Travelife Partner award given to Saigontourist Travel will contribute significantly to promoting travel businesses in Vietnam to pay attention to and aim for sustainable criteria".

According to Mr. Nguyen Thanh Luu, General Director of Saigontourist Travel Service Company, Saigontourist Travel has soon deployed green tourism products and responsible tourism in all business segments (international tourism, domestic tourism, foreign tourism). This is a development strategy and orientation in line with global tastes and trends.

Congratulations to Mr. Nguyen Thanh Luu, General Director of Saigontourist Travel Service Company (left) and Mr. Tran Ngoc Liem, Director of Vietnam Federation of Commerce and Industry.

Tourists today not only demand professional services, but also require tour products that include responsibility to the local community and environment. This is clearly demonstrated in every service, attraction, and experience that tourists participate in.

“With the high awareness of each tourist, the wide and rapid coverage of information channels such as social networks, destination review sites... the understanding and cooperation of each domestic and foreign tourist is helping Saigontourist Travel's strategy of "Green Living - Green Tourism - Sustainable Growth" go in the right direction, fully meeting Travelife's criteria", Mr. Nguyen Thanh Luu emphasized.

Over the years, many activities of Saigontourist Travel in the direction of green-sustainability have been highly appreciated by tourists and the community, such as joining hands to plant white starfruit trees in Long Hoa commune, Can Gio; planting pine trees in Lac Duong district, Da Lat; planting poplar trees at the K20 Revolutionary Base - Da Nang; planting sang trees in Cuc Phuong National Park, Ninh Binh...

At the same time, from the beginning of 2024, Saigontourist Travel will launch the campaign "Buy 1 tour - Contribute 1 tree - Having trees means having forests", each tourist nationwide who buys a tour will contribute 1 more tree to the Company's "Green Living - Green Tourism" tree planting program.

In addition, based on the coordination of the Endangered Wildlife Protection Project (STW), within the framework of the announcement ceremony, Saigontourist Travel Service Company also issued an official Statement on Supporting the fight against illegal wildlife trafficking in Vietnam.

At this event, Ms. Michelle Owen, Director of the Office of the Project on Endangered Wildlife (STW - WWF) assessed the role of the tourism industry in preventing and combating illegal wildlife trafficking and congratulated the two units for their commitment to supporting activities and initiatives to reduce demand and combat illegal wildlife trafficking and consumption in Vietnam.

This important content marks another step forward for Saigontourist Travel in proactively combating illegal wildlife trafficking, contributing to soon achieving the goal of Vietnam no longer being a destination for buying and selling wildlife products.

In tour programs, Saigontourist Travel always encourages and works with customers to protect the environmental landscape, clean up trash on the coast and forest areas at tourist destinations, and plant trees to cover bare hills and vacant lots.

Many domestic and foreign enterprises have cooperated with Saigontourist Travel to organize tours combined with large-scale environmental protection activities such as waste treatment in coastal areas and tree planting and afforestation.

In particular, the Company's system of partners is also ready to sign a commitment to minimize all forms of harm to the living environment and improve air quality, water resources and increase symbiotic benefits in the human-nature-natural creatures and livestock community.