Purpose
Albania Tradition is committed to minimizing its impacts on the environment, growing sustainably and inspiring others to take action. The purpose of this policy is to introduce the work done to this day, our current actions as well as what we hope to accomplish in the near future.
Scope
This policy applies to all our operations, from management to the executive level of our company. It will be communicated to our staff, suppliers, and partners who are expected to meet this policy as a minimum or show that they will commit to reach higher standards.
Mission Statement
Our mission at Albania Tradition is to support a sustainable society and sustainable trade by guiding all stakeholders towards greater sustainability awareness. We aim to achieve this by minimizing and mitigating negative impacts on the natural environment while actively contributing to our local community and society at large.
Sustainability Management & Legal Compliance
Sustainability Commitment
Albania Tradition's leadership is wholly committed to the company's sustainability performance and endorses the company's sustainability mission statement and policy.
We will use the Travelife platform to report on our sustainability progress and to monitor and evaluate progress. We are committed to (publicly) communicating our sustainability performance (by means of the Travelife report) every two years.
Internal Management: Social Policy & Human Rights
Employees
We recognize that our employees are our biggest asset for delivering meaningful travel experiences to our customers. Therefore, Albania Tradition commits to:
- Create a safe, healthy, and welcoming workplace
- Provide fair contract conditions including fair compensation
- Legal compliance in all regards
- Inclusion and equal opportunity for all employees, particularly with regard to compensation, promotion, distribution of benefits, and professional development opportunities.
- Training opportunities including trainings on topics of sustainability, sexual harassment and exploitation in the workplace and in the industry
- Participation in the sustainability planning activities and furthermore expects this commitment from all partners and suppliers.
- A zero-tolerance policy for acts of bribery, corruption, discrimination, and violation of human rights, including forced labour, human trafficking, and all rights of children.
Internal Management: Environment
Environmental Management of Office Operations
- We are committed to keeping the direct footprint of our business operations as minimal as possible and actively follow environmentally-sound principles. We have the following measures in place:
- Follow all local and national regulations concerning environmental law
- Water saving measures are in place in all common areas and restrooms, including water capture in external areas
- Energy saving measures are in place in all common areas
- Measure, monitor, and evaluate use of all commodities and products purchased, especially in terms of water, waste, energy, and carbon
- Procure office supply locally, seasonally, fair trade, in bulk, with limited packaging, sustainability certified whenever possible.
- Print only when absolutely necessary, and when printing, always print double-sided on grayscale.
- All equipment and lighting is energy-efficient and turned off/unplugged/on sleep mode when not in use
- Waste is separated into the following categories: plastic, organic, paper products, glass
- Noise, light, and air pollution is minimized
Carbon Management of Office Operations
Albania Tradition is committed to reducing our carbon footprint and endeavors to reduce the amount we travel as much as possible by:
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Reduce the amount we travel as much as possible.
- Using bikes and E-bikes for city-located operations as well as transportation for staff.
- Monitoring and measuring carbon footprint with the aim to reduce as much as possible and offset remaining amounts.
- Encouraging remote work whenever possible, and when it is not possible, making it easier for employees to limit their carbon footprint by use of eco modes of transportation.
- Installing energy-efficient equipment and appliances where possible.
- Flying directly to destinations if work travel is necessary and scheduling for longer stays in that place.
Land Use
Albania Tradition offices are located in an urban area and abides by all local land use laws, respects local cultural and natural resources in our business operations, and favors sustainable architecture and design.
General Suppliers Policy
Albania Tradition is committed to sourcing its products and services responsibly, avoiding harmful impacts on society, culture, and nature as much as possible. We expect the same level of engagement and commitment from our suppliers.
Albania Tradition prefers to work with partners that share the company’s commitment towards sustainability. This means that we prefer partners that have a written sustainability statement as an integral part of their business policy and/or a clear sustainability policy in place.
Albania Tradition prefers to work with suppliers in the destinations that are locally owned or managed, use local and seasonal products and services and benefit the local community by hiring locally and equitably and by providing fair working conditions.
Whenever possible, Albania Tradition prefers to select partner companies that comply with tourism-specific, internationally recognized (GSTC-accredited) certifications, or other sustainability certifications like B Corp or ISO.
Albania Tradition offers incentives for partners that are actively engaged in sustainable operations.
Albania Tradition expects its suppliers to adhere to a Code of Conduct, that includes 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 Albania Tradition
Following a zero-tolerance policy, Albania Tradition will immediately terminate any relationships with suppliers that violate our policies, specifically through acts of bribery, corruption, discrimination, and violation of human rights.
Albania Tradition raises awareness amongst its suppliers to adopt sound social and environmental practices, and to minimize their carbon footprint.
Albania Tradition actively collaborates with suppliers to improve their sustainability performance. We encourage our suppliers to continuously learn about sustainability and provide/support this learning whenever possible.
Albania Tradition maintains open lines of communication with our suppliers and partners and encourages feedback from our stakeholders at any time and on any topic, particularly sustainability.
Inbound Partner Agencies
Albania Tradition only works with partner agencies that adhere to the company’s Code of Conduct. Albania Tradition provides partner agencies opportunities for sustainability learning and management, including free access to the Travelife online learning and reporting platform. In the entire process of developing and operating our travel packages, Albania Tradition expects partner agencies to act in the best interests of the surrounding communities and environment as well as our guests.
Our partners are informed about Albania Tradition's sustainability policy and that we expect them to comply with it where relevant.
Transport
Albania Tradition only works with transport providers that adhere to the company’s Code of Conduct. When selecting transport for guests and business-related travel, Albania Tradition commits to choosing the most environmentally friendly options available for traveling to, from, and within the destination—taking into consideration distance, price, route, and comfort.
Albania Tradition has implemented clear guidelines for reducing GHG emissions from transport and selecting the most environmentally friendly transport options, including the following measures:
- Preferring ground transport over air transport for short-haul travel destinations
- Using appropriate vehicle sizes for group sizes and purchasing the most efficient vehicles available
- Training drivers on eco-driving techniques
- Using public transportation options in the destinations
Accommodations
In the accommodation selection process, Albania Tradition considers the sustainability practices of an accommodation by taking into account their sustainability management and social and environmental footprint.
Albania Tradition prefers to work with accommodations that adhere to the company’s sustainability policy.
We work mostly with accommodations that are small boutique hotels run or owned by local people.
Albania Tradition encourages accommodations to follow best practices in responsible tourism. We favor the selection of accommodations that respect and protect land use, as well as respectfully highlight elements of local architecture, customs, and traditions.
We do not offer products or services of excursions, lodging, and other touristic suppliers who damage or violate human rights, fauna, or flora, or other natural resources.
Activities & Excursions
Albania Tradition only works with excursion providers that adhere to the company’s sustainability policy.
All excursions and activities run by or on behalf of Albania Tradition respect local customs, traditions, cultural integrity, and natural resources.
Albania Tradition commits to not offering any excursions that harm humans, wildlife, the environment, or natural resources such as water and energy.
Albania Tradition gives preference to excursions and activities that benefit local communities, respect animal welfare, and support environmental protection.
Albania Tradition provides excursion and attraction providers opportunities for sustainability learning and management, including free access to the Travelife online learning and reporting platform.
Tour Leaders, Local Representatives, and Guides
Albania Tradition commits to hiring qualified local guides, porters, drivers, or other local staff, paying them living wages and providing safe and fair working conditions. We expect the same from our suppliers that are hiring local staff on behalf of Albania Tradition.
Albania Tradition understands that guides are the intermediaries between the guests and the socio-cultural and environmental context of the destination, conveying the appropriate behavior to them. Therefore, we make sure that all guides hired by or leading tours on behalf of Albania Tradition are trained regularly and knowledgeable in the sustainability topics of the destination.
Albania Tradition makes sure that our tour guides, hosts, and other employees under contract are qualified and trained regularly. Our guides are specifically trained on the critical issue of sexual exploitation of children in tourism. We provide guides with learning opportunities on sustainability topics including providing free access to the Travelife online learning platform.
Destinations
Sustainable Destinations
Albania Tradition prefers to work in destinations that have committed to sustainability as an integral part of community and destination development. Albania Tradition aims to send visitors to secondary or lesser-known tourist areas to avoid overtourism. Albania Tradition does not support destinations that have a questionable human rights track record.
Contribution to Local Communities / Local Economic Network
Albania Tradition commits to a positive contribution to the destinations in which we operate, by:
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Sourcing locally and responsibly, and supporting local and traditional arts and culture
- Encouraging guests to shop responsibly and educating them about illegal/prohibited/forbidden souvenirs
- Collaborating with other local tourism stakeholders, including local government, other tourism businesses, academia, and community groups, to further the sustainable tourism development of the destination
- Respecting and advocating for all human rights, including children's rights, women’s rights, labor rights, and land rights
Environmental Stewardship in Destinations
Albania Tradition commits to environmental stewardship in the destinations in which we operate by ensuring natural resources remain intact and educating guests about the principles of responsible travel and responsible visitor behavior.
Customer Communication and Protection
Privacy
Our customer protection is our priority.
We provide legal compliance in all regards.
All of the information travelers provide us with is kept strictly private and confidential.
Traveler information is secured and only accessible by accredited staff who follow strict privacy procedures.
Albania Tradition is committed to protecting the privacy of all of our guests.
Marketing and Communication
We strive to be truthful in all situations and at all times.
We offer products and services that do what we claim in our communications.
We honor our explicit and implicit commitments and promises.
We commit to being fully honest and transparent about the social and environmental impacts of our work.
We endeavor to be inclusive and representative in our marketing and to always take into account cultural, religious, and ethnic sensitivities.
Sustainability Communication
Customers are informed about the social and environmental impact of their journey and are educated about the sustainable choices they can make, including transparent communication on:
Responsible shopping and illegal souvenirs
Sustainable transport options in destinations when feasible,
Recommendations on how to make a positive contribution.
Certified Accommodations
Compensation of their trips CO2 emissions
Activities and excursions that benefit the local communities and environmental protection
Customer Experience
The company aims for all customer experiences to be positive, and follows strict health and safety, marketing, and excursion policies to ensure customer satisfaction. These policies cover specific topics of (but not limited to):
- Health and safety
- Emergency procedures
- Privacy Group numbers
- Greenhouse Gas emissions and offsetting
- Transport
- Shopping
- Sexual exploitation
- Children in tourism
- Satisfaction and complaints
Albania Tradition maintains open lines of communication with our customers and encourages feedback at any time and on any topic, particularly sustainability.
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, Armand Pasho, who can be reached at info@albaniatradition.com.
Effective Date
This policy is effective from 1 March 2024.
Revision History
This policy was revised on 1 March 2024. This policy will be revised by 1 January 2025.