Sri Lankas leading destination management
company, Aitken Spence Travels has been presented with the Travelife Certified award.
The award recognises the companys long-term efforts in achieving excellence in
sustainability.
The Travelife certification programme
provides a state-of-the-art and affordable certification standard to evaluate,
prove and communicate an organisations sustainability achievements. The
Travelife certification programme follows a three-stage approach; Travelife
Engaged, Travelife Partner and Travelife Certified.
The organisation complied with more than
160 criteria related to an operators sustainability management, office
operations, work with suppliers and customer communication. The Travelife
standard covers the ISO 26000 corporate social responsibility themes, including
environment, biodiversity, human rights and labour relations, and is formally
recognised as being in full compliance with Global Sustainable Tourism Council
standards.
Aitken Spence Travels Managing Director
Nalin Jayasundera stated: "We are delighted to be awarded the Travelife
certification as a leading DMC in Sri Lanka and for having paved the way in the
industry. As an organisation, we are committed to sustainability and promoting
responsible tourism."
"I am thankful to my team who are a set of
professionals who go beyond the call of duty. The dedication and commitment of
our staff is commendable as sustainability is part of our DNA. We have implemented
many activities that have a great impact on our environment and we will
continue to lead from the front," he added.
Commenting on the certification, Manager of
Travelife for Tour Operators, Naut Kusters, said: "I am delighted to see that
sustainability in the tour operators sector is gaining momentum. While we
congratulate Aitken Spence Travels as a leading DMC in Sri Lanka for obtaining
this certification, we hope that it will inspire other companies in Sri Lanka
to follow the same path."
Travelife was established in Sri Lanka in
2016 in partnership with Responsible Tourism Partnership Sri Lanka (RTPS).
Today more than 20 Sri Lanka tour operators are working towards certification.
RTPS Chairman Nishad Wijetunga asserted:
"Sustainability is key for the future of tourism in Sri Lanka. Aitken Spence
Travels is one of the first companies in Sri Lanka to be awarded this
certification, which is of the highest international standards and is a
historic landmark in our journey to establish Sri Lanka as global leader in
sustainable tourism."
The Travelife Sustainability System is an
initiative dedicated to promoting sustainable practices within the travel and
tourism industry. The Travelife initiative is based on the central role of tour
operators and travel agents in the tourism supply chain. Their unique position
between suppliers and buyers enables them to influence consumer demand,
procurement policies and the development of destinations. This allows them to
contribute significantly to sustainable development and environmental and
cultural protection in destinations. Travelife aims to offer companies the
knowledge, solutions and tools to implement positive change within their
businesses and their supply chain.
Aitken Spence Travels affirmed its market
leading position by facilitating the arrival of over 200,000 visitors to Sri
Lanka in the 2018/19 financial year the largest number of passengers handled
by any DMC in Sri Lanka with a global market reach . The groups destination
management arm handles inbound and outbound tour packages for the group, FIT
and the MICE segments which operate in a highly competitive business environment.
Apart from that, the organisation caters to specialized needs of Nature,
Adventure, Wellness and Spa, Aryurveda, Sports and Medical tourism.
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