Aitken Spence Travels recieves Travelife Certified award


Maldives
PUBLISHED February 23, 2020

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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