Responsible travel & Sustainability
Tourism should be an enriching experience for both the visitor and the residents of a chosen destination. Over the last few years, Brazil has become an increasingly popular choice for a wide range of travelers. Growth, however, in order to be beneficial for all, must be sustainable. Fortunately, many successful initiatives are being carried out in the field of responsible travel, of which we are proud to be a part!
In 2015, Ideia Tours was awarded the GSTC-recognized Travelife Certification of Excellence in Sustainable Tourism. We are the only Travelife-certified DMC in Brazil to have achieved this status. We chose Travelife specifically for its elaborate set of tools that enable us to engage in ecologically, socially and culturally responsible tourism. We really feel that the program’s criteria and audits have not only helped us implement positive changes in our own business, but also among the many hotels, lodges and travel agencies that we work with.
Our environmentally friendly offices in Rio de Janeiro and Recife are equipped with efficient in-office waste management and rainwater collection systems. Our very own Green Team coordinates and monitors these and other sustainability measures, such as recycling and reducing our consumption of paper and energy. Through SOS Mata Atlântica, we compensate for our carbon emissions and have installed solar panels on the roof of our office in Recife. Our Green Team conducts regular inspections and surveys to monitor and evaluate the commitment of our suppliers to sustainable tourism. Over the years, these efforts have led to the development of the Ideia Green Leaf seal, which we use to indicate the hotels and service providers that, in our view, demonstrate a superior level of sustainability. If you need further information, please contact our sustainability coordinator at sustainability@ideiatours.com.br.
Sustainability entails a long-term commitment to our clients, suppliers, partners, employees, and the wider community, through practices that respect the environment and support the development of the communities in which our activities and services take place. We believe we are capable of contributing to sustainable development by generating satisfaction for our clients, ensuring fair trade for our suppliers, and leaving a positive legacy in economic, social, and environmental terms. By doing so, we aim to minimise any negative impact of our activities and to organise our services through clear and measurable processes.
• Providing a safe, healthy, and stimulating working environment for our employees, which promotes training, knowledge, and participation.
• Adhering to existing labour regulations regarding remuneration, working hours, holidays, sick leave, and maternity leave, as well as ensuring the freedom of employees to join a trade union.
• Guaranteeing equal employment opportunities and non-discrimination based on skin colour, ethnicity, gender, religion, disability, age, or sexual orientation.
• Maintaining an effective reporting system for cases of social misconduct, such as physical or psychological violence, or harassment.
• Protecting children’s rights, not allowing any form of forced child labour, and safeguarding children against sexual exploitation and prostitution.
• We ensure that customer privacy is not compromised. Data is secured and only accessible by accredited staff. Confidential customer data received is solely used for purposes within the scope of a client reservation. Our local suppliers are contract bound and abide by globally recognized data protection laws (GDPR).
• Informing and encouraging employees and suppliers to adopt sustainable practices through communications and incentives, such as health insurance contributions, meal vouchers, and transport allowances.
• Carrying out careful evaluation and selection of suppliers who share our vision and concern for the destinations where we operate, and the communities and people within them.
• Providing accurate and up-to-date product information, alongside honest and transparent communication about sustainable accommodation, excursions, and transport options.
• Sharing information about efforts to minimise the negative impacts of our activities in ecologically sensitive areas, protecting biodiversity, supporting local communities, and ensuring the responsible use of natural resources.
• Reducing waste generation by raising employee awareness and adopting purchasing procedures that focus on waste reduction, minimising paper use, and avoiding disposable products.
• Ensuring correct separation, collection, and donation of internal and electronic waste.
• Giving preference to sustainable products when acquiring goods, supplies, or services for the office.
• Through our work instruction for the development of new services, we systematically evaluate the possibility of using sustainable accommodation and transport. New accommodation partners are required to sign a “commitment term”, while lodges and local operators sign a contract.
• We do not offer tours or attractions that involve wild animals in captivity, except in cases where such practices are regulated, carried out in suitable enclosures (allowing, as far as possible, the animal’s natural behaviour), and licensed in accordance with local, national, and international environmental legislation.
• Wild animals will not be captured, consumed, displayed, sold, or traded, except within the context of an activity that ensures sustainable use, in full compliance with local, national, and international environmental laws.
• Where evidence arises of non-compliance with our sustainability policy, partnerships may be suspended.
• We purchase in volumes sufficient to reduce logistical demand, packaging, and waste, while avoiding excessive stockpiling.
• We seek to utilise renewable energy sources and maintain or reduce per- employee energy consumption in our offices.
• We aim to reduce water use to below 50 litres per employee per day, through awareness campaigns, reduction measures, and the reuse of rainwater.
• We minimise pollution by following a purchasing procedure that prioritises efficient, biodegradable, eco-friendly, and/or certified products.
• Striving for competitive advantage and improving quality and results sustainably by continuously measuring and evaluating processes and services, with the goal of meeting the expectations of clients, suppliers, employees, partners, and local communities.
• Giving preference to local labour in relation to employees and guides, and providing training, including management training, whenever required.
• Working to improve the sustainability performance of our suppliers (accommodation, local operators, and guides) through: a biannual awareness programme; a sustainability survey that evaluates the sustainability level of accommodation providers, highlighting those performing at or above average with a green leaf symbol, revalidated every two years. This also serves to guide suppliers on sustainability matters and encourage higher performance.
• Where possible, supporting collaborative initiatives with other operators or entities in order to promote sustainability among partner accommodation providers.
• Through our awareness programme, encouraging guides, local operators, and accommodation partners to offer sustainable local handicrafts that reflect local history and culture. We also advise our guides and travellers not to purchase souvenirs containing endangered flora or fauna, archaeological artefacts, illicit substances, and to follow national legislation.
• Through our awareness programme, encouraging guides, local operators, and accommodation providers to promote sustainable menus that favour local producers, use organic ingredients, and/or adopt sustainable production techniques.
