Responsible travel & Sustainability
Tourism can be an enriching experience for both the visitor as well as the residents of a chosen destination. Over the last few years, Brazil has become an increasingly popular choice for a variety of different travellers. Growth, however, in order to be beneficial for all, must be sustainable. Fortunately, many initiatives are being accomplished in the field of responsible travel, of which we are proud to be a part!
In 2015, Ideia Tours achieved 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 as well as socio-culturally responsible tourism. We really feel that the programme´s criteria and audits have not only helped us implement positive change in our own business, but also amongst 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 we have installed solar panels on the roof of our office in Recife. Our green team conducts regular inspections and surveys in an attempt to monitor and evaluate the commitment our suppliers to sustainable tourism. Over the years, these efforts have led to the development of the Ideia Green Leaf (), which we use to indicate the hotels and service providers that in our view demonstrate a higher level of sustainability. If you need any further information, please contact our sustainability coordinator on sustainability@ideiatours.com.br.
Sustainability implies a long-term commitment to our clients, suppliers, co-workers and employees through practices that respect the environment and contribute to the development of the communities that support our activities and services. We believe in sustainable development through customer satisfaction, offering fair trade to our suppliers and a positive economic, social and environmental legacy. To this end, we aim to minimize any adverse impact of our activities and organize our services through transparent, measurable processes.
• Providing a safe, healthy, stimulating workplace environment for our employees, with training, knowledge and participation.
• Adherence to statutory labour laws concerning pay, working hours, holidays, special leave and union membership.
• Equal employment opportunities, irrespective of age, sex, colour, ethnic background, religion, sexual orientation and particular needs.
• An effective complaints system for sexual or psychological harassment.
• Protection of children’s rights, including protection from child labour and sexual abuse or exploitation.
• Guiding and encouraging employees and suppliers to adopt sustainable practices.
• Careful selection of vendors that share our views concerning destinations and associated communities.
• Providing accurate, up-to-date product information and transparent communication on sustainable accommodation, excursions and transport options.
• Providing information and conducting action to minimize any detrimental impact of our activities on ecological and sensitive areas, their biodiversity and the local community, plus responsible use of natural resources.
• Appropriate management of company waste.
Seeking competitive advantage and improving quality and results sustainably by continuously measuring and evaluating processes and services to meet the expectations of clients, suppliers, employees and local communities.
