Supplier Sustainability Handbook

The Federation of Tour Operators is pleased to release a set of guidelines for suppliers to help them to understand and manage the environmental and social issues that affect their businesses. The guidelines have been developed over several years through a multi-stakeholder process.

A supplier's role as a key partner in our supply chain is a fundamental one, and we are confident that the good working relationship we have developed when working with them in recent years will prove to be a good basis for the introduction of our new Travelife Handbook - A preferred code of Environmental and Social Practice. 

We are convinced of three factors:

1. This makes long term business sense. As the statistics in the handbook illustrate, environmental and social issues are becoming more and more important in the holiday decisions of our customers. We must respond to these issues to ensure we survive in a competitive market.
2. To deliver the right balance we must work together. Suppliers are at the sharp end of the holiday experience. What happens in the destination matters most; from the warm welcome and the quality of the local environment to the services available. In other words, the balance between the local economy, nature and the community.
3. The FTO is not alone. A recent global survey found that more than 70% of tour operators consider 'sustainable' tourism important to the quality of experience they are able to offer their customers. We are working with other EU Tour Operators to synchronise efforts.

The handbook for Sustainable Tourism has been developed to respond to these three factors. Our aim here is to clarify the many crucial issues relevant to our business and to give suppliers a useful source of reference.

We hope that this handbook will help us to work together with our suppliers to meet the increasing expectation of our customers and other interested groups in the future.

Download the English version of the sustainability guidelines here. This publication is also available in French, Spanish, German, Greek, Italian, Portuguese and Turkish by request through store@fto.co.uk

 

 

 

 

Travelife Animal Guidelines

Members of the Federation of Tour Operators actively work to improve the standards of animal welfare by promoting good practice as illustrated in the Travelife Animal Guidelines.

This Handbook aims to improve the environmental and social sustainability of tourism businesses which make use of animals during the delivery of their products and services. Where the phrase “Animal Attractions” is used, it may refer to any or all of the following: traditional businesses (zoos, aquaria, dolphinaria, circuses, animal parks and sanctuaries) and also such attractions as horse and camel rides, night club stage performances, magic shows and a wide variety of businesses displaying animals in a captive environment i.e. caged animals in hotels, and wildlife attractions such as wildlife safaris and whale-watching trips. If an animal is displayed to, or interacts with the general public, and that animal is not free in its natural non-captive environment, or is in its natural habitat but its lifestyle may be affected by tourism behaviour, then this preferred code should be applied.