Sustainbility Policy

Purpose
Mithra Travel, is committed to promoting sustainable tourism. The purpose of this policy is to improve the environment, promote responsible behavior and actively look for sustainable solutions for all forms of tourism that we engage in by more responsible practices to minimize all negative effect on natural and social environment.
Scope

This policy applies to all staff including freelance tour guides, and will be communicated to suppliers and clients. the sustainability coordinator is responsible for implementing the company’s sustainability policy.

Sustainability management & legal compliance

Sustainability commitment

Mithra travel leadership is wholly committed to the company’s sustainability performance and endorses the company’s sustainability mission statement and policy.

We will use the Travelife platform to report on our sustainability progress and to monitor and evaluate progress.

We are committed to (publicly) communicating our sustainability performance (by means of the Travelife report) every two years.

Sustainability management & legal compliance.

Our company commits to continuous improvement of sustainability practices, including the ongoing monitoring and evaluation of our sustainability policy, with dedicated personnel and resources to achieve our sustainability goals. We follow all local, regional, national, and international regulations as they relate to human resources, human rights, children’s rights, land rights, environmental management, wildlife, and land use. We follow a strict Code of Ethics, including a zero-tolerance policy for corruption, bribery, forced labor, and discrimination and expects this commitment from all partners and suppliers.

Internal management: social policy & human right

We create a healthy and pleasant working situation for our employees with fair payments, regardless of gender/sex, race, national origin, marital status, age, religion. All employees are able to perform their duties to recognize their potential.

Internal management: environment

Environmental management of office operations

We are committed to keeping the direct footprint of our business operations as minimal as possible and actively follow circularity/the 5Rs (refuse, reduce, reuse, repurpose, recycle ) /sustainability/environmentally- sound principles. We have the following measures in place:

Follow all local and national regulations concerning environmental law

Measure, monitor, and evaluate use of all commodities and products purchased, especially in terms of water, waste and energy, and intend to improve the carbon measurement.

Procure office supply. locally, seasonally, fair trade, in bulk, with limited packaging, sustainability certified whenever possible.

Print only when absolutely necessary, and when printing, always print double-sided on grayscale. Paper must always be FSC or equivalent certified, with preference for the highest percentage post- consumer materials

Energy saving measures are in place in all common areas.

All equipment and lighting is energy-efficient and turned off/unplugged/on sleep mode when not in use

Water saving measures are in place in all common areas.

Waste is separated into the following categories: [plastic, organic, paper products, metal, hazardous, glass, e-waste, waste to landfill] and is disposed of properly by the municipality

Noise, light, and air pollution is minimized.

Carbon management of office operations

Our company is committed to reducing our carbon footprint; the staff lives nearby and comes on foot or use public transportation.

Land use

Our office is located in a historical area and abides by all local land use laws, respects local cultural and natural resources in our business operations, and favors sustainable architecture and design.

General suppliers policy

Our company is committed to sourcing its products and services responsibly, avoiding harmful impacts on society, culture and nature as much as possible. We expect the same level of engagement and commitment from our suppliers.

  • As organisator of walking- and cultural holidays Mithra prefers to work with small guesthouses and hotels that are locally owned or managed, use local and seasonal products and services and benefit the local community by hiring locally and equitably and by providing fair working conditions.
  • Whenever possible we prefer to work with partners that have written sustainability statement as an integral part of their business policy and /or clear policy in place and support partners who want to obtain to an internationally recognized (GSTC-accredited) certificate.
  • We expect our suppliers to adhere to a Code of Conduct that includes the following responsible business practices:
  • Complying with all local, regional, national and international regulations.
  • Respecting all human rights including labor rights, children’s rights, and women’s rights.
  • Committing to fair employment conditions.
  • Following anti-corruption, anti-bribery, anti -extortion, anti discrimination policies.
  • Protecting children from (sexual) exploitation through tourism.
  • Protecting the environment and natural resources.
  • Acting in the best interest of local communities.
  • Protecting the interests of our company.

Transport

When selecting transport for our guests and business related travel we choose the most environmentally friendly options available for travelling to, from and within the destination.

  • We inform the clients when public transport is available.
  • We use appropriate vehicles for group sizes and purchase most efficient vehicles available.
  • We prefer over land transport for short-haul destinations and avoid in-destination flights as much as possible.
  • Compensation of GHG emissions produced from transportation is promoted to the clients as a booking option.

Activities and excursions.

Our company that has long been involved in the implementation of natural-walking- and cultural holidays gives preference to excursions and activities that benefit local communities, respect animal welfare and supports environmental protection.

  • We do not sell excursions to lion safari’ or other excursions to captive animals.
  • Will ensure that the excursion providers of other activities are aware of our sustainability objectives and encourage them to adopt a responsible approach; protecting wildlife, biodiversity and adhere to our code of conducts.
  • Our company will provide excursion and attraction providers opportunities for sustainable learning and management, including free access to the Travelife online learning and reporting platform.

Local guides

As a company we understand that guides are the intermediaries between the guests and the socio-cultural and environmental context of the destination, conveying the appropriate behavior to them. We make sure that they are certified,

regularly trained and a member of the Tureb  ( Union of Turkish Tourist Guides Chambers.)

Our specialized local guides with extensive network add value to the program as they can provide experiences.

They are trained on the critical issue of (sexual) exploitation of children in tourism. We are happy to provide them with learning opportunities including  free access to the Travelife online learning platform.

Destinations

Contribution to local communities/local network 

Mithra Travel supports the initiatives of the Culture Routes society https://cultureroutesinturkey.com/
in the development of long distance walking routes and has been involved in workshops at destinations.
Several stakeholders were involved in these workshops, including representatives from the ministry of tourism.
The purpose of these workshops was to educate hosts about the principles of responsible travel and host behavior, the importance of local food and local products were pointed out.
In taking these initiatives we must ensure that natural resources and cultural heritage keep intact and educate visitors to behave responsible.

Our company commits to environmental stewardship and donates Temavakfı. https://www.tema.org.tr/

Customer communication and protection

 Customer’s welfare, information and privacy are very important to us.

Prior to booking we commit:

Make available a company guideline for traveler consultation.

  • Ensure that customer privacy is not                compromised.
  • Comply with relevant standards and relevant standards and voluntary codes of conduct in marketing and advertising messages, and not promise more than is delivered.
  • After booking and during holidays, we commit this by:
  • Provide information to customers about the natural surroundings, local conduct and cultural heritage

In the holiday destinations.

  • Keep a contact person and telephone numbers for emergency situations.

Customer experience:

Our company aims for all customer experience to be positive and follows strict health and safety, marketing and excursion policies to ensure customer satisfaction. These policies cover specific topics ( and are not limited to):

  • Health and safety
  • Emergency procedures
  • Privacy
  • Group numbers
  • Greenhouse emissions and off settings
  • Transport
  • Shopping
  • Sexual exploitation
  • Children in tourism
  • Satisfaction and complaints

Mithra Travel maintains open lines of communication with our customers and encourages feedback at any time on any topic, particularly sustainability.