SUSTAINABILITY POLICY
At Amber Tours, we recognize that as a tour operator working closely with travelers, guides, hotels, transport providers, restaurants, destination partners, and local communities, we play an important role in shaping the sustainability of tourism.
We are committed to responsible tourism development and to continuously improving our sustainability performance. Our goal is to maximize positive social, cultural, economic, and environmental impacts while minimizing any negative effects of our operations. We actively encourage our clients, employees, and partners to adopt the same responsible approach.
This Sustainability Policy is structured around ten key pillars, each supported by clear principles and practical actions.
1. Sustainability Management & Legal Compliance
Amber Tours commits to structured and transparent sustainability management by:
- Appointing a responsible Sustainability Coordinator.
- Maintaining a clearly communicated sustainability mission statement.
- Implementing a written sustainability policy addressing environmental, social, cultural, and economic impacts, including employee health and safety.
- Participating in tourism sustainability forums and industry initiatives.
- Conducting regular assessments of sustainability performance.
- Establishing sustainability evaluation criteria for key suppliers and partners.
- Developing measurable action plans with defined targets, timelines, and responsibilities.
- Monitoring and reviewing sustainability objectives and progress.
- Ensuring transparency through public communication.
- Making sure all employees are informed about and committed to this policy.
We comply fully with Lithuanian and EU legislation, regulations, and applicable industry standards.
2. Internal Management – Social Policy & Human Rights
Amber Tours is committed to fair, ethical, and transparent employment practices.
We ensure:
- Employment contracts aligned with national labor law.
- Clear job descriptions and fair termination conditions.
- Wages equal to or exceeding legal minimum standards.
- Fair overtime compensation.
- Social security, medical, and liability insurance in compliance with national law.
- Paid annual leave and sick leave in accordance with legislation.
- A safe and healthy working environment.
- First aid availability and trained personnel.
- Respect for minimum employment age laws.
- Clear grievance and disciplinary procedures.
- Regular employee satisfaction monitoring.
- Ongoing training on health, safety, rights, and responsibilities.
- Equal opportunity and non-discrimination in recruitment and career development.
- Support for internships and traineeships.
- Inclusion of persons with disabilities where possible.
We uphold international human rights standards, including freedom of association, collective bargaining rights, and zero tolerance for discrimination or harassment of any kind.
3. Internal Management – Environmental Responsibility & Community Relations
Amber Tours actively reduces its environmental footprint through:
- Minimizing single-use and disposable products.
- Prioritizing sustainable and certified suppliers.
- Reducing packaging through bulk purchasing.
- Using double-sided printing and digital documentation.
- Choosing eco-friendly cleaning materials.
- Printing on certified environmentally responsible paper where feasible.
- Promoting digital brochures.
- Monitoring and reducing energy consumption.
- Tracking and reducing CO₂ emissions.
- Using energy-efficient lighting and equipment.
- Reducing water consumption and installing water-saving devices.
- Implementing waste separation and recycling systems.
- Reducing plastic bottle use.
- Ensuring safe wastewater management.
- Limiting hazardous substances and ensuring proper disposal.
- Reducing business travel through online meetings and remote work.
- Encouraging sustainable commuting.
- Maintaining company vehicles according to emission standards.
- Complying with zoning, heritage, and land-use laws.
- Supporting preservation of cultural and historical heritage.
4. Partner Agencies
We believe sustainability must extend throughout our supply chain.
Amber Tours commits to:
- Evaluating sustainability performance of partner agencies.
- Working only with partners that actively implement responsible tourism practices.
- Including sustainability clauses in cooperation agreements.
- Promoting Travelife and recognized sustainability standards.
- Conducting regular sustainability reviews of partners.
- Encouraging partners to participate in sustainability training.
- Requiring compliance with labor and child protection laws.
- Including zero-tolerance clauses on child exploitation in contracts.
5. Transport
Transport significantly impacts tourism sustainability. Therefore, we:
- Prioritize sustainable transport options when feasible.
- Encourage public transport use for transfers.
- Prefer lower-emission alternatives when selecting vehicles.
- Promote sustainable travel packages integrating responsible transport and accommodations.
- Inform clients about lower-impact transport alternatives.
6. Accommodation
Amber Tours collaborates with accommodation providers committed to sustainability.
We:
- Prefer locally owned and managed accommodations.
- Assess partners based on water, energy, waste, and CSR practices.
- Encourage sustainability certification (e.g., Travelife, GSTC-recognized schemes).
- Require signed sustainability commitments.
- Include clauses addressing child protection, anti-corruption, biodiversity, and waste management.
- Terminate cooperation if serious sustainability violations are identified.
- Promote accommodation providers that support local employment and cultural heritage.
7. Excursions & Activities
We design tours that respect nature, wildlife, and local communities.
Amber Tours commits to:
- Avoiding activities that harm wildlife, ecosystems, or local culture.
- Not offering experiences involving exploitation of captive wildlife (unless legally regulated and ethical).
- Supporting excursions that benefit local communities.
- Promoting biodiversity protection activities.
- Ensuring guides are trained for culturally or environmentally sensitive sites.
- Informing guests about appropriate behavior standards.
8. Tour Leaders, Representatives & Guides
We prioritize local employment and fair working conditions.
We:
- Provide clear contracts and fair wages.
- Prefer local staff when qualifications are equal.
- Ensure regular training in sustainability and child protection.
- Inform guides about environmental and cultural responsibility.
- Require compliance with sustainability standards.
- Train staff to prevent and report child exploitation.
9. Destination Responsibility
Amber Tours supports sustainable destination development by:
- Considering sustainability in selecting destinations.
- Avoiding destinations where tourism causes structural harm.
- Supporting biodiversity conservation initiatives.
- Complying with protected area regulations.
- Not promoting products made from endangered species.
- Supporting local producers and community-based initiatives.
- Encouraging cooperation with local authorities on sustainable planning.
10. Customer Communication & Protection
Transparency and customer wellbeing are central to our operations.
Before booking, we:
- Provide accurate and complete information.
- Respect customer privacy.
- Clearly communicate sustainability commitments.
- Promote certified sustainable options.
- Inform clients about environmental impacts of travel choices.
During travel, we:
- Provide guidance on local culture and sustainability.
- Inform clients about health, safety, and emergency contacts.
- Share codes of conduct for sensitive activities.
- Provide information on preventing exploitation and harassment.
- Encourage support for local businesses and initiatives.
After travel, we:
- Measure client satisfaction.
- Include sustainability in feedback assessments.
- Maintain clear complaint procedures.
- Use feedback to improve services continuously.
For any sustainability-related questions please contact : Gintarė Antanėlytė, gintare.antanelyte@ambertours.lt, +370 62089694.
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