KNMtravel sustainability policy
Our first and foremost policy is to raise awareness, engage in sustainable practices and eventually work closely with sustainable suppliers across different sectors of the industry. Specific policies regarding key themes are as follows:
1. Internal social and environment management:
We commit to policies following below principals:
- To offer a formal written contract that details responsibilities/tasks, rights-including holidays, wages, working hours, and the freedom to terminate contracts within a given time frame.
- To ensure all employees are receiving minimum wages required by law or above, depending on the scope and content of work.
- To offer overtime compensation and medical insurance that meet the requirement by law.
- To develop an internal system where employees could freely express their comments, complaints, concerns, and satisfactions about the company.
- To ensure a safe working environment where first aid boxes are stationed, and fire extinguishers are checked regularly. Yearly training on fire safety for all staff is practiced according to the law.
- To practice equal opportunities in terms of hiring (students, disabled persons, ages, nationalities, or regions) and in terms of access to available resources (incentives, trainings) depending on the scope of work.
- Concerning the internal environment, we engage ourselves in “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle” by practicing the followings:
- Reduce one-time plastic use to at least 50% in the office and carry our own drinking bottles, eating utensils whenever we are.
- Reduce office bio-waste: bringing our own food and drink take the waste home. Offer suggestions to client to have drink at nearby coffee place so that we could reduce at least 50% of the bio-waste.
- Reduce energy consumption, namely electricity and water, by selecting energy efficient model for printer, LP etc. Air-conditioning or heater or lighting are off after work. We also practice working from home few days within a week for all employees. By mid-2022, we target at least 20%-30% of total office energy use.
- Reduce paper communication/promotion material to digital based form.
Take means to reduce packaging in terms of souvenirs, or when purchasing office facilities.
- Recycle of paper use by doing duplex copy or use the blank side for other purpose.
- Recycle waste by properly separating them according to government guidelines and set up quantitative targets.
- Collect and recycle used batteries
- Communicate with property owner (for water and electricity usage) and suggest alternative way of energy or install water-saving equipment when possible.
- Employees are encouraged to commute with car sharing or public transfer while remote working from home is also applied for those who live farther away. This will continue even after the pandemic.
- Provide regular updates concerning sustainable issues as a form of internal training.
- Encourage participation in sustainable workshop/seminars/volunteer work held by the national body/NGOs external training.
- Take part in projects that help to promote, educate, and encourage sustainable practices at community level.
2. Supply chains:
- Use of low emission coaches and include sustainable means of transport as part of our own package product whenever possible.
- Design products that take sustainable concepts in mind, including alternative forms of transport, guides, accommodations that practice sustainable approaches etc.
- Work with accommodation units that are aware of sustainable issues-environment, social, human right, or those with international recognition or Travelife certificate. Particularly the policy to refuse children labor and sexual exploitation in the tourism industry should be observed and respected and put in written format.
- Priority is also given to local suppliers to protect culture, heritage, and promote use of local ingredients etc.
- Include local guides, artists, local handicrafts as part of package products.
3. Destinations:
- Wherever possible, select attractions that are of natural, cultural, and historical significance.
- Avoid mass tourism destinations and provide alternatives suggestions that take sustainability into consideration.
- Take the initiative in working with partners at the national/local levels to increase the awareness of sustainable tourism development.
- Provide proper information concerning souvenirs to guests and avoid promoting those that are made of endangered species (flora and fauna list from CITES), or those recommendations given by the EU.
4. Customer relations:
- Prior to booking, we are committed to:
- Communicate clear message regarding marketing-not over promise and no hidden prices.
- Ensure the personal privacy info is well protected through all processes of communication.
- Provide valuable information regarding the chosen destination on the code of conduct (social/natural/cultural), personal health and safety issues etc.
- Give alternative suggestions whenever available concerning the accommodation, local transport, and restaurants etc.
- During the holidays, we are to ensure that:
- Local guides/escorts are communicating all related sustainable issues as per our communication policy but no limited to it.
- Customers are aware of the proper code and conduct and are aware of their behavior during the visits.
- Customers/local guides are well-informed of the emergency contacts and that our person in charge/other staff in the office are following guidelines and dealing with emergency within timely manner.
- After service, we take actions in:
- Monitor and measure client’s satisfaction and complaints through our established procedures.
- Communicating with suppliers/local guides to receive positive/negative comments as well as different points of views.
- Incorporate satisfaction/complains about further improvement or as the base to decide on whether same suppliers or same elements are to be included or not for the next product design.
