Sustainability

We put sustainability first, in everything we do.

We work with tourism and hospitality professionals on a global scale, accompanying travelers to discover Italy in a sustainable and highly personalized way. We do this with competence, reliability and innovativeness.

Change and innovation

Destination Italia Group is developed and rooted in the Italian tourism offer and has always been ready and willing to change and innovate. For this very reason, we have committed ourselves, and will continue to do so more and more in the future, to a path toward sustainability.

Read the "Consolidated non-financial statement 2023"

Destination Italia is a Travelife Partner Committed to Sustainability

The Travelife Partner level award was received Destination Italia. The award recognizes the long-term efforts of Destination Italia regarding sustainability and Corporate Social Responsibility.

The Travelife Sustainability System is an initiative dedicated to promoting sustainable practices within the travel and tourism industry.

The Travelife initiative is based on the central role of tour operators and travel agents in the tourism supply chain. Their unique position between suppliers and buyers enables them to influence consumer demand, procurement policies and the development of destinations. This allows them to contribute significantly to sustainable development and environmental and cultural protection in destinations. Travelife aims to offer companies the knowledge, solutions, and tools to implement positive change within their businesses and their supply chain.

Gender Equality, Inclusiveness and Equity

Destination Italia strongly values these three values, and has received UNI/PdR 125:2022 certification on gender equality, with a rating of 86.75/100.
The certification, issued by the certifying body RINA Italia, was obtained after a rigorous process of analysis of policies, practices and numerical key-indicators (KPIs) that quantitatively demonstrated the Group’s strong focus on enhancing gender equality and equity in all aspects of work.

A key role between customer and destination

Below is how we have approached and are working toward a level of sustainability that encompasses all kinds of sectors and spheres, internal and external. Indeed, we want to strive to reduce and then eliminate any negative social, environmental and economic impacts that the company might have even unknowingly.
Since we deal with tourism and specifically inbound tourism in Italy, we deal with numerous stakeholders on a daily basis: from contacting tour guides, to working with transportation companies, to contracting with hotels and accommodation. We are aware that we have a key role, as we are the link between the client and the destination, with all the services attached, and for this reason we have the opportunity and, above all, the responsibility to give precedence, in terms of sustainability, to employees who embrace the same cause as us, so as to minimize the negative impacts we might have, while maximizing the positive ones.

The sustainability policy has been divided into macro-areas, which describe all the actions and procedures we have internalized and strive for every day.
This politicy illustrates what we have already managed, what we are doing, and what we hope to achieve in the future. Defines the practices underlying product development, operations, and relationships with external partners.

1. Sustainability Management & Legal compliance

– Have a sustainability manager and a team that can support him/her in the work

– Draw up and publish our mission, policy and action plan so that they are accessible to everyone: customers, employees and suppliers;

– Collaborate with associations in the area that have the same goal as us for sustainable tourism;

– Increase the company’s awareness of the sustainability policy and make everyone feel involved so that they are committed to implementing it;

– Commit daily to following all territorial and national regulations and legislation.

2. Internal management: social policy & human rights

– Comply with all current labor law regulations (including those against child exploitation);

– Carry forward the Psychological Listening Desk project for all employees and the complaint and employee satisfaction measurement systems;

– Keep a first-aid kit and take periodic courses on occupational safety and first aid;

– Create internship and apprenticeship opportunities for students and recent graduates/graduates;

– Prohibit any kind of discrimination in hiring, working conditions, access to training and positions of responsibility or promotion in terms of gender, race, age, disability, ethnicity, religion/beliefs or sexual orientation;

– Ensure regular training for staff.

3. Internal Management: Environment and community relations

– Reduce, to the point of eliminating disposable consumer goods altogether;

– Purchase office products only through large orders so as to reduce the amount of packaging materials;

– Use certified biodegradable soaps that are not harmful to the environment;

– Always turn off lights and equipment when not in use, use automatic on/off systems with motion sensors, and set equipment to energy-saving mode when possible;

– Comply with national legislation on waste disposal;

– Separate all materials that can be recycled and arrange for collection and proper disposal;

– Implement, to the extent possible, Practices aimed at minimizing pollution from your office;

– Reduce transportation-related impacts through telecommuting, video meetings, work-at-home policies and other possible means;

4. Partner agency

– Communicating to partners our personal commitment to sustainability, recommending concrete actions to improve;

– Prefer organizations that truly implement sustainability within their policy;

– Have an eye toward authentic local realities when selecting the various providers of a trip, with attention toward their internal social policies;

– Include clauses in contracts related to sustainability, employee rights laws, and child labor and sexual exploitation;

5. Transportation

– Select the most sustainable options considering cost and comfort when choosing transportation options to and within the destination;

– Integrate and promote one or more sustainable vacation products/packages based on a recognized methodology, including sustainable transportation, accommodations, and activities.

6. Accommodations

– Also select accommodations based on a set of sustainability criteria (e.g., waste recycling, sustainable energy, children’s laws…);

– Communicate to partners our commitment to sustainability and motivate them to begin the certification journey as well;

– Give preference to locally owned and operated facilities;

– Getting accommodations to sign a sustainability addendum;

– Include standard sustainability clauses in all contracts with housing providers that focus on child labor, anti-corruption and bribery, waste management, and biodiversity protection;

7. Excursions and activities

– Advise client agencies (who have direct contact with the end client) on standards of behavior during excursions/visits/activities, with emphasis on respecting local culture, nature and environment;

– Communicate our sustainability goals and requirements to contracted and non-contracted hiking and activity providers;

– Do not offer excursions or activities where local flora and fauna may be harmed in any way;

– Have experienced and certified guides and inform them of our sustainability standards;

– Promote and recommend excursions and activities to our guests that involve and support local communities;

8. Tour leaders, local representatives and guides

– Prefer local guides and tour leaders;

– Ensure that our partners comply with all requirements of relevant laws and are qualified regularly;

– Inform them about relevant aspects of our sustainability policy;

– Ensure that guides and tour leaders inform clients about local Standards of Conduct;

9. Destination

– Take sustainability aspects into account when selecting new destinations to be offered as an alternative to more mainstream destinations especially in the high season;

– Comply with land use planning, protected areas, and cultural heritage regulations based on the law;

– Support initiatives that improve relationships between accommodations and local producers;

– Engage in supporting and influencing local governments regarding sustainability, destination study;

– Informing client agencies about illegal souvenirs, not to allow the purchase of souvenirs containing endangered species of flora and fauna, illegally obtained historical/archaeological artifacts, illegal drugs or substances, adhering to current local and international laws to prevent this

10. Customer communication and protection

– Ensuring customer privacy;

– Comply with relevant standards and voluntary codes of conduct in marketing and advertising messages and do not promise more than is delivered;

– Provide clear, complete, and accurate product and pricing information regarding the company and its products and services, including sustainability statements;

– Provide destination information, including sustainability aspects, that is fair, balanced, and complete;

– Promote sustainable (certified) accommodations, excursions, packages and/or transportation options with logos or other messages; make sure they are recognizable to consumers and presented as the “best” option;

During the clients’ vacation, we are committed to:

– Give as much information as possible to clients about the place they are going to visit: customs and traditions, what to do and what not to do, health and safety tips;

– Inform guests and give advice on key sustainability issues and how they can have a positive impact;

– Have an emergency contact, active from 6 a.m. to midnight;

– Give courses to all staff on how to handle an emergency situation;

– Inform client agencies about the main aspects of Italian legislation regarding the buying and selling of illegal souvenirs;

– Motivate and recommend restaurants and places run by local people to customers;

At the end of the clients’ vacation:

– Measure customer satisfaction, including in terms of sustainability of the trip, calculate the results achieved, so that we can improve more and more;

– Have clear procedures and protocols for handling customer complaints.

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