Sustainability management & legal compliance

Gulliver Expeditions 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.

Gulliver Expeditions follows 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.

Guiding Principles

Environmental responsibility: Encourage mindful consumption and reduce our ecological footprint.

Cultural respect: Value and protect the traditions, cultural expressions, and heritage of the destinations we visit.

Social equity: Support local communities through inclusive and fair tourism.

Education and awareness: Help customers understand responsible tourism as part of the service we provide.

Internal management: social policy & human rights

Employees

• We recognize that our employees are our biggest asset for delivering meaningful travel experiences to our customers. Therefore, Gulliver Expeditions maintains a clear human resource policy to ensure:
• Legal compliance in all regards
• A safe, healthy, and welcoming workplace
• Fair contract conditions including fair compensation
• Training opportunities including trainings on topics of sustainability, sexual harassment and exploitation in the workplace and in the industry.
• Participation in the sustainability planning activities
• Inclusion and equal opportunity for all employees, particularly with regard to compensation, promotion, distribution of benefits, and professional development opportunities.

Internal management: environment

Environmental management of office operations

Gulliver Expeditions is committed to managing environmental impact as an integral part of our operations. It is our policy to assure the environmental integrity of our processes and products at all times by:

• Continuously seeking opportunities to improve our environmental performance by establishing objectives and targets, measuring progress, and reporting our results, including but not limited to energy, water, paper, and carbon.
• Practicing a waste hierarchical approach to always reduce, reuse, and recycle commodities and products instead of waste, particularly waste to landfill.
• Promoting participation and communicating our commitment to responsible environmental management by promoting environmental responsibility amongst our employees and stakeholders and soliciting input from them to better achieve our environmental goals.
• Minimizing pollution including light, noise, and any soil, water, or air contaminants, and avoiding use of any toxic or hazardous substances.

Carbon management of office operations

Gulliver Expeditions is committed to reducing our carbon footprint and endeavors to reduce the amount we travel as much as possible by:

• Reduce the amount we travel as much as possible
• Monitoring and measure measuring carbon footprint with the aim to reduce as much as possible and offset remaining amounts.
• Encouraging remote work whenever possible, and when it is not possible, making it easier for employees to limit their carbon footprint by use of eco modes of transportation.
• We commit to offsetting our remaining direct and indirect carbon from travel and fossil energy use a proper company.
• Implement procedures such as: performing proper maintenance on the vehicle fleet or offering incentives such as financial assistance for renting bicycles or other environmentally friendly modes of transportation.
• Installing energy-efficient equipment and appliances in our offices.

Land use

• Gulliver Expeditions offices are located in an urban 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

• Gulliver Expeditions 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.
• Gulliver Expeditions prefers to work with partners that share the company’s commitment towards sustainability. This means that we prefer partners that have a written sustainability statement as an integral part of their business policy and/or a clear sustainability policy in place.
• Gulliver Expeditions prefers to work with suppliers in the destinations 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, Gulliver Expeditions prefers to select partner companies that comply with tourism-specific, internationally recognized (GSTC-accredited) certifications, or other sustainability certifications like B Corp or ISO.
• Gulliver Expeditions offers incentives for partners that are actively engaged in sustainable operations.
• Gulliver Expeditions expects its suppliers to adhere to a Code of Conduct/Code of Ethics, 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, and 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 Gulliver Expeditions

Our complete supplier Code of Conduct/Code of Ethics is available from Gulliver Expeditions on request

• Following a zero-tolerance policy, Gulliver Expedition will immediately terminate any relationships with suppliers that violate our policies/the Code of Conduct/Code of Ethics, specifically through acts of bribery, corruption, discrimination, and violation of human rights.
• Gulliver Expeditions raises awareness amongst its suppliers to adopt sound social and environmental practices, and to minimize their carbon footprint.
• Gulliver Expeditions actively collaborates with suppliers to improve their sustainability performance. We encourage our suppliers to continuously learn about sustainability and provide/support this learning whenever possible.
• Gulliver Expedition maintains open lines of communication with our suppliers and partners and encourage feedback from our stakeholders at any time and on any topic, particularly sustainability.
• Comply with the minimum working age; prohibit forced and child labor.
• Prohibit discrimination in recruitment, employment terms, training and promotion on grounds including gender, race, age, disability, ethnicity, religion or belief, and sexual orientation.
• Provide equal access to training and development, communicate the code of conduct, and implement prevention and response measures for workplace discrimination, violence and harassment.
• Act honestly and professionally; describe products, risks and service conditions accurately; manage resources responsibly and avoid conflicts of interest.

Inbound partner agencies

• Gulliver Expeditions only works with partner agencies that adhere to the company’s Code of Conduct/Code of Ethics.
• Gulliver Expeditions will prioritize and maintain strong relationships with partners who support community-based tourism initiatives whenever possible and offer lower-impact options, such as shared transport and carbon offsetting.
• In the entire process of developing and operating our travel packages, Gulliver Expeditions expects partner agencies to act in the best interests of the surrounding communities and environment as well as our guests.
• Gulliver Expeditions provides partner agencies opportunities for sustainability learning and management, including free access to the Travelife online learning and reporting platform.
• Gulliver Expeditions will work only with partners that demonstrate genuine sustainable practices. We will assess their actions and claims to avoid partnerships that could contribute to greenwashing.

Transport

• Gulliver Expeditions only works with transport providers that adhere to the company’s Code of Conduct/Code of Ethics.
• When selecting transport for guests and business-related travel, Gulliver Expeditions commits to choosing the most environmentally friendly options available for travelling to, from, and within the destination – taking into consideration distance, price, route, and comfort.
• Gulliver Expeditions has implemented clear guidelines for reducing GHG emissions from transport and selecting the most environmentally friendly transport options, including the following measures:
• Preferring ground transport over air transport for short-haul travel destinations.
• Avoiding in-destination flights as much as possible
• Offering rail-and-fly transport to and from the airport
• Using public transportation options in the destinations
• Using appropriate vehicle sizes for group sizes and purchasing most efficient vehicles available
• Training drivers on eco-driving techniques
• Avoid unnecessary load and external roof racks when not needed. Promote efficient driving training and seek evidence from principal transport providers.
• Gulliver Expeditions endeavors – and has a system in place – to measure and compensate for the unavoidable GHG emissions produced from transportation. Compensation costs are either included by default in the package price or compensation is actively promoted to the clients as a booking option.
• Operations use an internal control tool for owned and subcontracted services. It records an observation or evidence, action needed and one of five outcomes: compliant, partly compliant, noncompliant, not applicable, or pending verification. This is an internal record rather than a supplier questionnaire.
• Record, when information exists, mode, distance, fuel consumption, trip duration and purpose, and estimated emissions to identify reductions.
• Maintain company vehicles preventively according to mileage, manufacturer guidance and use conditions; inspect tires, brakes, fluids, engine, battery, lights and safety equipment and retain a repair history. Address safety anomalies before continued use.
• Check vehicle suitability before departure and maintain communication among Operations, guides and drivers during tours to respond to delays, breakdowns, route changes or emergencies.
• Operations plans for road conditions, schedules, traffic and the characteristics of communities and destinations while maintaining passenger safety and comfort.
• Where technically and operationally feasible, we favor walking, cycling, public or shared transport for short trips, coordinate transfers, optimize routes and vehicle occupancy, and avoid unnecessary mileage.

Accommodations

• Gulliver Expeditions only works with accommodations that adhere to the company’s Code of Conduct/Code of Ethics.
• In the accommodation selection process, Gulliver Expeditions considers the sustainability practices of an accommodation by taking into account their sustainability management and social and environmental footprint.
• Gulliver Expeditions favors the selection of accommodations that respect and protect land use, as well as respectfully highlight elements of local architecture, customs and traditions.
• Aware of the fragility of the ecosystems in which we operate, we prioritize working with accommodation providers and tour operators that hold internationally recognized sustainability certifications, such as: TourCert, Green Globe, Travelife, BREEAM, Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) recognized certifications, Others.

Activities & Excursions

• Gulliver Expeditions only works with excursion providers that adhere to the company’s Code of Conduct/Code of Ethics.
• All excursions and activities run by or on behalf of Gulliver Expeditions respect local customs, traditions, cultural integrity, and natural resources.
• Gulliver Expeditions commits to not offering any excursions that harm humans, wildlife, environment, or natural resources such as water and energy.
• Gulliver Expeditions gives preference to excursions and activities that benefit local communities, respect animal welfare and support environmental protection.
• Gulliver Expeditions has clear guidelines/Codes of Conduct in place for environmentally and culturally sensitive excursions offered by or on behalf of the company. These guidelines are actively communicated to guests as well as distributed and implemented by excursion providers and guides.
• Gulliver Expeditions provides excursion and attraction providers opportunities for sustainability learning and management, including free access to the Travelife online learning and reporting platform.
• We create and share authentic visual content, including photographs, videos, and testimonials, that reflects the experiences offered in our programs and highlights each destination’s natural beauty and responsible tourism practices.
• We collaborate with real influencers and communicators who promote sustainable tourism. We carefully assess potential partners to ensure their work aligns with our goals for responsible tourism.
• We use our social media channels to educate and inspire our audience to protect natural environments and learn about successful community-based tourism initiatives in Ecuador, Peru, and our other destinations.
• We do not offer excursions with captive wildlife except for duly regulated activities that comply with applicable law. We favor activities that directly support communities through local goods, services, crafts, food production or social projects.

Tour leaders, local representatives, and guides

• Gulliver Expeditions commits to hiring qualified local guides, porters, drivers or other local staff, paying them living wages and providing safe and fair working conditions. Therefore, our company expect the same from our suppliers that are hiring local staff on behalf of Gulliver Expeditions.
• Gulliver Expeditions understands that guides are the intermediaries between the guests and the socio-cultural and environmental context of the destination, conveying the appropriate behavior to them. Therefore, we make sure that all guides hired by or leading tours on behalf of Gulliver Expeditions are trained regularly and knowledgeable in the sustainability topics of the destination.
• Our guides are specifically trained on the critical issue of sexual exploitation of children in tourism.
• Gulliver Expeditions provides guides with learning opportunities on sustainability topics including providing free access to the Travelife online learning platform.
• Qualified or certified guides are used for sensitive cultural, heritage or ecological sites as appropriate. Risk and service conditions are communicated clearly before travel.

Destinations

Sustainable destinations

• Gulliver Expeditions prefers to work in destinations that have committed to sustainability as an integral part of community and destination development.
• Gulliver Expeditions aims to send visitors to secondary or lesser-known tourist areas to avoid overtourism.
• Gulliver Expeditions does not support destinations that have a questionable human rights track record.

Contribution to local communities / local economic network

Gulliver Expeditions commits to positive contribution to the destinations in which we operate, by:

• Sourcing locally and responsibly, and supporting local and traditional arts and culture.
• Encouraging guests to shop responsibly and educating them about illegal/prohibited/forbidden souvenirs.
• Collaborating with other local tourism stakeholders including local government, other tourism businesses, academia, community groups to further the sustainable tourism development of the destination
• Respecting and advocating for all human rights (i.e. children's rights, women’s rights, labor rights, etc.) as well as land rights.

Environmental stewardship in destinations

Gulliver Expeditions commits to environmental stewardship in the destinations in which we operate by:

• Ensuring natural resources remain intact
• Educating guests about the principles of responsible travel and responsible visitor behavior.
• Gulliver Expeditions will use its expertise to guide customers toward lesser-visited destinations that offer rewarding experiences for travelers and benefits for local communities. This approach helps reduce pressure on heavily visited destinations.

Sustainability communication

Customers are informed about the social and environmental impact of their journey, and are educated about the sustainable choices they can make, including transparent communication on:

• Certified accommodations
• Compensation of their trips CO2 emissions
• Activities and excursions that benefit the local communities and environmental protection
• Responsible shopping and illegal souvenirs
• Gulliver Expeditions provides personalized recommendations tailored to each traveler’s preferences, helping them make the most of their trip while respecting the local environment. Our company encourages travelers to choose sustainable options through incentives, such as discounts or exclusive benefits.

Customer experience

• The company aims for all customer experiences to be positive, and follows strict health and safety, marketing, and excursion policies to ensure customer satisfaction. These policies cover specific topics of (but not limited to):
• Health and safety
• Emergency procedures
• Privacy
• Group numbers
• Greenhouse Gas emissions and offsetting
• Transport
• Shopping
• Sexual exploitation
• Children in tourism
• Satisfaction and complaints
• Gulliver Expeditions maintains open lines of communication with our customers and encourages feedback at any time and on any topic, particularly sustainability.