At Across Europe Ltd., sustainability is at the core of our values, and we understand that tourism can have a significant positive impact in preserving the beauty and diversity of the destinations we serve.

We are dedicated to ensuring that our operations contribute to a better future for the environment, local communities, and future generations of travelers.

As a company who engages with various stakeholders in tourism, namely consumers, tour guides, travel agencies, hotels, transport companies, restaurants, museums and attractions, we acknowledge our key role and influence in the sustainability development of tourism.

We are committed to operating in an environmentally responsible, socially inclusive, and economically sustainable manner. As an incoming tour operator, we recognize our role in promoting sustainable travel that respects local communities, cultures, and the natural environment. Our policy is built on the following principles:

The aims of our policy are:

  • To involve, influence and educate our staff, partners and clients for the importance of behaving and acting in a sustainable way
  • To demonstrate effective sustainability management within the company and show an example
  • To help and give practical help
  • To maximize the social and economic benefits for the local communities, nature and cultural sites, to minimize the negative impacts
  • To create and promote more sustainable travel, to refine the company understanding and continue improving the quality of its services. 

We commit to sustainability management and the set of principles and practical actions in the following 7 directions:

Direction 1: Sustainability Management & Legal compliance

  • To have an appointed employee who is responsible for sustainability coordinator tasks;
  • To have a sustainability mission statement that is communicated to customers, partners and suppliers;
  • To have an accessible and written sustainability policy that aims for a reduction of the negative social, cultural, economic and environmental impacts of the company’s activities; and includes employee related health and safety aspects;
  • To collaborate and be actively involved in external forums and working groups which are supportive to sustainability in tourism;
  • To conduct baseline assessment of the company’s performance on sustainable practices;
  • To have sustainability guidelines and assessment system in place to identify the sustainability performance of key suppliers/partners;
  • To have sustainability action plan with clear targets, actions, measures, responsibilities and time planning;
  • To develop documented procedures to monitor and evaluate the implementation of the sustainability policy, objectives and targets;
  • To ensure company’s transparency in sustainability by public reporting and communicating;
  • To ensure that all staff are fully aware of our Sustainability Policy and are committed to implementing and improving it.
  • We commit to complying with all national legislation, regulations and codes of practice.

Direction 2: Internal management: social policy, human rights

  • To ensure sustainable internal social policy and human rights, according to the Constitution of the Republic of Bulgaria, The Law for healthy and safe working conditions, the Labor Code and all applicable laws in Bulgaria
  • To ensure our employees can voice out their complaints and expectations
  •  To provide periodic trainings and guidance to our employees on roles, rights and responsibilities regarding health and safety issues and working conditions, according to the Law for healthy and safe working conditions
  • To create opportunities for participation in skills and competence trainings and education  for our employees as well as students, who contact us; To ensure all employees have an equal chance and access to resources and opportunities for personal development
  • To prohibit any kind of discrimination, etc.
  • To grant employees the freedom of employment and contract termination
  • To have a clear disciplinary procedure that is effectively communicated with employees;
  • To have a measurement system for employee satisfaction on a regular basis;
  • To create opportunities for students in participating in traineeship/internship/apprenticeship; 

Direction 3: Internal Management: Environment and community relations

  • Actively reduce the use of disposable and consumer goods; Favor the purchase of sustainable goods and services, office and catering supply, giveaways and merchandise; Purchase products in bulk, to reduce the amount of packaging materials;
  • Set copy and printing machines by default to double-sided printing or other forms of paper saving modes;
  • Use cleaning materials which are non-hazardous, non-eutrophic and biodegradable and are certified with an eco-label, if locally available;
  • Have an active commitment to measure, monitor and reduce energy consumption, and reduce CO2 emissions; Purchase energy efficient lighting for all areas, when available; Switch off Lights and equipment when not in use; Prefer low energy equipment when buying new items, including considerations of cost and quality;
  • Have an active policy to reduce water consumption, implemented and monitored on a monthly or yearly basis for benchmark purposes; Install water saving equipment where possible in the office;
  • Comply with the national legislation concerning waste disposal;
  • Develop office recycling policy, with quantitative goals; Separate all materials which can be recycled and organize collection and proper disposal; Recycle or properly dispose of batteries; 
  • Do not use Take action to reduce the amount of (non-refillable) plastic bottles of drinking water for office use;
  • Measure and strive to minimize staff related travel and use more sustainable modes of transport. Financially encourage employees to use public transport or sustainable means of transport; reduce transport related impacts by tele/video meetings, work-at-home policies or other means;
  • Maintain and properly check motorized company vehicle, to reduce emissions and energy use and make sure it complies with the legal emission standards,
  • Provide periodic guidance, training and/or information to all staff members, about their roles and responsibilities with respect to internal environmental practices;
  • Contribute to the protection and preservation of local historical, archaeological, culturally, and spiritually important properties and sites, and   not impede access to them by local residents

Direction 4: Partners: tour operators, travel agents, transport companies,  accommodation providers, restaurants, tour leaders and guides, museums, etc.

  • We commit to give preference to more sustainable service providers and select the most sustainable options, to work with local entrepreneurs and guides, raise awareness among key partners on sustainability issues and best practices, informing all partners about Across Europe`s sustainability policy and that they are expected to comply with it, including key sustainability clauses in contracts with key partners, promoting sustainability products/ packages, motivating and encouraging partners to become sustainability certified.
  •  We ensure that all partners comply with all applicable international and national laws, regulations, certificates and industry minimum standards.
  • Keep a list of the sustainability practices of partners; evaluate the sustainability practices regularly of our key partners to ensure their practices are truly sustainable;
  • Try to ensure that vehicles used on tours do not cause more than average pollution. We believe that transport is an important aspect of sustainable tourism, and we do our best to decrease the average pollution level.
  • Select the most sustainable options considering price and comfort when selecting transport options to the destination; Include sustainable (public) transport to the point of departure for the international/long distance journey; Consider and giving preference to more sustainable alternatives when selecting transport options for transfers and excursions in the destination, taking into account price, comfort, and practical considerations;
  • Select accommodations that comply with sustainability and quality standards; Prefer and select accommodations that are locally owned and managed; Select accommodations that employ local communities; Have accommodations provide evidence clarifying their sustainability goals and strategies; Have accommodations sign a sustainability addendum; Encourage accommodations to follow best practices/trainings on responsible tourism; Offer incentives to accommodations that are actively engaging in sustainability; Ensure that through our accommodation supply chain the rights of children are respected and safeguarded by;
  • Work with accommodations and restaurants that incorporate elements of local art, architecture, or cultural heritage; while respecting the intellectual property rights of local communities;
  • Terminate cooperation with accommodation in case of clear evidence that contracted accommodations jeopardize the provision of integrity of basic services such as food, water, energy, healthcare, or soil to the neighbouring companies.;
  • Ensure that all employees have a written employment contract, including labour conditions and a job description, and fully understand the terms and conditions;
  • Prefer to work with local tour leaders, local representatives, local tour guides, porters, drivers, cooks, and other local staff in case of equal ability, and provide training as required; Ensure that our guides comply with all applicable international, national, and local laws and regulations, as well as industry minimum standards; Pay tour leaders, local representatives, guides, porters and other local staff contracted by us at least a living wage that is equal to or above the legal minimum or relevant industry standard;
  • Ensure that our tour guides, hosts, and other employees under contract are qualified and trained regularly;
  • Ensurе that our local employees are informed on relevant aspects of our sustainability policy and comply with it by emails, or training and information sessions;
  • Havе our tour leaders, local representatives and guides inform clients on relevant sustainability matters in the destination (e.g. protection of flora, fauna, and cultural heritage, resource use), social norms and values (e.g. tips, dressing code and photography) and human rights (e.g. sexual exploitation)

Direction 5: Excursions and activities

  • We commit to have an inventory of environmentally or culturally sensitive excursions which are offered in each destination;
  • Advise guests on behaviour standards during excursions and activities with a focus on respecting the local culture, nature, and environment;
  • Communicate our sustainability objectives and requirements to contracted and other relevant excursion providers by distributing this information via code of conduct, social media, email, discussions, and/or meetings, to minimise negative visitor impact and maximise enjoyment;
  • Not offer any excursions that harm humans, animals, plants, natural resources such as water and energy, or which are socially and culturally unacceptable; Not offer any excursions in which wildlife is held captive, except for properly regulated activities in compliance with local, national, and international law;
  • Not being involved with companies that harvest, consume, display, sell, or trade wildlife species
  • Have skilled and/or certified guides to guide our guests in sensitive cultural sites, heritage sites, or ecologically sensitive destinations;
  • Promote and advise our guests on excursions and activities which directly involve and support local communities by purchasing services or goods, traditional crafts and local (food) production methods, or visiting social projects; Promote and advising our guests on excursions and activities which support local environment and biodiversity such as visiting protected areas or environmental protection projects

Direction 6: Destinations

  • Consider sustainability aspects in the selection process of new destinations and possibly offer alternative, non-mainstream destinations; Not select destinations in which tourism leads to structural negative local effects,
  • Comply with legally based spatial planning, protected areas and heritage regulations.  Also with destination management strategies of local, regional and national authorities;
  • Support biodiversity conservation, including protected areas and areas of high biodiversity, through   financial contribution, political support, and integration in product offers;
  • Not promote souvenirs which contain threatened flora and fauna species as indicated in the CITES treaty and the IUCN ‘Red List’; or historic and archaeological artefacts (except as permitted by law);

Direction 7. Customer communication and protection

  • Our company ensures that no marketing and advertisement document, statement, or other publication, shall contain misleading information, over advertise and under deliver. We guarantee that all our staff are aware of and ensure that what is offered can be delivered to our clients with ease.

  • Prior to booking, we commit to:

Make available a company guideline for client consultation, which is followed by client advisors; Ensure that customer privacy is not compromised; Comply with relevant standards and voluntary codes of conduct in marketing and advertising messages, and not promise more than is delivered; Make product and price information clear, complete and accurate, with regard to the company and its products and services, including sustainability claims; Provide destination information, including sustainability aspects, which is factually correct, balanced and complete; Inform clients about the environmental impact of different transport options to reach the destination (in case these are not included in the package), and to offer sustainable alternatives, where available; Promote (Certified) sustainable accommodations, excursions, packages and/or transport options, with logos or other messages; ensuring they are recognizable to consumer and presented as the “better” option; Inform the customer about sustainable alternatives concerning accommodations, excursions, package holidays and transport options, if available; Clearly inform (potential) direct customers, about sustainability commitments and actions;

  • After booking and during holidays, we commit to:

Provide Information to consumers about the natural surroundings, local culture and cultural heritage in the holiday destination; Inform consumers about key sustainability aspects and issues in the destination and receive recommendations on how to make a positive contribution; Inform customers about risks and precautions related to health and safety matters in the destination; Keep a contact person and a telephone number permanently available for emergency situations; Train personnel and keep guidelines available, on how to deal with emergency situations; Provide clients with documented guidelines and/or codes of conduct for sensitive excursions and activities, to minimize negative visitor impact and maximize enjoyment. When possible, guidelines are developed in collaboration with relevant NGO’s and the affected community; Provide customers with information about commercial, sexual or any other form of exploitation and harassment, particularly of children and adolescents; Inform clients about applicable legislation concerning the purchasing, sales, import and export of historic or religious artefacts and articles containing materials of threatened flora and/or fauna in the destination; Motivate clients to use local restaurants and shops (where appropriate); Inform clients on sustainable transport options in destinations, when feasible; Encourage clients to donate to local charity and sustainable initiatives;

  • After holidays, we commit to:

Measure systematically client satisfaction and take into account the results, for service and product improvements; Include sustainability as an integral part of the research into client satisfaction; Have clear procedures in case of complaints from clients.

Last Update: 25 November 2024