Purpose

Zemra Travel is committed to introducing and practicing sustainability principles. The purpose of this policy is to guide towards sustainable tourism, for all stakeholders involved by sharing it with everyone.

Scope

This policy applies to all operations, from the bottom to the top executive level of our company. Everyone is responsible for implementing the company’s sustainability policy.

Sustainability management & legal compliance

Zemra Travel 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.

Zemra Travel 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.

Internal management: social policy & human rights

Employees

Zemra Travel supports both career-related and job-related professional development activities.

Zemra Travel is committed to the principle of fair and equal pay for like work and for work of equal value for all its employees, and contractors, regardless of gender/sex, race, national origin, marital status, age, religion.

Zemra Travel is committed to fostering a safe, healthy, and inclusive work place/work culture where all employees are able to perform their duties/to recognise their potential.

Zemra Travel is committed to a zero-tolerance policy for acts of bribery, corruption, discrimination, and violation of human rights, including forced labour, human trafficking, and all rights of children.

 Zemra Travel further expects this commitment from all partners and suppliers.

Internal management: environment

 Environmental management of office operations

We are committed to keeping the direct footprint of our business operations as minimal as possible and actively follow [circularity/the 5Rs (refuse, reduce, reuse, repurpose, recycle)/sustainability/environmentally- sound principles. We have the following measures in place:

 Follow all local and national regulations concerning environmental law

 Measure, monitor, and evaluate use of all commodities and products purchased, especially in terms of water, waste, energy, and carbon

 Procure office supply. locally, seasonally, fair trade, in bulk, with limited packaging, sustainability certified whenever possible

 Print only when absolutely necessary, and when printing, always print double-sided on grayscale. Paper must always be FSC or equivalent certified, with preference for the highest percentage post- consumer materials

 Energy saving measures are in place in all common areas

 All equipment and lighting is energy-efficient and turned off/unplugged/on sleep mode when not in use

 Water saving measures are in place in all common areas and restrooms, including water capture in external areas

 Waste is separated into the following categories: plastic, organic, paper products, glass and is disposed of properly by the municipality

 Noise, light, and air pollution is minimised.

Carbon management of office operations

 Zemra Travel is committed to reducing our carbon footprint and endeavours to reduce the amount we travel as much as possible by:

 Reduce the amount we travel as much as possible

 Encouraging remote work whenever possible, and when it is not possible, making it easier for employees to limit their carbon footprint by using eco modes of transportation.

 Implementing procedures such as e.g. following proper maintenance for vehicle fleet  Installing energy-efficient equipment and appliances

Land use

 Zemra Travel offices are located in an urban area and abide by all local land use laws, respect local cultural and natural resources in our business operations, and favour sustainable architecture and design.

General suppliers policy

Zemra Travel 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.

Zemra Travel 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.

Zemra Travel 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, Zemra Travel prefers to select partner companies that comply with tourism-specific, internationally recognized (GSTC-accredited) certifications, or other sustainability certifications like B Corp or ISO.

Zemra Travel offers incentives for partners that are actively engaged in sustainable operations.

Zemra Travel expects its suppliers to adhere to policiies, that include the following responsible business practices:

Complying with all local, regional, national and international regulations

Respecting all human rights including labour 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 Zemra Travel

Following a zero-tolerance policy, Zemra Travel will immediately terminate any relationships with suppliers that violate our policies, specifically through acts of bribery, corruption, discrimination, and violation of human rights.

Zemra Travel raises awareness amongst its suppliers to adopt sound social and environmental practices, and to minimise their carbon footprint.

Zemra Travel 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.

Zemra Travel 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.

Zemra Travel considers sustainability aspects in destinations in selecting new destinations and in the product development process. We intend to provide social and environmental benefits to the communities

we visit. We understand the importance of visitor dispersion and of not exceeding the carrying capacity of destinations; therefore, we encourage the promotion of lesser-known areas (with the approval of the local community), to prevent over-tourism and its negative impacts.

Zemra Travel does not allow the purchase of souvenirs containing threatened flora and fauna species, any illegally obtained historical/archaeological artifacts, drugs or illegal substances, and abide by local and international laws in place to prevent this.

 Zemra Travel ensures that no marketing and advertisement document, statement, or other publication shall contain misleading information, over-advertise, or 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.

 The company does not employ children (14 years or younger) to complete work which adults normally undertake. And, there are special working times and conditions for children working within the business in accordance with national regulations and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, which provides the most protection, incorporating the exceptions under the ILO Convention 138.

Transport

Zemra Travel only works with transport providers that adhere to the company’s policies.

When selecting transport for guests and business-related travel, Zemra Travel 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.

Zemra Travel has clear guidelines for reducing emissions from transport and selecting the most environmentally friendly transport options, like the following measures:

Preferring ground transport over air transport for short-haul travel destinations

Avoiding in-destination flights as much as possible

Offering electric car transport to and from the airport

Using public transportation options in the destinations

 Using appropriate vehicle sizes for group sizes and purchasing the most efficient vehicles available, including owning an electric car.

Accommodations

 Zemra Travel only works with accommodations that adhere to the company’s policies.

 In the accommodation selection process, Zemra Travel considers an accommodation’s sustainability practices by assessing its sustainability management and social and environmental footprint.

 Zemra Travel favors the selection of accommodations that respect and protect land use, as well as respectfully highlight elements of local architecture, customs, and traditions.

Activities & Excursions

Zemra Travel only works with excursion providers that adhere to the company’s policies.

All excursions and activities run by or on behalf of Zemra Travel respect local customs, traditions, cultural integrity, and natural resources.

Zemra Travel commits to not offering any excursions that harm humans, wildlife, the environment, or natural resources such as water and energy.

Zemra Travel gives preference to excursions and activities that benefit local communities, respect animal welfare and support environmental protection.

Zemra Travel has clear guidelines 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.

 Zemra Travel provides excursion and attraction providers opportunities for sustainability learning and management, including free access to the Travelife online learning and reporting platform.

Tour leaders, local representatives, and guides

Zemra Travel commits to hiring qualified local guides, drivers or other local staff, paying them living wages and providing safe and fair working conditions. We expect the same from our suppliers that are hiring local staff on behalf of Zemra Travel.

Zemra Travel understands that guides are the intermediaries between the guests and the socio-cultural and environmental context of the destination, conveying the appropriate behaviour to them. Therefore, we make sure that all guides hired by or leading tours on behalf of Zemra Travel are trained regularly and knowledgeable in the sustainability topics of the destination.

 Zemra Travel provides guides with learning opportunities on sustainability topics including providing free access to the Travelife online learning platform.

Destinations

Sustainable destinations

Zemra Travel prefers to work in destinations that have committed to sustainability as an integral part of community and destination development.

Zemra Travel aims to send visitors to secondary or lesser-known tourist areas to avoid overtourism.

 Zemra Travel does not support destinations that have a questionable human rights track record.

Contribution to local communities / local economic network

Zemra Travel 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, labour rights, etc.) as well as land rights

Environmental stewardship in destinations

Zemra Travel 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 behaviour

 We do not allow the purchase of souvenirs containing threatened flora and fauna species, any illegally obtained historic/archaeological artefacts, drugs or illegal substances, and we abide by local and international laws in place to prevent this.

Customer communication and protection

Data privacy

Your privacy and protection are important to us. Sensitive information is stored electronically within our database, which is secured and only accessible by accredited staff who follow strictly privacy procedures. If any documents containing personal date are printed for internal purposes, they are kept in a filing system in our office that is only accessible by our most trusted employees. If documents are no longer applicable, they are shredded before disposal.

• Any personal data is only collected if relevant and necessary for us to provide the services sold.

• All personal data is kept for maximum 1 year.

• Our customers are informed on how we store data and where. They always have the option to be deleted from our database.

• We are committed to protecting the privacy of all of our guests and users, and we would like to reassure you that all of the information you provide us with is kept strictly private and confidential.

Our customer protection is our priority. Therefore, we maintain a clear privacy policy to ensure

Legal compliance in all regards

Customers and their data are protected

Customers know how their information is being used

Marketing and communication

Zemra Travel strives to be truthful in all situations and at all times. We offer products and services that do what we claim in our communications.

We honour our explicit and implicit commitments and promises.

We are anti-greenwashing and stand behind our sustainability claims 100%.

We endeavour to be inclusive and representative in our marketing, and to always take into account cultural, religious, and ethnic sensitivities.

  Our company ensures that no marketing and advertisement document, statement, or other publication shall contain misleading information, over-advertise, or 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.

 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

Activities and excursions that benefit the local communities and environmental protection

 Responsible shopping and illegal souvenirs

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

Transport

Shopping

Sexual exploitation

Children in tourism

Satisfaction and complaints

Zemra Travel maintains open lines of communication with our customers and encourages feedback at any time and on any topic, particularly sustainability.Good morning Terena,

Thank you for your message and for following up. Yes, we are planning to finish the remaining revisions today so that we can meet the ITB-related deadline. We are also planning to attend ITB this year.

Key actions and progress

• Travelife Engagement: Zemra Travel has formally engaged with the Travelife sustainability program and is actively implementing its criteria to strengthen our sustainability management, policies, and reporting.
  
  

• Reduced Environmental Impact: We have reduced paper usage by transitioning to digital communication, e-documents, and e-tickets. Single-use plastics in our office have been minimized through reusable alternatives.
  
  

• Responsible Suppliers: We prioritize cooperation with local and responsible suppliers, including accommodations, transport providers, and guides that respect environmental standards, labor rights, and local culture.
  
  

• Support for Local Communities: Our itineraries favor locally owned businesses and community-based tourism experiences, contributing directly to local economies and cultural preservation.
  
  

• Customer Awareness: We inform and encourage our travelers to act responsibly by respecting local customs, minimizing waste, and supporting local communities during their trips.

Zemra Travel does not offer products or services that harm humans, animals, plants, natural resources (e.g., water/energy), or products that are socially/culturally unacceptable. No activities where captive wildlife is held are offered except for properly regulated activities in compliance with local, national, and international law. Excursions, which include protective areas comply with relevant codes of conduct. Any disturbance of natural ecosystems is minimized.

Contact / Responsible person

All staff are responsible for the ownership and undertaking of this policy. All staff are responsible for the promotion and implementation of this sustainability policy within their departments. The implementation of this policy will be led by the Sustainability Coordinator, Elkierd Deliu, who can be reached at sustainabilityzemratravel@gmail.com.

Effective date

This policy is effective from 05.01.2026.

Revision history

This policy will be revised by 05.01.2027