Our Mission

To be the preferred Destination Management Company (DMC) in Asia that provides excellent value for money through efficient and effective solutions. We aim to encourage, develop and strengthen sustainable business relationships with our suppliers, customers, employees and other stakeholders to maximise the positive benefits of tourism and minimize negative impacts.

Our Philosophy

The concept of sustainability, and the responsibilities that come with it, has always been at the forefront of our operations since 1999. We believe that sustainability is not an objective but a constant process. Asian Trails has strict internal guidelines that respect and contribute to the overall well-being of Asian tourism where we follow pre-defined practices for tourism longevity, which include:

• Supporting responsible, economic growth through tourism;
• Preserving and respecting local culture and heritage;
• Minimizing our footprint on the environment;

We are committed to reducing our impact on the environment by continuously reviewing and improving our operations. We create experiences for our visitors that respect biodiversity, adhere to rigorous animal welfare standards and minimize carbon emissions. We strive to give back to our local communities by developing responsible tours that foster support for host communities while preserving and promoting cultural heritage.

Operating in different destinations throughout East and Southeast Asia, we take a much more ‘local-needs’ approach rather than focusing on a group-wide blanket initiative. Accordingly, we seek to share sustainable practices that have been woven into our daily operations with our suppliers, partners, customers, and the larger Asian Trails community on a very local level. This ongoing process requires our commitment to raising awareness and conducting training on the importance of responsible travel for all our staff, guides, drivers, and suppliers.

As a member of Travelife, we aim to implement, monitor, communicate and report back on our sustainability policy principles and goals in line with Travelife’s criteria. It is with this strong sense of responsibility that we endeavour to go beyond the definition of exceeding expectations and presenting our authentic Asia now and for generations to come.

Our Commitments

Our Team

At Asian Trails, we believe that happy colleagues make happy clients. We aim to create a fun, family-friendly environment that is safe and fair and enables our teams to develop their professional skills and play an active role in managing and promoting sustainability efforts.

• Create opportunities for colleagues to thrive and develop under fair, healthy and safe conditions of employment as outlined in the Asian Trails’ “Code of Conduct” and in compliance with local laws;
• Train new employees on their specific job tasks and sustainability-related responsibilities when joining the company;
• Provide regular sustainability, health and safety training for all employees during their careers;
• Measure and actively seek to reduce employee turnover through targeted retention programs and employee satisfaction surveys;
• Develop CSR activities that foster employee engagement and align with local needs in each unit destination

Our suppliers and partners

We are committed to playing a pivotal role in encouraging, supporting, and monitoring the sustainability performance of all our suppliers and partners to maximise the positive benefits of tourism.

• Support all suppliers and partners to sign and comply with the Asian Trails “Supplier Code of Conduct”;
• Ensure all suppliers and partners are communicated and fully briefed on the Asian Trails “Sustainability Policy’ policies and principles;
• Audit and monitor all suppliers and partners against international, and Asian Trails ESTEEM-defined sustainability criteria;
• Regularly monitor suppliers and partners’ health and safety standards and practices;
• Encourage good practice and improve suppliers’ sustainability performance through ongoing engagement, education and training;
• Actively promote and give preference to suppliers that adhere to Asian Trails standards and that create positive social, economic and environmental benefits as outlined in the Asian Trails “Supplier Sustainability Policy”;
• Aim to develop collaborative partnerships with suppliers and B2B partners in creating strategic and positive CSR projects and activities;

Our Customers

We provide the ultimate responsible travel and tourism experience to every single guest or organization that is using our services. We are committed to sharing our passion and commitment to sustainability with our customers.

• Develop and continually expand the range of sustainable products and promote them through our marketing channels regularly;
• Offer responsible tourism experiences that create enjoyable and meaningful connections with local communities and provide an educational component that generates a greater understanding of local cultural, social and environmental issues;
• Measure customer satisfaction through a systematic survey and, where possible, analyse and use the results to improve our sustainability performance;
• Operate a 24/7 emergency service for our customers in multiple languages across all Asian Trails’ destinations;
• Guarantee maximum protection of customer data and privacy according to the Asian Trails “Guest Data Protection Policy” and in compliance with local laws;

Our Environment

We are passionate about conserving and promoting biodiversity across all Asian Trails destinations, for future generations to enjoy. We are committed to addressing the impact of climate change in our operations through the implementation of strict internal management guidelines and policies.

• Mitigate climate change by developing a group climate action plan and implementing a voluntary carbon offsetting initiative;
• Promote the conservation and welfare of animals as outlined in the ‘Asian Trails Responsible Animal Excursions Policy’;
• Measure, manage and reduce the average yearly energy consumption by promoting good practices amongst staff in switching off lights and equipment when not in use, using an automatic switch on/off systems with timers or movement sensors and setting equipment by default on the energy-saving mode, where this is feasible;
• Measure, manage and reduce the average yearly water consumption by encouraging water saving best practices amongst staff and implementing water-efficient appliances with timers or movement sensors, where this is feasible;
• Measure, manage and reduce the average yearly paper consumption by printing double-sided and providing digital alternatives, where this is feasible;
• Actively reduce the use of disposable and consumer goods by taking measures to reduce the amount of non -recyclable and non-biodegradable materials and implementing a refillable water bottle initiative;
• Develop and implement a solid waste reduction and recycling policy, with quantitative goals;
• Purchase more sustainable, locally-sourced products and prioritize bulk purchasing;
• Measure and reduce staff-related travel and use more sustainable modes of transport;

Our Communities

We understand that individual destinations have different needs. We are committed to creating positive social and economic impacts on our local communities and minimizing negative ones.

• Generate a greater economic benefits for local communities by supporting community-based tourism projects, social enterprises and reputable NGOs;
• Play an active role in strengthening and promoting a Childsafe Tourism environment and banning orphanage tourism through a documented policy;
• Create strategic CSR activities that bring the community together in collaboration with local groups and partners;