Official Press Release from Travelife

Amsterdam, March 1, 2019. The Travelife Partner award was received today by Rustic Travel. The award is a recognition for the long-term efforts and frontrunner position of Rustic  Travel regarding sustainability and Corporate Social Responsibility.

Travelife Award during ITB Berlin Travel Show 2019

Update: Rustic Travel was re-awarded in 2023 during the award ceremony at ITB Berlin.

2023 Travelife Award ITB Berlin

Rustic Travel complies with more than 100 criteria, related to an operators’ office management, product range, international business partners and customer information. The Travelife standard is covering the ISO 26000 Corporate Social Responsibility themes, including environment, biodiversity, human rights and labour relations; and is formally Recognised as in full compliance with the UN supported Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria.

Rustic Borneo Travel is the 4th company in Malaysia to have reached the Travelife Partner award.

Mr Naut Kusters, manager of Travelife for tour operators, “I am delighted to see that sustainability in the tour operators sector is obtaining momentum. The award of the front runner Rustic Borneo Travel will inspire other companies in Malaysia to follow the same path”.

Travelife, which has been established with the support of the European Commission, is the leading international sustainability certification for the travel sector. More than 35 national travel associations are promoting the scheme to their members including ABTA, The British Travel Association and PATA, the Pacific Asian Travel Association. Since 2012, more than 600 Asian companies have been trained in CSR with the support of the Dutch government CBI program. They are now working step-by-step towards more sustainable operations.

About Travelife (www.travelife.org)
Travelife is a certification system, dedicated to achieving sustainable practices within the tourism industry.  It provides companies with realistic sustainability goals, tools and solutions to implement positive change within their businesses and supply chains. Travelife is managed by ABTA – The Travel Association in the UK – and by ECEAT Projects – a not-for-profit organisation based in The Netherlands. Travelife has two key focuses:

Travelife for Tour operators and Travel agents:  the system provides online training and practical tools for sustainability management and certification. The training and online tools are suitable for tour operators and travel agencies of any size and cover all management aspects of the travel company business including office operations, the supply chain, destinations and consumers. Upon submitting a report in compliance with the Travelife standard (based on an independent onsite audit), the company can obtain the “Travelife Certified” status.

The Travelife standard for Tour operators and Travel agencies is based upon the full Corporate Social Responsibility themes, including labour conditions, human rights, environment, biodiversity and fair business practices. The management requirements are compatible with EMAS and ISO 14001. The system is supported by more than 35 national travel associations to further its implementation among members.