Specialist Holidays Group Minimum Standards for Sustainable and Responsible Travel 

Each of Specialist Holidays Group’s brands create unique experiences that are centred around specific destinations, passions or interests. We believe that prioritising sustainable, responsible travel is key to ensuring maximum benefit to our customers, our destinations and the planet. 

With this in mind, Specialist Holidays Group has identified minimum sustainable travel standards to ensure that trips undertaken across the Specialist Holidays Group positively contribute to destination communities and the environment, and any negative social or environmental impacts are eliminated or minimised. These are summarised as follows: 

• The Supplier must uphold all human rights across all operations 

• The Supplier must eliminate or minimise negative environmental impact wherever possible 

• The Supplier must ensure that destination communities benefit from itineraries wherever possible 

• The Supplier must ensure good welfare of animals across all operations, where relevant 

All Suppliers who are providing a service to any of the Specialist Holidays brands and their customers must comply with the minimum sustainable travel standards as follows: 

Human rights   

• The Supplier must not discriminate based on gender, age, religion, race, tribe, caste, social background, disability, nationality, membership in workers’ organisations, political affiliation, sexual orientation, or any other personal characteristics. 

• The Supplier must not employ anyone against their will, or traffic in persons, or use any form of slave or forced labour. All employees shall be free to enter their employment with the Supplier through their own choice and shall also be free to terminate their employment when they choose, without penalty, as long as the process occurs in accordance with the (oral or written) employment contract. 

• Workplace practice and conditions which violate basic rights are not allowed; physical abuse or punishment, or threat of physical abuse or punishment, any kind of sexual or other harassment and other forms of intimidation are prohibited. 

• The Supplier must not arrange or encourage visits to businesses or organisations that contravene national and international laws on child labour. 

• The Supplier must not arrange or encourage visits to orphanages under any circumstances. 

Safe and fair labour conditions 

• The Supplier must ensure safe labour conditions for all staff by taking adequate steps to prevent accidents and injury to health occurring in the course of work, and by minimising, so far as is reasonably practicable, the causes of hazards inherent in the working environment. 

• The Supplier must provide a means through which staff can make representation to senior management about key employment issues. 

• Wages paid by the Supplier must meet or exceed legal minimums and/or industry standards. No illegal or unauthorised deductions from wages are allowed. 

• Working hours of the employees must be kept in line with the legal requirements and/or industry standards. 

• The employees must be granted their stipulated annual leave and sick leave without any form of repercussions. Pregnant employees must be granted their stipulated maternity leave. 

• The Supplier must ensure that third-party agencies providing workers are compliant with the laws of the sending and receiving countries, whichever is more stringent in its protection of workers. 

Animal Welfare 

• The supplier must adhere to Specialist Holidays’ animal welfare policy (see following page). 

Environmental impact 

• The Supplier shall commit to reducing their overall environmental impact and seek to reduce the carbon footprint of their operations and trips wherever possible. 

• The Supplier shall commit to reducing the amount of energy and water used by their operations, being energy efficient and using renewable energy where possible. 

• The Supplier shall actively choose suppliers providing locally produced food in preference to imported food wherever reasonable. 

• The Supplier shall comply with mandatory national and international law, regarding the procedures and standards for waste management, handling and disposal of chemicals and other dangerous materials, emissions and effluent treatment. 

• Waste of all types shall be reduced to the greatest extent possible by the Supplier, and where this is not possible, the Supplier shall actively seek to reuse or recycle waste where possible. 

• The Supplier shall eliminate or minimise the use of chemicals known to cause damage or pose risks to health and/or the environment. 

• The Supplier shall raise awareness and adequately train all staff on a continuous basis to improve awareness of environmental impact. 

Community economic empowerment 

• The Supplier shall actively choose local goods and services where they are available and meet appropriate health, safety and quality standards (for example, local guides and locally owned transport, food or accommodation providers). 

• Where relevant, the Supplier shall promote local products and services to guests (for example, local guides, restaurants, markets and craft centres). 

Supply chains 

• The Supplier shall take all reasonable steps to promote adherence to these preferred standards throughout their own supply chain. 

Specialist Holidays Group Animal Welfare Policy 

Wildlife viewing, use of working animals and animal attractions have the potential to offer customers memorable and authentic experiences on their holidays, and they can play a vital role in education and conservation, as well as providing job opportunities and supporting the economy. However, these attractions require careful management to ensure animal safeguarding and the physical and mental state of the animal is prioritised. 

Specialist Holidays Group believes that none of the trips offered across its portfolio of brands should negatively impact the welfare of animals. We are committed to continuously assessing any animal interactions which takes place on our trips, to ensure that animal welfare is prioritised, and not exploited. 

We have used ABTA’s Animal Welfare Guidelines to draft Specialist Holidays Group’s Animal Welfare Policy. ABTA’s Animal Welfare Guidelines documents can be referred to for further detail on the below stipulations. 

Specialist Holidays’ brands commit to not offering any of the following activities on any of their trips: 

• Performances involving wild animals which require them to elicit unnatural behaviours, or where the training involves punishment or food deprivation and causes animal fear, injury or distress 

• Physical interaction with wild animals such as holding, petting or taking photos where the animal does not have the choice of moving away or where there is no care requirement for the animal 

• This includes but is not limited it the following activities which we do not condone any participation in: 

• Elephant shows or rides for tourists 

• Experiences involving captive whales, dolphins or porpoises 

• Tourist contact or feeding of wild cats, crocodiles, great apes or bears 

• ‘Walking with’ wild cats, such as lions, cheetahs, leopards, etc. 

• Ostrich riding 

• Animals being used for fighting, such as bull fighting, cockfighting, dog fighting, etc.  

• Drugging of animals to subdue them  

• Rodeo events that conduct calf-roping, team-roping, steer wrangling and other activities which are detrimental to the animals’ wellbeing 

• Hunting of any kind 

Specialist Holidays’ brands commit to only visiting establishments where animals are held in captivity, such as animal refuges and sanctuaries, when the following criteria are met: 

• No commercial exploitation, including performances, shows or use of animals as photo props, is allowed and where the animal is not forced to be seen by visitors and can seek private space 

• No physical contact is permitted between visitors and animals unless for care purposes, and visitor numbers are capped 

• The facility’s function is either for the protection of specific animals or of the species, or for conservation purposes, where it may be un-safe for the animals to be re-released, or where the animal is undergoing rehabilitation prior to re-release 

• Animals are kept in clean, comfortable and species-appropriate surroundings 

• All other animal welfare standards are met including provision of access to shade and shelter, privacy from visitors, sufficient space and access to veterinary care 

Specialist Holidays’ brands commit to only using working animals when the following criteria are met: 

Animals should only train/ work within their physical capabilities (e.g. loads carried should be appropriate for the animal’s weight and size) 

• Tethering during non-working periods should be kept to a minimum and should allow for the animal to stand, lie, and access food, water and shade 

• Animals which are young, elderly, injured, ill, distressed or pregnant should not be ridden or required to carry loads 

• Any equipment used should fit comfortably and not cause distress or injury 

When viewing animals in the wild, Specialist Holidays’ brands commit to the following:  

• Groups viewing wildlife should always be accompanied by professional guides, rangers or other staff who can inform tourists on how to behave around the wildlife 

• Groups viewing wildlife should be kept to a reasonable number of members 

• Groups viewing wildlife should keep a reasonable distance from the wildlife 

• Animals should never be charged, cornered or boxed in 

• Wildlife should never be touched or fed by tourists 
• The animal’s welfare takes priority over the visitor’s experience