CSR & Sustainability

1. Vision/mission/company ethos

• At Wallace Travel Group we believe that responsible business has been at the heart of what we do. Our core values are to provide a travel experience that creates a less negative impact on the environment. We believe in local communities,  human rights initiatives, wildlife conservation projects and that every individual is able to make a difference. We are all about operating in responsible manner and incorporating principles of sustainable tourism.
• We believe in protecting the environment and working with our suppliers incorporating their initiatives in our programmes.
• Our vision is to create the sustainable approach in our programmes and market this vision to our clients
• We are aware that our business activities impact upon the environment and we are committed to alleviating those negative impacts as it’s our mission.

2. UNWTO definition

• At Wallace Travel Group, we believe that sustainable tourism, is tourism that takes full account of its current and future economic, social, and environmental impacts while addressing the needs of visitors, the industry, the environment, and host communities (UNWTO, n.d.). We therefore aim to reduce our negative effects and increase our positive impacts.

3. Continuous improvement

• We know we have a lot to do, we believe sustainability is an ongoing journey, not just a destination. We’re committed to continuous improvement, increasing positive environmental and social impacts every step of the way.
• We are committed to reducing our energy consumption and our transport omissions by measuring today’s levels and working to reduce them going forward.
• We are committed to provide our clients with the best sustainable activity options and educate them through our proposals, marketing campaigns, sales presentations and past programmes examples.
• We are committed to working together with suppliers on improvements in their activities and experiences.

4.   Measuring and reducing negative impacts

4a. Energy consumption

To reduce our electricity usage, we:

• Always switch off the lights and equipment when leaving the office
• Use the daylight where possible
• Windows are double glazed, wide and create an open airy space
• Regularly remind staff about our energy consumption and ways of reduction
• Use LED light bulbs in the office
• Use timers on radiators, not blocking them and keeping doors and windows closed and report areas that are too warm or too cold to the building manager
• Every 6 months we check with the building manager how to reduce the energy consumption the new ways that have been implemented by the office provider and follow the procedures
• Open windows/doors to provide the better and cooler air flow in summer instead of using the air conditioner
• We are monitoring the energy consumption on monthly basis

4b. Water consumption

To reduce our water usage, we do:

• Water bottles are used by individuals in the office are refilled in canteen
• Any water waste goes to water plants in the office
• Report leaking taps or leak in the toilets to the building manager
• Put on dishwashers with a full load and do not overboil the kettle
• Only use hot water when necessary to save energy
• We check with the building manager on a monthly basis, how to reduce the water consumption and the new ways that have been implemented by the office provider

4c. Waste production

To reduce our waste usage, we do:

• We use reusable cups and plates to minimise lunch packaging waste
• We separate reusable and general waste in the office space
• 0 single use plastic policy in the office
• No printing unless completely necessary, printing on both sides where possible
• Repair and re-use office materials
• Ensure that all waste resulting from tourism activities is treated and disposed of in a responsible manner
• We measure waste every 3 months and are committed to increasing our recycling rates by 20% over the next 12 months

5. Ethical purchasing

• At Wallace Travel Group we are committed to purchasing only certified products
• Reducing the consumption and buying office supplies only when we really need them
• Prioritising and ensuring that suppliers adhere to clean and ethical working policies themselves
• Purchasing locally, within 50km, cutting down on delivery
• Consider the waste after purchasing, recyclable/returnable options
• Actively promoting sustainable and ethical gifting options to our clients using locally sourced produce and local suppliers rather big brands

6. Carbon management

• At Wallace Travel Group we are committed to reducing our carbon footprint as much as possible and to offsetting the remainder with a trusted partner.
• We are currently working with Nesta Business Services to offset our emissions. We prioritise reducing our impact first by switching to 100% renewable energy supplier
• We measure and offset the main sources of emissions on our trips from transport, flights and waste. When it comes to our office, we measure our emissions by checking how much we used over a 3 month period and aiming to reduce next time.
• By using public transport, encouraging our customers to take reusable water bottles on tours, share transfers and participate in walking activities, group the flights where possible, reducing the travel and using the alternative ways like virtual meetings, site inspections and workshops. We are committed to work with catering providers to reduce the food waste by limiting the menu without compromising on quality, taking pre- order to minimize the leftovers.
• We are committed to choosing the right partner to offset the carbon emissions like Vita Ireland and changing the behaviour of our staff, clients and suppliers towards sustainability.

7. Responsible sustainability marketing

At Wallace Travel Group we commit to marketing our product ethically by:

• Always operating within GDPR
• Protecting our client and supplier data by introducing clear statements into the working document and contract
• All promotional material is used according to rights of use
• We are committed to non-printed marketing material
• We are aware of the dangers of greenwashing and commit to communicate our efforts

8. Social responsibility

As we are aware that tourism activities can have a negative impact on local communities, we support them by:

• Actively enquiring with all regional convention bureaux on updates on CSR
• Actively promoting and offering CSR options in our proposals to the client
• Working with clients on donating equipment purchased for the event or trips
• Supporting and advising activity providers with an ethical approach to activities
• Supporting authentic services and products

9. Supporting Biodiversity & Conservation

We support and conserve the Irish biodiversity by:

• Working with suppliers who support Irish biodiversity
• Offering activities and experiences showcasing biodiversity like food tours, nature walks, cookery schools with farm to fork approach
• We committed not to use, sell, trade, or display any historical and archaeological artifacts. We do not work with unprofessional suppliers who sell unverified items and unable to provide the documentation. We also check with attractions providing valuable artifacts on display, that they must implement measures to prevent visitors from removing or damaging artifacts. This includes employing security measures, implementing visitor education programs, and displaying artifacts in secure enclosures.