Purpose
The company is committed to promoting responsible and sustainable tourism in Portugal that protects the environment, supports local communities, and enhances the cultural heritage of the region.
The purpose of this policy is to integrate sustainability into every aspect of our operations and partnerships by reducing our environmental footprint, prioritizing local and ethical suppliers, and creating meaningful experiences that benefit both travelers and the communities we serve.
Scope
This policy applies to all operations of My Lisbon Holidays, including our offices, staff, suppliers, service providers, and client-facing activities such as tours, accommodations, and transportation arranged through the company.
This Policy does not apply to external activities or services outside of our direct control, such as independent thirdparty providers chosen directly by clients, or personal choices made by travelers outside the scope of our organized services.
Sustainability management & legal compliance
Sustainability commitment
My Lisbon Holidays leadership is fully committed to advancing the company’s sustainability performance and upholding its sustainability mission and policy.
We will use the Travelife platform to monitor, evaluate, and report on our sustainability progress. Our commitment includes publicly communicating our performance through the Travelife report every two years, ensuring transparency and accountability.
Sustainability management & legal compliance
My Lisbon Holidays commits to the continuous improvement of sustainability practices, including the regular monitoring and evaluation of this policy. Dedicated personnel and resources will be allocated to ensure that our sustainability goals are achieved.
We comply with all local, regional, national, and international regulations relating to human resources, human rights, children’s rights, land rights, environmental management, wildlife, and land use.
We uphold a strict Code of Ethics, maintaining a zero-tolerance policy for corruption, bribery, forced labor, and discrimination.
Internal management: social policy & human rights
Employees
We recognize that our employees are our biggest asset for delivering meaningful travel experiences to our customers. Therefore, we maintain a clear human resource policy to ensure:
Legal compliance in all regards
A safe, healthy, and welcoming workplace
Fair contract conditions including fair compensation
Training opportunities including trainings on topics of sustainability, sexual harassment and exploitation in the workplace and in the industry Participation in the sustainability planning activities
Inclusion and equal opportunity for all employees, particularly with regard to compensation, promotion, distribution of benefits, and professional development opportunities.
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/environmentallysound 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 postconsumer 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, metal, hazardous, glass, e-waste, waste to landfill] and is disposed of properly by [a private company / municipality] Noise, light, and air pollution is minimised
Carbon management of office operations
My Lisbon Holidays 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
Monitoring and measuremeasuring carbon footprint with the aim to reduce as much as possible and offset remaining amounts.
Encourageing remote work whenever possible, and when it is not possible, making it easier for employees to limit their carbon footprint by use of eco modes of transportation.
We commit to offsetting our remaining direct and indirect carbon from travel and fossil energy use via [carbon offset company].
Implementing procedures such as [e.g. following proper maintenance for vehicle fleet, offering incentives such as bike rental stipend and showers].
Installing energy efficient equipment and appliances [where appropriate/possible]
Land use
My Lisbon Holidays offices are located in a [urban/suburban/rural] area and abides by all local land use laws, respects local cultural and natural resources in our business operations, and favours sustainable architecture and design.
General Suppliers Policy
My Lisbon Holidays 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.
We prefer to work with partners that share our commitment to sustainability. This means we prioritize suppliers who have a written sustainability statement as part of their business policy and/or a clear sustainability policy in place.
We also prefer to work with suppliers in our destinations who are locally owned or managed, use local and seasonal products and services, and benefit the local community by hiring locally and equitably while providing fair working conditions.
Whenever possible, My Lisbon Holidays selects partner companies that comply with tourism-specific, internationally recognized certifications (GSTC-accredited), or other sustainability certifications such as B Corp or ISO.
My Lisbon Holidays offer incentives for partners that are actively engaged in sustainable operations.
My Lisbon Holidays expect from our suppliers to adhere to a Code of Conduct/Code of Ethics that includes 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 My Lisbon Holidays
Our complete Supplier Code of Conduct/Code of Ethics is available here: [link to document/website].
Following a zero-tolerance policy, My Lisbon Holidays will immediately terminate any relationships with suppliers that violate our policies or the Code of Conduct/Code of Ethics, specifically through acts of bribery, corruption, discrimination, or violation of human rights.
We also raise awareness among our suppliers to adopt sound social and environmental practices and to minimize their carbon footprint.
We actively collaborate with suppliers to improve their sustainability performance, encouraging continuous learning and supporting training opportunities whenever possible.
Finally, we maintain open lines of communication with our suppliers and partners, encouraging feedback from stakeholders at any time and on any topic, particularly sustainability.
Inbound partner agencies
My Lisbon Holidays only works with partner agencies that adhere to the company’s Code of Conduct/Code of Ethics.
In the entire process of developing and operating travel packages, My Lisbon Holidays expects partner agencies to act in the best interests of surrounding communities, the environment, and guests.
My Lisbon Holidays provides partner agencies with opportunities for sustainability learning and management, including free access to the Travelife online learning and reporting platform.
Transport
My Lisbon Holidays only works with transport providers that adhere to the company’s Code of Conduct/Code of Ethics.
When selecting transport for guests and business-related travel, My Lisbon Holidays 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.
My Lisbon Holidays has implemented clear guidelines for reducing GHG emissions from transport and selecting the most environmentally friendly transport options, including the following measures:
Preferring ground transport over air transport for short-haul travel destinations
Avoiding in-destination flights as much as possible
Offering rail-and-fly 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
Training drivers on eco-driving techniques
[Add additional measures you are taking]
My Lisbon Holidays endeavours – and has a system in place – to measure and compensate for the unavoidable GHG emissions produced from transportation. Compensation costs are either included by default in the package price or actively promoted to clients as a booking option.
Accommodations
My Lisbon Holidays only works with accommodations that adhere to the company’s [Code of Conduct/Code of Ethics].
In the accommodation selection process, My Lisbon Holidays considers the sustainability practices of an accommodation by taking into account their sustainability management and social and environmental footprint.
My Lisbon Holidays favours the selection of accommodations that respect and protect land use, as well as respectfully highlight elements of local architecture, customs and traditions
Activities & Excursions
My Lisbon Holidays only works with excursion providers that adhere to the company’s [Code of Conduct/Code of Ethics].
All excursions and activities run by or on behalf of My Lisbon Holidays respect local customs, traditions, cultural integrity, and natural resources.
My Lisbon Holidays commits to not offering any excursions that harm humans, wildlife, environment, or natural resources such as water and energy.
My Lisbon Holidays gives preference to excursions and activities that benefit local communities, respect animal welfare and support environmental protection.
My Lisbon Holidays has clear guidelines/Codes of Conduct 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.
My Lisbon Holidays 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
My Lisbon Holidays commits to hiring qualified local guides, porters, 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 My Lisbon Holidays.
My Lisbon Holidays 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 My Lisbon Holidays are trained regularly and knowledgeable in the sustainability topics of the destination.
Our guides are specifically trained on the critical issue of sexual exploitation of children in tourism.
My Lisbon Holidays provides guides with learning opportunities on sustainability topics including providing free access to the Travelife online learning platform.
Destinations
Sustainable destinations
My Lisbon Holidays prefers to work in destinations that have committed to sustainability as an integral part of community and destination development.
My Lisbon Holidays aims to send visitors to secondary or lesser-known tourist areas to avoid overtourism.
My Lisbon Holidays does not support destinations that have a questionable human rights track record.
Contribution to local communities / local economic network
My Lisbon Holidays 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
My Lisbon Holidays 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
Customer communication and protection
Privacy
Customer protection is a priority for My Lisbon Holidays. Therefore, the company maintains a clear Privacy Policy to ensure that:
Legal compliance is upheld in all regards
Customers and their data are protected at all times
Customers are informed about how their information is being used
Customer Rights
In line with EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), My Lisbon Holidays recognizes and respects the following customer rights:
The right to access personal data held by the company
The right to correct inaccurate or incomplete personal data
The right to request deletion of personal data when legally permissible
The right to restrict or object to certain types of data processing
The right to data portability, allowing customers to obtain and reuse their personal data across different services
The right to withdraw consent for data processing at any time, where consent is the legal basis
My Lisbon Holidays ensures that these rights are clearly communicated and that customers can exercise them easily through transparent procedures outlined in the company’s Privacy Policy.
Marketing and communication
My Lisbon Holidays 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.
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
Compensation of their trips CO2 emissions
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
Group numbers
Greenhouse Gas emissions and offsetting
Transport
Shopping
Sexual exploitation
Children in tourism
Satisfaction and complaints
My Lisbon Holidays maintains open lines of communication with our customers and encourages feedback at any time and on any topic, particularly sustainability.
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 lead by the Sustainability Coordinator, Joël Oliveira, who can be reached at myinfo@mylisbonholidays.com.
Definitions
“Sustainability” is defined as meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs, by balancing environmental, social, and economic considerations.
“Carbon footprint” is defined as the total greenhouse gas emissions caused directly or indirectly by an individual, organization, event, or product, expressed as carbon dioxide equivalent (CO₂e).
“Supplier” is defined as any individual, business, or organization that provides goods or services to My Lisbon Holidays under contract or agreement.
“Partner agency” is defined as an inbound or outbound travel agency working with My Lisbon Holidays in the design, promotion, or delivery of travel services.
“Code of Conduct/Code of Ethics” is defined as the set of principles and rules established by My Lisbon Holidays to guide responsible business practices, including human rights, labor rights, anti-corruption, and environmental protection.
“Travelife” is defined as an internationally recognized sustainability certification and management system for the travel and tourism industry, used by My Lisbon Holidays to monitor, report, and improve sustainability performance.