Purpose
My Lisbon Holidays is committed to promoting responsible and sustainable tourism in Portugal that protects the environment, supports local communities, and enhances the cultural heritage of the country.
The purpose of this policy is to integrate sustainability into every aspect of our operations and partnerships by reducing our environmental footprint, prioritising local and ethical suppliers, and creating meaningful experiences that benefit both travellers and the communities we serve.
Scope
This policy applies to all operations of My Lisbon Holidays, including our remote office activities, staff, contracted freelancers, 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 third-party providers chosen directly by clients, or personal choices made by travellers outside the scope of our organised services.
1. 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 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.
Continuous improvement and 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 are 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 labour, and discrimination.
2. Internal management: social policy & human rights
Employees and contracted staff
We recognise that our team members are our biggest asset for delivering meaningful travel experiences. My Lisbon Holidays operates with a small team of staff and contracted freelance collaborators. We maintain a clear human resource policy to ensure:
• Legal compliance in all regards, including all applicable Portuguese labour and tax legislation
• A safe, healthy, and welcoming working environment, supported by a fully remote operating model
• Fair contract conditions, including fair compensation and timely payment for all freelance collaborators
• Training opportunities, including training on topics of sustainability, sexual harassment and exploitation in the workplace and in the tourism industry
• Active participation in the sustainability planning activities of the company
• Inclusion and equal opportunity for all team members, particularly with regard to compensation, professional development, and distribution of benefits, regardless of gender, age, ethnicity, religion, disability, or sexual orientation
3. Internal management: environment
Environmental management of office operations
My Lisbon Holidays operates as a fully remote, home-office based company with no permanent physical office. This operating model is itself a sustainability choice: it eliminates daily commuting, removes the energy and water footprint of a corporate office, and significantly reduces our overall carbon impact.
Within our remote operation, we are committed to keeping our footprint minimal and actively follow the 5R principles (refuse, reduce, reuse, repurpose, recycle). We have the following measures in place:
• Comply with all local and national regulations concerning environmental law
• Measure, monitor, and evaluate use of all commodities and products purchased, especially water, waste, energy, and carbon
• Procure office supplies locally, seasonally, in bulk, with limited packaging, and sustainability-certified whenever possible
• Print only when absolutely necessary, and when printing, always print double-sided on grayscale on FSC-certified paper, with preference for the highest percentage of post-consumer recycled content
• Energy-saving measures in place across all home-office workspaces: LED lighting, equipment switch-off, sleep mode, and natural lighting where possible
• All equipment is energy-efficient and turned off, unplugged, or set to sleep mode when not in use
• Water-saving measures applied in the home offices
• Waste is separated into paper, plastic, glass, metal, organic, and e-waste. Disposal combines municipal collection (general waste, organic) with dedicated municipal recycling points (paper, glass, plastic, metal, e-waste)
• Noise, light, and air pollution are minimised
Carbon management
My Lisbon Holidays is committed to reducing our carbon footprint. As a fully remote company, we:
• Encourage and prioritise remote work for all internal operations
• Limit business travel to what is strictly necessary for site visits, supplier meetings, and destination familiarisation
• When business travel is necessary, prefer rail and public transport over private vehicle use
• Maintain a low-emission profile by avoiding office-based commuting
For client packages, all the international tour operators we work with — Evaneos, Lonely Planet, and Rough Guides — carbon-offset the trips they sell, including those operated by My Lisbon Holidays. This means that the carbon emissions associated with the trips we deliver are compensated through our partner operators' offset programmes.
We continue to monitor our direct emissions with the aim of further reduction year on year.
Land use
My Lisbon Holidays does not occupy any commercial premises. Our operations are conducted from private home offices in urban and suburban areas of Portugal, abiding by all local land-use laws. We respect local cultural and natural resources in our business operations and favour sustainable architecture and design when selecting venues for client experiences.
4. 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 prioritise 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 recognised certifications (GSTC-accredited), or other sustainability certifications such as B Corp or ISO.
My Lisbon Holidays offers incentives for partners that are actively engaged in sustainable operations.
We expect our suppliers to adhere to a Supplier Code of Conduct 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 legitimate interests of My Lisbon Holidays and its clients
Our Supplier Code of Conduct is available upon request from myinfo@mylisbonholidays.com.
Following a zero-tolerance policy, My Lisbon Holidays will immediately terminate any relationship with suppliers that violate our policies or the Supplier Code of Conduct, 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 minimise 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 our Supplier Code of Conduct. In the entire process of developing and operating travel packages, we expect partner agencies to act in the best interests of surrounding communities, the environment, and guests.
We provide partner agencies with opportunities for sustainability learning and management, including information about the Travelife online learning and reporting platform.
Transport
My Lisbon Holidays only works with transport providers that adhere to our Supplier Code of Conduct.
When selecting transport for guests and business-related travel, My Lisbon Holidays commits to choosing the most environmentally friendly options available — taking into consideration distance, price, route, and comfort.
We have implemented clear guidelines for reducing GHG emissions from transport and selecting the most environmentally friendly transport options, including:
• Preferring ground transport over air transport for short-haul destinations within Portugal and Iberia
• Avoiding in-destination flights as much as possible
• Recommending rail (CP Alfa Pendular and Intercidades) and electric/hybrid transfers wherever feasible
• Using public transportation options in destinations such as Lisbon, Porto, and Coimbra
• Selecting appropriately sized vehicles for group sizes to maximise efficiency
• Working with transfer suppliers whose drivers practise eco-driving techniques
The unavoidable GHG emissions produced by transportation are compensated through our international partner operators' carbon-offset programmes (see Carbon Management above).
Accommodations
My Lisbon Holidays only works with accommodations that adhere to our Supplier Code of Conduct.
In the accommodation selection process, we consider the sustainability practices of an accommodation, taking into account their sustainability management and social and environmental footprint.
We favour the selection of accommodations that respect and protect land use, as well as respectfully highlight elements of local architecture, customs, and traditions — such as the boutique guest houses, quintas, and small family-run hotels we feature across our Portugal itineraries.
Activities & Excursions
My Lisbon Holidays only works with excursion providers that adhere to our Supplier Code of Conduct.
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.
We give preference to excursions and activities that benefit local communities, respect animal welfare, and support environmental protection.
My Lisbon Holidays has clear guidelines and 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.
Tour leaders, local representatives, and guides
My Lisbon Holidays commits to hiring qualified, locally licensed guides (Turismo de Portugal IGT), porters, drivers, or other local staff, paying them living wages and providing safe and fair working conditions. We expect the same from our suppliers when hiring local staff on behalf of My Lisbon Holidays.
We understand that guides are the intermediaries between guests and the socio-cultural and environmental context of the destination, conveying the appropriate behaviour to visitors. 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, in line with The Code of Conduct for the Protection of Children from Sexual Exploitation in Travel and Tourism.
My Lisbon Holidays provides guides with learning opportunities on sustainability topics, including information about the Travelife online learning platform.
5. 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.
We actively send visitors to secondary or lesser-known tourist areas of Portugal — such as the Alentejo, Trás-os-Montes, Beira Interior, the Schist Villages, and the West Coast — to help relieve pressure on highly visited spots like central Lisbon, Porto, and the Algarve coast, and to spread the economic benefits of tourism more widely across the country.
My Lisbon Holidays does not support destinations that have a questionable human rights track record.
Contribution to local communities and local economic network
My Lisbon Holidays commits to a 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 or prohibited souvenirs (e.g. items made from protected species, antiquities of unclear provenance, falsely labelled regional crafts)
• Collaborating with other local tourism stakeholders — including local government, other tourism businesses, academia, and community groups — to further sustainable tourism development
• Respecting and advocating for all human rights, including children's rights, women's rights, labour rights, and 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 through our pre-departure communications and on-tour briefings
6. Customer communication and protection
Privacy
Customer protection is a priority for My Lisbon Holidays. 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 (GDPR)
In line with the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), My Lisbon Holidays recognises 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
• 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 trip's CO₂ emissions through our partner operators
• Activities and excursions that benefit 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 including (but not limited to): health and safety, emergency procedures, privacy, group numbers, greenhouse gas emissions and offsetting, transport, responsible shopping, sexual exploitation and child protection, and 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.
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 areas of responsibility.
The implementation of this policy is led by the Sustainability Coordinator, Joël Oliveira, who can be reached at myinfo@mylisbonholidays.com.
Definitions
Sustainability — 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 — the total greenhouse gas emissions caused directly or indirectly by an individual, organisation, event, or product, expressed as carbon dioxide equivalent (CO₂e).
Supplier — any individual, business, or organisation that provides goods or services to My Lisbon Holidays under contract or agreement.
Partner agency — an inbound or outbound travel agency working with My Lisbon Holidays in the design, promotion, or delivery of travel services.
Supplier Code of Conduct — the set of principles and rules established by My Lisbon Holidays to guide responsible business practices, including human rights, labour rights, anti-corruption, and environmental protection.
Travelife — an internationally recognised sustainability certification and management system for the travel and tourism industry, used by My Lisbon Holidays to monitor, report, and improve sustainability performance.