As an international travel group, we are strongly aware of the responsibility arising from tourism’s impact on the local population and environment. We need to protect the diversity of our earth and preserve it for future generations.
But, nobody changes the world alone.
That is why we work with reliable partners who support us with their expertise, experience, professional structures, drive, and passion. Because only together can we make a difference!
In the beginning there was an idea. The idea gave rise to a project. The project became an affair of the heart. And the realisation grew that the passionate will to do something good over the long term also requires a firm structure: the DER Touristik Foundation! It was initiated in 2014 by DER Touristik as a non-profit association. With this step, the internationally operating travel group acknowledges its social responsibility towards people and nature in the holiday destinations.
Amsterdam, February 20th, 2024. The Travelife Partner level award was received today by Go Caribic, Dom. Rep. (Dominican Republic). The award recognizes the long-term efforts of Go Caribic, Dom. Rep. regarding sustainability and Corporate Social Responsibility.
Go Caribic, Dom. Rep. complies with more than 100 criteria, related to an operator’s office management, product range, international business partners and customer information. The Travelife Partner level standard is covering the ISO 26000 Corporate Social Responsibility themes, including environment, biodiversity, human rights and labour relation.
Mr. Naut Kusters, manager of Travelife for Tour Operators, “I am delighted to see that sustainability in the tour operator sector is obtaining momentum. The Partner award of Go Caribic, Dom. Rep. will inspire other companies in the Dominican Republic to follow the same path”.
Travelife is the leading international sustainability certification for the travel sector. More than 35 national travel associations are promoting the scheme to their members including, KATO, the Kenyan Association of Tour operators, TATO, the Tanzanian Association of Tour Operators, ABTA, The British Travel Association, PATA, FTT, and ANVR.
The Code is a consortium of governmental and non-governmental organisations, associations and initiatives. They jointly pursue the goal of preventing sexual exploitation of children in the travel and tourism industry.
Its members undertake to comply with a voluntary catalogue of criteria to protect children. Across the globe, local organisations support The Code in raising the awareness of and making tools available to the local travel and tourism industry, and assisting them to prevent sexual exploitation of children.
For many years, DERTOUR Group has taken a firm stance against all forms of sexual violence against children in tourism. In 2016, we also signed the code of conduct, “The Code”, to protect children against sexual exploitation in tourism. In doing so, we have committed ourselves to implementing the criteria of The Code.
ECPAT’s global campaign to end child sexual exploitation was launched in May 1990 when a small group of concerned individuals gathered in Chiang Mai in Northern Thailand. Organisations from across the globe heard this call to action and joined hands to provide support to combat this heinous problem. Since then, ECPAT has worked to better understand the web of child sexual exploitation through research and pushed for the critical systemic and social changes necessary to eliminate this scourge together with governments, intergovernmental institutions, the private sector, civil society and the general public, including children themselves.
For many years, DERTOUR Group has been working with ECPAT on the issue of child protection. The association advises and supports us in the development and implementation of our measures. Among others, an ECPAT trainer trains our employees and partners on child protection and the implementation of the code of conduct to protect children against sexual exploitation, or (The Code) for short.
