The Travelife initiative is based on the central role of tour operators and travel agents in the tourism supply chain. Their unique position between suppliers and buyers enables them to influence consumer demand, procurement policies and the development of destinations. This allows them to contribute significantly to sustainable development and environmental and cultural protection in destinations. Travelife aims to offer companies the knowledge, solutions and tools to implement positive change within their businesses and their supply chain.
Operated by ECEAT-Projects, this system provides online training and practical tools for sustainability planning, management and reporting. The training and tools are suitable for companies of any size and cover all management fields of the travel business including office operations, supply chain, destinations and consumers. Upon compliance with the Travelife standard for Tour operators and Travel agencies, the travel company can obtain the "Travelife Partner" or "Travelife Certified" status.
The Travelife management requirements comply with ISO 14001 and EMAS III standards. The performance requirements include the full set of ISO 26000 and OECD Corporate Social Responsibility guidelines which include labour conditions, human rights, environment, biodiversity and fair business practices.
Travelife works closely with the industry to introduce and promote the scheme. Already more than 15 national travel associations promote Travelife among their members.
This Travelife system is managed by ECEAT- Projects, a not-for-profit organisation based in The Netherlands.
Travelife is a certification scheme, dedicated to achieving sustainable practices within the tourism industry. It aims to provide companies with realistic sustainability goals, tools and solutions to implement positive change within their businesses and supply chains. The system is managed by ABTA - The Travel Association in the UK.
Travelife for Hotels and Accommodations is a certification scheme that helps hotels and accommodations manage and monitor their social and environmental impacts and communicate their achievements to customers.
Travelife for Hotels and Accommodations provides a range of support to help members progress towards their third party audit, including an online sustainability checklist based on European and International standards, which enables properties to manage their performance and their monitor progress. Once subscribed, properties receive a full, third party, environmental and social audit, and if they fulfil the requirements of the sustainability system criteria, they may achieve the Travelife Gold certification. This certification can then be highlighted in their brochures, on their websites or other guest communications, as well as displaying their Travelife certification plaque in a public area of their property.
Travelife for Hotels and Accommodations is the only certification scheme that works in partnership with tour operators, both in the UK and internationally, who all use Travelife to manage their supplier hotels and accommodations. For more information click here.
Travelife was launched in 2007 by ABTA the UK Travel Association and the Dutch ANVR travel association, with the support of Leeds Metropolitan University (UK), Lund University (Sweden) and ECEAT-Projects, a Dutch not-for-profit organisation promoting sustainability in tourism,
The Travelife methodology was developed during the EU supported LIFE project, based on sustainability management concepts developed by UNEP, the Tour Operators Initiative for Sustainable Tourism Development (TOI) and earlier experiences of ANVR and ABTA.