Explora Journeys, the luxury lifestyle travel brand of the MSC Group, announced a partnership with Travelife for Tour Operators, the international training, management and certification program for sustainability in tourism.
“Our deep respect for the ocean is the principal component of our journey and, out of a deep respect for local communities, our destination experiences are being designed to leave a positive impression and footprint," said Michael Ungerer, Chief Executive Officer, Explora Journeys.
“We are committed in this regard to work toward building and maintaining a mutual understanding and firm commitment to sustainable tourism and so I am delighted, therefore, to partner with Travelife, who can help us, our tour operators and travel advisor colleagues to achieve our ambition.”
The aim of the new partnership is to create a strong awareness among Explora's travel partners when it comes to effective sustainability planning, "maximizing social and economic benefits" for the local communities its ships will visit, enhancing cultural heritage, and reducing environmental impact, the cruise line said.
The partnership with Travelife allows all Explora Journeys’ tour operators and partner travel advisors with free access to the Travelife online platform, which hosts a range of resources geared toward sustainable tourism. Additional face-to-face trainings are provided by Travelife in European destinations in the frame of the EU-supported "SUSTOUR" project.
These include a comprehensive learning platform with 16 sustainability modules, which include final exams and certification upon completion of each module; activity-specific excursion checklists that meet internationally recognized sustainability standards; practical reporting and action planning tools for the effective implementation of sustainability practices; and best practice examples from the travel and tourism industry.
“Travelife’s sustainability management system naturally complements Explora Journeys’ commitment to create sustainable destination experiences. DMCs, tour operators, travel advisors and ports are integral to support any sustainable implementation and they will be encouraged with education and incentives," said Naut Kusters, General Manager, Travelife.
In SEP 2021, the Cruise Division of MSC Group reaffirmed its commitment to sustainability by pledging to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions in its cruise marine operations by 2050. The target covers both Explora Journeys and MSC Cruises and aims to achieve a 50 percent reduction in emissions from shipping by 2050 when compared to 2008.
Sister company, MSC Cruises, has partnered with Travelife for Tour Operators since 2018. To learn more, visit the respective web sites of Explora Journeys and Travelife.
