Red Dot believes that companies have a social and
environmental responsibility that goes beyond present-day
legislation. We strive to ensure that travel has a
positive impact on local communities and eco-systems.
We have therefore voluntarily developed a ‘Travellers
Code’ which provides a general outlines of our
commitments to our guests, employees, partners, local
communities and the environment. In brief, we are
committed to:
| 1. |
Providing up-to-date social and
political information |
| 2. |
Minimising potential detrimental environmental
impacts |
| 3. |
A sensitive relationship with local cultures
and communities |
| 4. |
Fair relationships with suppliers, partners
and employees |
Economic responsibility:
| 1. |
Red Dot employs local sales staff
and IT consultants in Sri Lanka to handle the
majority of holiday enquiries and all technical
development. All employees are contracted on ‘fair’
terms. |
| 2. |
Red Dot offers a full range of accommodation
but specialises in the promotion of small local-owned
accommodation, including private villas, bungalows
and guesthouses, which provides good economic
returns to local communities |
| 3. |
Red Dot Tours employs only local guides and
drivers. Moreover, Red Dot is very concerned about
the welfare of its drivers and guides, believing
that there services have undervalued in the past
and that too little attention has been paid to
the quality of their working conditions. We employ
all our drivers on fair terms, ensuring they receive
a proper wage for their services and have access
to acceptable facilities, including accommodation.
All drivers receive a voluntary bonus equivalent
to a 12.5% increment above the industrywide wage
average in Sri Lanka. |
| 4. |
Red Dot's drivers and guides will suggest where
you can purchase appropriate locally-produced
products and gifts, rather than imported goods,
including good local restaurants that specialise
in Sri Lanka’s aromatic and spicy cuisine.
|
| 5. |
Red Dot is committed to the support of local-level
economic, social and environmental community projects
in Sri Lanka and donates 2.5% of net annual profit
to selected charities. For the forthcoming year
we have committed to making a contribution to
Friends of the South, a Galle-based charity that
has been managing small-scale tsunami-related
projects. |
Environmental responsibility:
| 1. |
Red Dot's Sri Lanka Advice offers
tips and guidelines to all travellers on how to
avoid causing negative impacts on environmental
eco-systems and advice on how they can make best
use of local services. In particular, Red Dot
encourages water and electricity conservation.
Travellers are provided information on waste pollution
and also urged to be careful when shopping not
to encourage unsustainable practices such as illegal
logging and coral reef mining. |
| 2. |
Red Dot actively engages with all the hotels
and guesthouses each year to discuss ways in which
the ecological footprint of guests can be reduced,
for example through towel folding rather than
daily washing and using solar power for water
heating. We communicate our belief that environmental
responsibility is essential to tourism’s
sustainability and are encouraging sustainable
practice by introducing a Green Hotel Guide in
2005 to help environmentally conscious travellers
select their accommodation. This voluntary guide
will identify Sri Lanka hotel's that are tackling
environmental and conservation issues seriously. |
| 3. |
Red Dot adheres to sustainable office practices,
both in Sri Lanka and the United Kingdom. We re-use
and recycle paper and print cartridges. We reduce
paper waste by avoiding unnecessary printouts.
We use a website and e-mail as our primary marketing
platform and avoid the publication of glossy brochures
and mailshots. We do not spam. We provide sales
consultants with the necessary equipment required
to work from home when possible to reduce transport. |
Social responsibility:
| 1. |
Red Dot avoids large package groups
– with the exception of cricket tours –
and encourages “small group travel”
which provides a richer travelling experience
and prevents local communities in remote regions
for being overrun. |
| 2. |
Red Dot actively supports various local development
projects (see above). In the aftermath of the
Asian Tsunami we are working in particular with
Friends of the South, a Galle-based charity managing
small-scale community projects. |
| 3. |
Red Dot will offer advice on and help arrange
destination visits to local social development
projects if requested by the client. |
| 4. |
Red Dot provides all clients with up-to-date
pre-departure information that address important
social and cultural issues and help our clients
be aware of local customs. |
|