AETHNIC
RESPONSIBLE TOURISM
Aethnic's Responsible Tourism Policy: Transforming the Way We Travel
At Aethnic, our mission is to transform the way we travel. We believe that tourism should be a driver of positive social and environmental development, both for the communities in our destinations and for our travelers’ home countries.
We design experiences that maximize local benefits and minimize any negative impact. We work primarily with partners, lodging providers, and guides that are locally owned or managed, ensuring fair compensation and decent working conditions. We uphold an uncompromising ethical model—with zero tolerance for corruption or any violations of human rights or children’s rights—and we implement rigorous environmental management practices to reduce our carbon footprint, manage waste, and protect biodiversity.
We view sustainability as a process of rigor and continuous improvement. For this reason, we evaluate and report transparently on our performance every two years through the international Travelife platform, working every day to offer better experiences to our travelers and more opportunities to the communities that welcome us.
Management Framework and Certifications
Aethnic is firmly committed to sustainability, as reflected in its adoption and promotion of the industry’s leading international certifications and standards:
- GSTC Criteria: We prioritize companies and partners that comply with the standards of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council.
- Key Accreditations: We adhere to prestigious management and certification frameworks, such as Travelife and Biosphere, ensuring the highest standards of rigor and transparency throughout our entire value chain.
This content has been developed within the framework of the project No Women Left Behind: Creation of social entrepreneurship projects in sustainable tourism in Gambia led by vulnerable women previously trained in responsible tourism management, funded by the Catalan Agency for Development Cooperation (ACCD).
The project has defined a set of Education for Development (EfD) activities in Catalonia with the goal of influencing stakeholders in the Catalan tourism market to design trips to countries in the Global South based on the criteria of Responsible and Sustainable Tourism (RST), the SDGs, and a gender perspective. Within the framework of this objective, a series of digital tools is presented to facilitate the transformation of the local tourism sector toward practices that are more responsible and aligned with the SDGs and human rights.
Digital tools for the promotion of a more responsible tourism
The term “Responsible Tourism” refers to a respectful attitude toward society, culture, and the environment. The goal of responsible tourism is to provide resources and seek solutions to the impacts of tourism in order to create better places for communities to live and for visitors to enjoy.
- Provide tourists with better experiences through connections with local populations and greater understanding of local cultural, social and environmental aspects.
- Promote more accessible tourism, so that it can be enjoyed by all.
- Create a positive impact on destinations.
- Design alternatives to travel responsibly and ensure that our actions generate the least possible impact on the country and the host community, always trying to travel responsibly and authentically.
- And to be culturally sensitive, generating respect between tourists and host communities, contributing to building cultural pride and trust in local communities.
Responsible Tourism Policies
Contribution to the economic and social development of the destination
Use local vendors and services that promote fair working conditions. Ensure that travelers interact with the local population and have a deeply enriching experience, while contributing to local economic prosperity.
Promoting sustainability values
To contribute to the improvement of environmental and socioeconomic conditions in host communities, as well as to the enhancement of cultural heritage and resources, while incorporating and promoting ecological, quality, and socioeconomic criteria.
Protecting children
The tourism industry plays a very important role in protecting children’s rights. Child exploitation must be condemned as a violation of children’s human rights and dignity.
Models aligned with the SDGs
Promote awareness in the tourism industry towards the Sustainable Development Goals by informing tourism industry professionals about responsible tourism practices.
Contribute to the promotion of gender equity.
Promote female entrepreneurship, addressing the bottlenecks that generally disproportionately affect women, and promote female education and professional training, with a special focus on skills and knowledge with high added value and economic return.
Raising travelers' awareness of responsible consumption
Ensure the quality, safety, and accessibility of the services provided. Additionally, provide travelers with information on how to behave responsibly and respectfully at their destination.
Sustainability criteria, indicators and best practices
Documentation Center and Downloadable Resources
We make our official documentation and operational policies available to our travelers, local partners, and any organization in the tourism sector that wishes to move toward sustainability. These documents can be downloaded and viewed free of charge:
Downloadable Document
Aethnic Global Sustainability Policy (2026–2028)
Content Description
Framework for corporate commitment, corporate governance, and Travelife monitoring.
Downloadable Document
Sustainable Procurement and Fair Trade Policy
Content Description
Criteria for responsible public procurement of local goods and services.
Downloadable Document
Aethnic 2025 Sustainability Report
Content Description
- DOWNLOAD PDF
Downloadable document
Ten-Point Guide to Best Practices for Accommodations
Content Description
Publications
- UNWTO (World Tourism Organization)
Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals through Tourism - UNWTO (World Tourism Organization)
Gender Equality Strategy for Tourism Businesses - GSTC (Global Sustainable Tourism Council)
Criteria for Tour Operators - ILO (International Labor Organization)
Guidelines on Decent Work and Socially Responsible Tourism - UNWTO (World Tourism Organization)
Global Report on Women in Tourism - WTTC (World Travel and Tourism Council)
Travel & Tourism: Driving Women’s Success - AETHNIC
Do’s and Don’ts in Sub-Saharan Africa
Collaboration and Contact
Would you like to collaborate with us or implement these measures in your organization?
We believe in partnerships to transform the industry. We offer support and access to sustainability training platforms to our suppliers and local partners.