Gebeco

Boosting Sustainable Tourism Through Certification

EUROPEAN GOOD PRACTICE COLLECTION 2021

 NOMINATION FORM

 Please send until 6^th August 2021 to (herbert.hamele@ecotrans.de / cc diego.nunez@ecotrans.de)

NOMINATING CERTIFICATE

TourCert

Contact Person:

Note hh: Petra Knopp/TourCert has asked Gebeco to fill out and send in their nomination directly to Ecotrans. 

NOMINATED BUSINESS

Gebeco GmbH & Co. KG

Internet contact

www.gebeco.de

Size of business (if known)

Medium (from 50 to 249)

Category

Activity/tour operator

Country

Germany

Destination, with related protected area(s)

Name of the destination:

Gebeco offers tours worldwide. E. g. Namibia and the Khwe Community living near Divundu, Namibia

Name of protected area(s) and/or major cultural heritage site(s) (if not the same name as the destination):

Khwe Community near Divundu, Namibia

Contact Person at the nominated business

Alicia Kern, presse@gebeco.de

OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTIONS

according to following SDGs on Tourism4SDGs.org:

Please indicate very briefly their exemplary or innovative actions and measurable achievements (including quantified results if known)

SDG 12 - Responsible Consumption and Production

The tourism sector needs to adopt sustainable consumption and production (SCP) modes, accelerating the shift towards sustainability. Tools to monitor sustainable development impacts for tourism including for energy, water, waste, biodiversity and job creation will result in enhanced economic, social and environmental outcomes.

In order to be able to regularly check and expand the sustainability of all trips, Gebeco has developed a special catalog of criteria. The catalog covers the various social and ecological aspects of sustainability. All of the trips must meet at least two criteria. The aim is to increase the number of criteria met per trip each year. Trips that meet all criteria are marked with a special label in order to help costumers find these highly sustainable trips. By implementing the catalog Gebeco can monitor and measure it’s own sustainable development.

The criteria catalog includes the following aspects:

Accommodations, Departure and Arrival, Transport, Project Visits, Guides, Activities related to the subject of sustainability, Group size and Food. Please find the catalog here:

https://www.gebeco.de/nachhaltigkeit/nachhaltig-unterwegs

All the above named criteria are monitored and checked each year.

39 Gebeco trips meet all criteria.

Over 600 Gebeco trips meet at least two of the criteria. It is next year’s goal to make these trips meet at least three.

In addition to Gebeco’s own efforts Gebeco also contributes to the joined efforts coordinated by Futouris. Gebeco takes part in the projects “Sustainable Food”, „Valuable Water“ and „Plastic free holidays“. The Futouris members jointly develop innovative model projects that ensure more responsibility and sustainability in tourism. The common goal is to preserve holiday destinations and make travel industry fit for future. The implementation is always long-term and includes local partners on site. All concepts are checked in advance by an independent scientific council. In this way, Futouris ensures long-term security and qualification of its own sustainability standards. The projects not only have an effect on site in the destinations, as a member Gebeco also puts the projects into practice. More information here:

https://www.futouris.org/en/projects/

SDG 13 - Climate Action

Tourism contributes to and is affected by climate change. Tourism stakeholders should play a leading role in the global response to climate change. By reducing its carbon footprint, in the transport and accommodation sector, tourism can benefit from low carbon growth and help tackle one of the most pressing challenges of our time.

Gebeco’s efforts concerning accommodation:

At least 50% of the overnight stays on each trip are organized in sustainable accommodations meaning:

1.1 certified hotels, accommodations from a sustainable association, hotels with awards for sustainability, climate-neutral hotels, "FLO in Tourism" accommodations, certified TUI hotels such as EMAS, FTT, Green Globe, Green Key, Travelife.

1.2 Accommodation that has a close connection to regional culture, including owner-managed and family-run businesses.

Further criteria for sustainable accommodation: regional, seasonal, fair trade, non-genetically modified products and, if possible, products from organic and / or small-scale farming. Architecture and construction are adapted to the region. Attention is paid to a low-waste procurement policy, the avoidance of single-use packaging and waste separation. Renewable energies are used, green housekeeping takes place and / or corresponding energy-saving concepts are in place.

Gebeco’s efforts concerning transport:

1. Arrival and departure

1.1. For flights between 800 km and 3,800 km, the travel time is at least one week

1.2. For flights over 3,800 km, the travel time is at least 2 weeks

In general, the following applies to all trips: When selecting airlines, Gebeco uses the atmosfair Airline Index as a basis in order to give preference to airlines with a good CO2 efficiency class. Voluntary CO2 compensation is recommended to guests for all flights. Direct flights are preferred to connecting flights. The train-flight ticket is included in every booking. The train is recommended as a low-emission journey to the airport instead of domestic flights. The number of domestic flights offered to costumers is reduced each year. The customer is advised to extend the trip if possible. Gebeco fully compensates the CO2 emissions caused by business trips.

2. Means of transport on site:

Either public transport, bicycles, energy-efficient or CO2-neutral vehicles must be used on at least one day of each trip. In general, the following claim applies to all Gebeco trips: Where possible, getting around by public transport (such as trains) is part of the travel offer. When selecting the vehicles in the destinations, care must be taken to ensure that they are operated in an environmentally friendly and energy-efficient manner.

3. Inland transportation:

Domestic flights are being replaced by cross-country journeys, e.g. by bus, train or ferry (domestic flights are permitted when the distance is greater than 799.9 km).

SDG 14 – Life below Water

Coastal and maritime tourism rely on healthy marine ecosystems. Tourism development must be a part of Integrated Coastal Zone Management in order to help conserve and preserve fragile marine ecosystems and serve as a vehicle to promote a blue economy, contributing to the sustainable use of marine resources.

Gebeco does not offer coastal and maritime tourism.

Short trips on the water with boats may be part of a trip but are not a main focus.

SDG 15 – Life on Land

Rich biodiversity and natural heritage are often the main reasons why tourists visit a destination. Tourism can play a major role if sustainably managed in fragile zones, not only in conserving and preserving biodiversity, but also in generating revenue as an alternative livelihood to local communities.

The hosts make the Gebeco way of traveling possible. Gebeco wants to return the favor by supporting various aid projects worldwide. Thanks to the close cooperation with local partners, Gebeco can ensure that the contribution arrives where it is needed most to improve conditions.

Guests can convince themselves of Gebeco’s commitment by visiting the aid projects during their trips.

One example is the aid project in Namibia. This partnership is based on the “wilderness tracker” project, initiated in 2013 by Gebeco, which aims to preserve and transfer the unique knowledge of the Khwe community. The focus of the follow-up project is the independent management of the project by the Khwe, so that a stable and sustainable income can be generated.

The protection of cultural diversity is one of the main concerns of the Gebeco corporate philosophy.

More information here:

https://www.gebeco.de/nachhaltigkeit/lokales-engagement

SDG 8 - Decent work and Economic Growth

Tourism, as services trade, is one of the top four export earners globally, currently providing one in ten jobs worldwide. Decent work opportunities in tourism, particularly for youth and women, and policies that favor better diversification through tourism value chains can enhance tourism positive socio-economic impacts.

All Gebeco trips must include at least one visit to an environmental or social project. In economically less developed countries in particular, preference is given to using small, local structures (e.g. private accommodation, small and medium-sized local businesses, local guides and drivers, privately run restaurants and a focus on local services, guided tours by local residents), in order to increase the economic participation of the local population as well as the added value in the country.

As Gebeco works together with partner agencies and hotels the cooperation is also regulated by framework agreements. There are internal guidelines for the selection of partner agencies, which ensure that Gebeco guests enjoy a high-quality trip also in regard of fair working conditions. The framework agreements contain clauses on the topics of sustainability and human rights in tourism. A supplier code of conduct on the subject of compliance has also been added to the framework agreements. Gebeco requires that the agencies must comply with bus driving times as regulated in Germany. Among other the agreements contain a passage on the code of conduct.

Gebeco recognizes the global code of ethics for tourism and commits itself to upholding human rights.

Every new employee and trainee receives a training course on “Human Rights in Tourism” at the beginning of their professional career at Gebeco. Gebeco’s tour guides are also trained in this regard both in Germany and on site abroad.

Gebeco is part of the "Roundtable for Human Rights in Tourism". As a member of the Rountable for Human Rights in Tourism, Gebeco is actively committed to safeguarding human rights in tourism together with their global partners and competitors. Together they develop tools and programs that make it easier for the tourism industry to ensure fair working conditions, fair wages and social security in global partnerships with service providers.

Children are our greatest asset and our future. That is why Gebeco is committed to the rights of the youngest.

Gebeco supports the international code of conduct "The Code" for the protection of children from sexual exploitation. As a member of the German Child Protection Association and as a sustaining member of ECPAT, Gebeco is also committed to actively helping to create a tourism world in which children and their rights are particularly protected.

Gebeco therefore implements the following measures as part of their corporate strategy:

- Training of employees in Germany and in the travel destination including tour guides

- Inclusion of clauses in the contracts with service providers, which make clear the common rejection of the sexual exploitation of children

- Raising the awareness of travelers by providing information

- Cooperation with the travel countries

SDG 17 - Partnership for the Goals

Due to its cross-sectoral nature, tourism has the ability to strengthen private/public partnerships and engage multiple stakeholders – international, national, regional and local – to work together to achieve the SDGs and other common goals. Public policy and innovative financing are at the core for achieving the 2030 Agenda.

To support local structures Gebeco cooperates with local partners like e. g. ATC, EHRA and LCFN in Namibia.

In order to finance projects Gebeco also relies on crowd founding methods such as betterplace.org (https://www.betterplace.org/de/projects/91548)

Link to further information about the nominated business (if available):

www.gebeco.de/nachhaltigkeit