STA Travel Animal Welfare Policy

 

 



STA Travel exists to enable adventure. We believe that adventure is a catalyst for exploring, learning, inspiring and breaking down cultural barriers. But with great adventure comes great responsibility...

 

 
We have a responsibility to our customers to provide authentic and sustainable experiences. We have a responsibility to the communities we have discovered and grown to love, to ensure that travel has a positive impact on their economies. We have a responsibility to our staff, to help them to be the best they can be through training and development opportunities. And we have a responsibility to the world we love to explore and to the wildlife that inhabits the earth.

In order to ensure that we do all we can to meet these responsibilities and to enable us to track progress we have created a simple framework consisting of three pillars; Our World, Our Actions and Our People. We have also created a responsible travel check list to help our customers to be responsible as they explore the world.
OUR PEOPLE OUR WORLD OUR ACTIONS
At STA we employ over 2,500 staff globally and indirectly employ many more throughout our supply chain. As an employer we take our responsibility to these people very seriously and want to ensure that as well having safe and comfortable working environments they also have the opportunities they need to develop and grow with the company and are well supported. We also want to make sure that we support the next generation of STA staff through offering opportunities to young people.
 This planet is our playground. We spend our days talking about all the amazing adventures it has to offer, and empowering our customers to take every opportunity to enjoy life-changing experiences. It is therefore only right that we do all we can to preserve the planet for future generations by reducing our environmental impact.
 We work with credible partners to secure travel experiences that are not only authentic but also responsible and sustainable as well as regularly assessing all of our operations to ensure that we can be proud of how we do our business. We are constantly assessing the ways in which we work and welcome any suggestions from our customers and suppliers alike.


PLANETERRA PARTNERSHIP

OUR STA TRAVEL FOUNDATION

In 2010 STA Travel embarked on a responsible travel journey with Planetterra; a non-profit organisation. Planeterra exists to support local people to develop their communities and conserve their cultural heritage.

STA Travel has so far been instrumental in funding a community tourism project in Thailand, water tanks and a river ambulance in Panama and building a pediatric ward in Kenya. Learn more at: www.planeterra.org/

 Founded in 2012, the STA Travel Foundation is our chosen method of giving something back to the communities that we work in. By funding a number of projects we are really making a difference to the local communities we've gotten to know over the years as well as supporting local causes in the countries we have stores and offices.

By harnessing our brand to raise money from our staff, customers, suppliers and networks we can help smaller charities and NGOs access vital funds. STA Travel covers all costs of running this registered charity meaning that every penny the Foundation raises goes straight towards our chosen causes around the world. STA Travel also donate $30,000 per year to the foundation via staff donation matching.

DONATE TODAY!

CUSTOMER SAFETY MATTERS

At STA your safety is our paramount concern, we are acutely aware they safety standards can vary across the world but to assist with this we promote good practice safety to all the suppliers we work with across all our programmes.We work with reputable and hand picked tour operators and accommodation suppliers, who all meet with their local and national safety standards as a matter of course, but nevertheless we continually seek safety improvements wherever necessary for the benefit of you the customer.

ANIMAL WELFARE
STA Travel are committed to bringing authentic travel experiences to all and take the responsibility of supporting sustainable and ethically viable tours in high regard. As a result , STA Travel has commenced a full audit of all tours that involve direct or indirect contact with animals, and to date has discontinued the sale of the Tiger Temple tour in Thailand, San Fermin Festival tours in Pamplona and a lion research project in Zambia. We have also replaced all tours which include elephant or Ostrich riding with alternative activities for STA customers.

In response to our customers and to good practice in animal protection and welfare we continue to align our products with our values of positive, sustainable and conscious travel.

Read STA Travel's Animal Welfare policy here

Reef Conservation

To support us in doing this we have recently appointed a dedicated Social Responsibility Manager who will develop and manage our Social Responsibility Programme. We also have the support of a social responsibility board made up of senior managers from across the business and a team of Social Champions who support us in delivering this vision.

For more information on our commitment to responsible travel please contact our Social Responsibility Manager at socialresponsibility@statravelgroup.com