
Sustainability in Tourism
Nomad's Land aims to increase awareness of ecotourism and responsible travel, for a sustainable development of the tourism sector.
Nomad's Land aims to increase awareness of ecotourism and responsible travel, for a sustainable development of the tourism sector.
When you travel with Nomad's Land, you accept to share our travel philosophy. Whether you are our client, our partner, our guide or our colleague, you are informed on this page of our policies for the development of sustainable tourism.
The Travelife Partner award is a recognition of our commitment towards social and environmental sustainability.
We are complying to more than 100 criteria related to sustainability management, office operations, working with suppliers and customer communication.
We are working towards further improvements aiming to eventually reach the Travelife Certified stage. Travelife is a leading training, management and certification initiative for tourism companies committed to reaching sustainability.
Travelife is a three-stage certification program for tour operators and travel agents:
We are at stage 2 – Travelife Partner. We are working to move forward to stage 3 - Travelife certified.
Legal compliance
Nomad’s Asia is in compliance with all applicable local, national and international legislations and regulations, including health & safety, labour, child protection, animal wellcare, environment and ethical standards.
Nomad’s Asia complies with the basic legal obligations required for KATO (Kyrgyz Association of Tour Operators) membership.
Ethical code
It is Nomad's Asia Llc policy to conduct all of our business in an honest and ethical manner. Nomad’s Asia Llc understands and promotes ethical values common to humanity, with an attitude of tolerance and respect for the diversity of religious, philosophical and moral beliefs.
Bribery and corruption
We take a zero-tolerance approach to bribery and corruption and are committed to acting professionally, fairly and with integrity in all our business dealings and relationships wherever we operate and implementing and enforcing effective systems to counter bribery.
We will uphold all laws relevant to countering bribery and corruption in all the jurisdictions in which we operate.
The purpose of this policy is to:
Bribery and corruption are punishable for individuals and if we are found to have taken part in corruption we could face an unlimited fine and face damage to our reputation. We therefore take our legal responsibilities very seriously.
Who is covered by the Policy?
This policy applies to all individuals working at all levels for Nomad's Land, including senior managers, officers, directors, employees (whether permanent, fixed-term or temporary), committee members, auditors, consultants, contractors, trainees, seconded staff, homeworkers, casual workers and agency staff, volunteers, interns, agents, sponsors or any other person associated with us, wherever located (collectively referred to as workers in this policy).
Political involvement
Nomad's Asia Llc is not affiliated with any political party. However, we do encourage political initiatives in the direction of sustainable tourism development only through professional associations such as KATO and the Kyrgyzstan Mountain Cluster Association.
Fair competition
Nomad’s Asia Llc is not involved in activities that are considered unfair competition or in violation with any anti-trust legislation.
Nomad's Asia Llc trip designers are not allowed to initiate offers to new partner-customers if they already have a local partner offering the same services as Nomad's Asia Llc.
Non compliance and violations
All violations of our policies are recorded in a "Policies violations report" file.
Each violation will be discussed at the next meeting of the office team. Once a year, an analysis will be made of all violations, and concrete actions will be taken to avoid repeating the same violations. The partner or worker will be sanctioned if there is no awareness or improvement.
Supply chain liability :
We declare that we do not have any association to entities that have been successfully prosecuted for forced labor, child exploitation and environmental violations.
Suppliers who respect our ethical rules and policies will be favoured to work within the Nomad's Land family.
Suppliers who do not comply with certain rules will be notified. If no action is taken to improve compliance, then warnings will be given. If the supplier shows no willingness to comply or makes no effort, then they will be banned from our supplier list.
Consumer Rights :
Employees will at all times respect customer privacy and take reasonable measures to ensure the security of personal data they collect, store, process or disseminate.
The rules of customer privacy are defined in our following policy and available on our website in 4 languages: https://nomadsland.travel/en/privacy
The following statement of principles and intentions represents the Policy of the employees of the LLC "Nomad's Asia" under the trademark "Nomad's Land". This policy has been developed in accordance with the requirements of the international Travelife Certification System for Sustainable Tourism.
Principles
We are doing our best to achieve the following goals:
Intention
Bring our Policy to the attention of our employees and review it regularly to adapt it to our services and activities.
All Nomad employees and management in Asia are involved in this effort.
This policy is available upon request to all interested parties.
Child Sexual Exploitation Policy
Nomad's Asia LLC is committed to protecting children who can be part of our supply chain.
We firmly believe that children should not be harmed, and we condemn the exploitation of children and young people under the age of 18 who may have been persuaded by an adult to come and stay at our hotel and receive free accommodation, drinks and food in exchange for sexual acts.
We also condemn the general exploitation of children for commercial sexual purposes, illegal human trafficking, child abuse, child labor and child marriage. The Contact Code for the Protection of Children from Sexual Exploitation in Travel and Tourism, Child Sex Tourism, is defined as the commercial sexual exploitation of children by men and women who travel and at the destination where they engage in sexual acts with children and any persons under the age of 18.
Our staff is trained to be alert to recognize possible cases where children may be at risk when placing adults in a hotel, especially when it comes to only one adult and one child. It is expected that employees will be encouraged to report to management any problems related to child protection.
The Management undertakes to monitor all reports and send information about the exploitation of children to the appropriate authorities.
We are actively conducting a campaign to protect children in our company so that our customers know our position.
We will find ways to provide positive support to local children in our community, including raising general questions about the vulnerability of children to local authorities and public associations.
Nomad's Asia LLC Sexual Exploitation of Children
Politics
Under the brand “Nomad's Land"
December 2021
Sustainable Accommodation Policy
Our company strives to promote sustainable accommodation.
The environmental friendliness of the accommodation facility is of paramount importance, as it allows our company to extend the practice of sustainable development to the central element of our visits. In most cases, we choose housing for our clients, but when there is a choice of housing, our clients can choose it. In this case, our policy is to recommend to our guests the most acceptable accommodation options within their budget. When choosing accomondation, we give preference to institutions that adhere to sustainable practices in all aspects of their activities.
Scope
This policy will be part of the Sustainable Development Policy. The policy applies to the choice of hosting providers with which our company cooperates.
This policy comes into force immediately after approval by the Director-General and its distribution to the staff. The policy will be officially reviewed every 2 years to ensure its relevance. The Chief Executive Officer or an official authorized by this body must approve any deviation from this policy.
Principles of Sustainable Accommodation
In our efforts to select the most sustainable housing providers, we give preference to establishments that follow these fundamental principles:
1. Comfort corresponds to the price
The establishment is hygienic, sanitary, and safe and is able to offer good comfort and service in accordance with the expectations of our guests. Sustainable hosting methods can be found in all price ranges; that is why we strive to identify the most sustainable options available within our customers' budgets.
2. Fair trade
The institution adheres to fair business practices, including transparency and compliance with the law, human rights, and economic/social justice, as well as environmental and animal protection.
3. Minimizes the impact on the environment and society
The Institution gives priority to sustainable practices, striving to minimize their impact on the environment and society.
General considerations on sustainable development
Currently, there is no internationally certified housing in Central Asia, but there are institutions recognized for their best practices. Sustainable methods can be found in all budget ranges. That is why our company mainly studies their practices to determine the most responsible suppliers.
Housing ratings by our company can be carried out in several ways:
The following considerations will be taken into account when evaluating accommodation facilities and will determine the preferences of our company:
Caring for a person
We strive to work with establishments that take care of their human resources, which is of paramount importance for the hotel sector. Therefore, we evaluate whether the institution offers good working conditions for its employees (minimum wage, reasonable working hours, appropriate lunch hours, etc.).
No plastic policy
The hotel minimizes the use of plastic and, as a rule, does not offer its guests plastic water bottles. Instead, the establishment provides places where guests can fill the pitchers provided in the room and their own bottles.
Wastes
We check that at least organic waste for composting and plastic/metal/glass for recycling are separated in the room. Preference will be given to facilities that are able to go beyond these basic waste management methods.
Energy efficiency
The hotel adheres to the principles of energy efficiency, such as energy-saving light bulbs and energy-efficient equipment. The housing provider advises its guests (for example, by using signs in rooms and corridors) to turn off lights and electrical appliances when they are not in use, or has implemented a comprehensive shutdown plan (automated system). If the company is not connected to the national grid, it will not use an oil generator. It can use solar energy, hydropower, candles, and a wood-burning stove. The use of strictly dead wood for heating the room (yurt or mountain hut).
Water use efficiency
The accommodation uses water efficiently. Places with a water-saving system on their "western" toilets and showers will be preferable to others. Places where flushing is used for the toilet and/or shower with a bucket also have clear control over the amount used.
Protection of the rights of the child
The institution ensures the observance and protection of the rights of the child. If the supplier employs children under the age of 14, the company must ensure that special working conditions are created to protect them (for example, part-time or internship).
Local supplies
Guests are encouraged to buy and use local food made in accordance with the principles of fair trade and sustainable development.
Protection of biological diversity
The placement limits as much as possible the negative impact of char on local and global biodiversity (for example, the absence of species listed in the Red Book in the menu).
Genuine charm
A residential building (exterior and/or interior) includes elements of art, architecture, or local cultural heritage. The staff wears traditional clothes. A warm welcome has been organized.
Social values
The institution respects the intellectual property rights of local communities and contributes to the local community in any way possible (for example, sponsorship of local events, donations to local heritage sites).
Stimulating the improvement of sustainable methods
Our company adheres to a long-term strategy of increasing the sustainability of conventional hosting providers. Upon request or on our own initiative, we support joint initiatives with other tour operators and/or interested parties to promote the sustainable development of accommodation facilities in our destinations.
Whenever possible, we discuss with the owner/manager of the accommodation his current practice and what he could do to follow more sustainable practices (for example, through a visit from our manager or through our guides).
In addition, we can share standards and best practice tips with our hosting providers, including:
Sanction
If it turns out that the hosting provider is acting in accordance with unstable practices, our company will issue them a warning. If this supplier does not change its practice, our company will cease all forms of cooperation (informal and contractual) and will blacklist this company for further cooperation.
Communication with accommodation providers
Our company interacts with accommodation institutions in various ways.
Email
Most often we communicate by email and phone. Especially when sending emails, we can report on certain aspects of sustainable development.
Facebook Group "The family from Nomad's Land”
The most up-to-date information can be found in our Facebook group “The Nomad's Land family". When you are part of this group, you accept our philosophy and are interested in becoming more sustainable.
Website
To avoid unnecessary waste of paper, we invest a lot in our website: You can find the entire sustainability policy on our website.
Contracts
We sign contracts with hosting providers with whom we work regularly and with a sufficient number of clients. These contracts include an overview of our codes of conduct and sanctions, which suppliers read and sign after approval.
Visit in person
When we have the opportunity, we personally visit the housing and explain to them how they could improve their services and become more sustainable. In many cases, it is our guides who convey these messages.
What we report
Our company promotes as a mandatory policy:
Encouragement
Our company will give priority to working with accommodation facilities that are able to operate in a sustainable manner, taking responsibility for their impact on the environment and society. When we have sufficient volume, we can offer additional benefits, such as hotel marketing on our website or special contractual terms.
Approval date: December 2021
Tours:
Excursions involving animals:
Special rules regarding horseback tours:
Special rules relating to the show with the birds of prey:
Conserve water
Reducing water consumption through more efficient use of water by consumers leads to greater energy and water savings in water systems.
The production and disposal of disposable bottles consume a lot of water and energy. Therefore, it is better to buy products in reusable and returnable glass or PET containers. It limits the consumption of materials and energy. Fruits and vegetables often have to be transported long distances before they reach the supermarket. Growing, processing, and transporting requires a lot of water and energy. Buying regional seasonal products is much more environmentally friendly.
Reduce your waste
Our task is to minimize the amount of waste from the office by implementing the practice of sorting and recycling.
Save and maximize energy
These are our measures to increase our office energy efficiency:
Walk and travel green.
Less pollution, more benefits.
To the idea of reducing our carbon footprint, we encourage our employees to travel by public transport, and employees have the opportunity to work online from home.
Purchasing sustainable products based on green criteria is key to our commitment.
Buying local encompasses a potential way forward to reduce greenhouse gas emissions associated with transport. It is one of the levers of sustainable procurement.
All animals should receive disease prevention and veterinary treatment, appropriate shelter, nutrition, and humane treatment.
Animals in captivity should be cared for and provided with everything they need to maintain their well-being.
Five Freedoms for Animals:
Minimum requirements for tours with involving animals:
Requirements for the guide conducting excursions with participation of animals:
If you noticed something during your trip that did not comply with our policies, or if you have any questions, please contact our sustainability manager aisulu@nomadsland.travel
Our first and single biggest objective is the reduction of risk to health and safety as far as is practically possible.
Nomad’s Land has a health & safety policy which can be found below together with how each of these policy points is implemented.
In the countries we suggest you visit, international standards are not applied for various reasons such as the lack of training, a rescue column, helicopter rescue, etc. This is why at Nomad's Land we take particular care in the choice of the guide team, the drivers and our local partners, but also the choice of the days that we offer you. Before your arrival, we will have tried to anticipate any problems that may arise during your stay.
We also have strong relationships with local communities, health care facilities and authorities such as National Park Rangers, Ministry of Emergencies, National Alpine Club, National Mountain Guides Association.
Our priorities are:
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