Sustainable Mission and Policies

Continued commitment to sustainability

Our Sustainability Mission

ASEV Travel understands the need to balance sustainable tourism practices alongside social, cultural and ethnic differences.

Our mission works towards a 3 tier approach with a focus on:

Socio-economic development: Supporting local communities and businesses
Environmental sustainability: Reducing our environmental footprint
Cultural sensitivity: Heritage preservation

This 3 tier approach is interweaved in all our objectives and actions:

Internal management.
Committing that our travel experiences are in-line with sustainable standards.
Selecting our partners through sustainable criteria and empowering them with sustainable practice recommendations.
Maintain a constant commitment to review our policies and practices, to ensure they are in-line with our 3 tier approach.

Our Sustainability Coordinator

“I’m a fan of factual communication and truly believe in a future of sustainable tourism where travelers can enjoy memorable experiences while minimizing their carbon footprint.

With Asev, I will ensure that the company continues to implement and follow responsible behaviors. Knowing that sustainable development can never be achieved alone, I hope to inspire our team members and partners to plan the way forward together in this challenging adventure through my determination, my sharing of know-how and my sense of curiosity.”

Tram

Latest Projects and Achievements

Travelife Partner Sustainability Award

Travelife, which has been established with the support of the European Commission, is the leading international sustainability certification for the travel sector. It covers all aspects of the tourism supply chain from environmental issues, biodiversity and human rights to labour relations

Travelife follows a three-stage approach:

(1) Travelife Engaged (become an official member),
(2) Travelife Partner (award),

This requires a verified self-assessment to more than 100 criteria related to sustainability management, office operations, working with suppliers and customer communication.

(3) Travelife Certified (certification).

We are working towards further improvements aiming to eventually reach the third party audited Travelife Certified stage and span this accreditation to all our destinations across South East Asia.

2024: Travel Partner Sustainability Award for ASEV Travel Laos

2023: Travelife Partner Sustainability Award for ASEV Travel Vietnam

ASEV Travel Cambodia: Travelife engaged

After a successful start in our sustainable journey for ASEV Travel Laos and ASEV Travel Vietnam, ASEV Travel Cambodia is now an official member of Travelife since January 2024 and we have started the process to work step by step towards complying with international sustainability standards.

Through regular training, raising awareness among our staff & our suppliers, and developing a culture of sustainable management and practices, ASEV Travel Cambodia aims to work through the different Travelife stages to then reach the highest level of the Travelife certification.

Sustainable Logo

Our sustainable logo is a powerful symbol that embodies our commitment to fostering more respectful and sustainable tourism practices. It serves as a beacon throughout our tour programs to guide you towards choices that align with our values of environmental stewardship and social responsibility. This logo which we have specifically designed to reflect our values—rather than being affiliated with any official sustainability certification body—is prominently displayed to identify and celebrate the partners, initiatives, projects, and businesses that share our vision of responsible tourism.

By incorporating this logo into our program recommendations, we aim to make it easier to recognize and support those who are making a positive impact on the environment and local communities. We are actively seeking and communicating internally to find and continue promoting key sustainable players, with the goal of continuously increasing the percentage of green activities and committed partners. Whether it’s a local supplier with eco-friendly practices, a hotel that prioritizes sustainability, or an activity that respects and uplifts local cultures, our logo signifies a commitment to leaving a positive footprint. This not only enhances the travel experience but also contributes to the broader goal of developing a tourism industry that is ethical, equitable, and sustainable for future generations.

Refill Not Landfill Project

ASEV Travel is committed to the protection of the environment and has therefore joined the plastic reduction program: “Refill Not Landfill”.

This global campaign aims to reduce the consumption of single-use plastic bottles.

Committed to reducing our environmental footprint, ASEV Travel provides its travelers in Laos and Cambodia with reusable and refilable bottles, as well as a network of refil stations.

Elephant Welfare Initiative

ASEV Travel believes in having a robust system for the regulation and continuous improvement of standards in elephant and animal welfare across the globe.

We are actively helping to set the standard across Asia Pacific, ensuring the highest levels of care for elephants in captivity and promoting responsible and ethical tourism.

Through a rigorous and transparent auditing process, elephant camps are thoroughly assessed based on comprehensive criteria that encourage camps to comply with strict guidelines, ensuring the care, protection, and overall wellbeing of Asian elephants in their care.

Carbon Offset Scheme

What does Carbon offset mean?

Carbon offsetting means finding a way to compensate for the carbon-dioxide pollution each individual produce (what we also call the carbon footprint). Technically speaking, entering a carbon offset campaign means exploring solutions to prevent or remove C02 from this atmosphere. The biggest emissions are generated from transportation, accommodation, general office business, and tour packaging materials.

How does it work?

Through data collection, ASEV travel measures the average carbon footprint of each traveller during each tour by using an emission calculator. According to the results, ASEV Travel provides suggestions for carbon offset projects in South East Asia (ex: tree planting…)

Where do we stand?

At ASEV Travel we are making our first steps in developing a carbon offset policy, in partnership with GoldStandard in Laos.

Children Protection Policy

Children who live and work in tourist destinations are particularly susceptible to sexual, emotional, and physical abuse. Depending on the type, severity, and effects of the crime, those who commit or are involved in sexual exploitation to children under 16 will be sentenced to jail from a minimum of 7 years.

In case of suspicious violation, please refer to the below Hotline numbers:

Vietnam: 111 or 18001567 or contact report@thinkchildsafe.org
Laos: +856 20 77 87 75 55 or contact report@thinkchildsafe.org
Cambodia: +855 17 358 758

In the context of travel and tourism, it is typically easy to identify child sexual exploitation when adults engage in interactions with local minors.

For example, a visitor who checks into a hotel room while accompanied by a local child
A hotel or travel agency that allegedly allows children to be sexually exploited on their grounds or within their domain.

When you intend to report a case of sexual exploitation in the context of travel and tourism, please keep in mind:

To provide as much information as possible about the offender, the victim and the location where the supposed abuse took place.
It would really help to have a photo of the suspect.

Together with us, we kindly request that you report any instances of child sexual abuse by visiting this link: https://thinkchildsafe.org/

There is also information available with your guide.