Message from management
Leader in sustainable development: Transat is Travelife certified
In October 2018, Transat became the first major international tour operator to obtain Travelife certification for all of its activities. Our desire to be a leader in sustainable development in our industry has become a reality. This recognition did not come about by chance, but rather it’s the result of a process undertaken 12 years ago to become a model of responsible tourism.
We focused on four pillars of action: the environment, communities, our activities and our workplace. The goals: To reduce our environmental footprint, make our team aware of the importance of sustainable development and involve them in our endeavours, contribute to the well-being of communities, especially children, review our operations to better address our customers’ concerns, and encourage our partners to implement their own sustainable practices.
In 2012, we adopted a vision for the future that placed sustainable development at the heart of what we do. Corporate responsibility became a major priority. We stepped up our efforts to improve the benefits of our operations while reducing the negative impacts of tourism on communities and the environment.
In 2016, we shifted into high gear and earned Travelife Partner status, a first step toward certification for all of our tour operator and travel agency operations. We put in place an action plan to comply with more than 200 criteria involving our work practices, our products, our partners and our customers.
It is with great pride for the work done and great appreciation for the entire Transat team that we can now say:
Mission accomplished, Transat is Travelife certified!
With certification comes the responsibility to continue the journey, to maintain the excellent practices for which Transat is now recognized and to continue to improve activities that are critical for the environment, the economy and communities.
We are already in the process of implementing a new 2018–2020 plan that is in line with the actions that earned us this certification.
We will continue to engage our employees around sustainable-development issues, encourage and recognize the efforts of our partners who are already eager to work with us, continue our philanthropic work and inspire our customers to travel responsibly. And we know that all these audiences whose awareness we will continue to raise will, in turn, challenge us to do more. Transat is one of the largest integrated tourism companies in the world and Canada’s holiday travel leader. And we intend to remain as such. With Travelife certification, we are confident that we will continue on this path in a responsible manner while remaining a front-runner in sustainable development.
Annick Guérard
Chief Operating Officer
Transat A.T. Inc.
October 18, 2018