TopAtlântico is one of the POrtuguese leading tour operatours. In January 2021, with the support of the specialised consultancy Earth 51, the company prepared the 2021 Sustainability Report, where it diagnosed the sustainable practices already adopted by the company, identified those that needed to be improved and outlined new actions and paths, in accordance with the Sustainable Development Goals defined by the United Nations, always in search of a better company and a greater contribution to a greener, more benevolent and fairer planet. Tourism has a prominent role in this process due to its economic relevance since it represents (in pre-pandemic years) more than 10% of global GDP! 1 in 4 jobs in the world were generated due to tourism. This scenario makes sustainable tourism activity influential in advancing the SDGs. For this reason, all actions that are developed or promoted in favour of a better and more sustainable Planet will be signed with the “+Planet” seal. +Planet is the commitment to Sustainability through various internal and external initiatives. Because the core of the company’s activity is Travel, it has as an unavoidable path to bring sustainable components to the act of travelling, promoting a more sustainable Travel offer. The criteria that were selected to be included in the More Sustainable Travel offer were defined in line with the Global Sustainability Goals and based on exclusion factors from the outset, namely: Exploitation and harassment; Disrespect for equal opportunities Disregard for decent work Services that threaten communities in any way Sale, trading or display of illegal artefacts Collection and trade of wildlife or activities that disrespect animal welfare. In addition, for a trip to be considered in the More Sustainable Travel offer, it must comply with social, cultural and environmental criteria defined by the company and inspired by the criteria of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council, so that: Is environmentally friendly, or if not, produces mechanisms to compensate for the damage caused; Has a positive impact on the host community and the destination’s ecosystem; Be a driver of local quality of life and promote the preservation of cultural heritage; Be an inspiration in raising awareness not only among its suppliers, but also among employees, customers and all people who interact with the company. In their Travel programmes, they always privilege the use of local suppliers that hire local workers, promoting the economy of the places; include visits to local markets, where travellers can make purchases that feed and promote local traders and communities; incorporate training and awareness-raising components for the preservation of nature and species; visits to natural parks, whose entrance fee contributes to conservation projects; visits or interaction with communities, participating in projects that contribute to local development and or teach travellers about culture and heritage to be preserved; among other components. In addition, they have signed a Protocol with Quercus’ “Criar Bosques” programme, so that all Travel programmes contribute to tree planting, creating a basis for offsetting CO2 produced by each traveller. Travel can become more sustainable and contribute to making travellers more aware and more active in global sustainability issues. The travel programmes developed are grouped into 4 axes: Sustainable Tourism in Portugal: Far from the big urban centres, in the picturesque villages and footpaths of Madeira and the Azores or in the rural villages of mainland Portugal, lie some of the most fantastic resources of the country’s natural and intangible heritage. Νational leisure experiences for the whole family and friends: Scattered around the world, far from the attention and eyes of the public and tourism in general, are some of the most special and unique places on planet Earth. Expeditions, experiences of a lifetime, designed from scratch by their experts, whose opportunity should not be missed. National & International Projects: Social responsibility projects developed as an academic complement (school and university), but open and adapted to all ages. National and international volunteering programmes, with a community, ecological and humanistic sense, sharing unique experiences for a full-hearted return home. Natura Work Meetings: What one does and what one lives determines the final result. Immersive, ecological meetings focused on team productivity and organisational goals. They have created conceptual, exceptional and unique environments so that one never have to repeat a conventional meeting. Corporate experiences like one has never seen!
