The tourism industry touches on many aspects of human rights, such as equality, fair wages or discrimination, particularly in developing and emerging economies. Ten travel companies and five associations have now joined forces to drive human rights due diligence in the tourism value chain via self-paced online training. The project is led by the sustainability initiative Futouris e.V. and the Roundtable Human Rights in Tourism.
Hamburg, 5. December, 2023. A total of fifteen large, small and medium-sized travel/ tourism companies, civil society organizations and associations have joined forces to develop online training for human rights due diligence in the tourism value chain. The training will be available free of charge to suppliers and partners in destination countries; as such, it will enable local
partners such as accommodation providers and destination management organizations to learn about human rights due diligence and how to start best implementing it.
Travel and tourism companies need individual due diligence strategies to establish human rights
Travel and tourism is a key factor in developing and emerging countries and can create jobs, strengthen local economies and reduce inequalities. At the same time, travel and tourism touches many aspects of human rights, e.g. equality, fair wages or protection against discrimination. Therefore, tourism businesses need due diligence strategies to enforce human rights through
economic activities and avoid human rights violations.
The Supply Chain Due Diligence Act (LkSG), which the German government passed in January 2023, as well as the planned European Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD), don’t apply to the majority of the travel industry, which mainly consists of small and medium-sized enterprises. Nevertheless, these companies also significantly impact human
rights in the tourism industry and must uphold this responsibility.
Stronger together: the travel industry and non-profit tourism associations join forces
The aim of the travel companies involved in the project, DERTOUR Group, FTI Group, TUI Group, TUI Cruises, Booking.com, Gebeco, Chamäleon, Studiosus Reisen, Hauser Exkursionen and FairAway Travel, is to ensure broad acceptance and use of these training. For this reason, the developed training will be tested for practical applicability together with the partners in the destinations and further developed. The business association for sustainable travel forum anders reisen, the German Travel Association (DRV) and ECPAT Germany support the project.
The training will be available free of charge on atingi.org, the digital learning platform of the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), and thus enable the local partners of the travel companies to get started with the topic of human rights due diligence. Online training to address aspects of human rights in tourism During a kick-off workshop in early October in Berlin, the project participants discussed the structure and the concept of the planned training based on the results of a stakeholder survey conducted among suppliers and partners of the project companies. The training will provide
participants with an overview of the various human rights risks in tourism and relevant measures as well as further information on the specific risks. In addition, the training will provide information on the legal requirements of the German Supply Chain law as well as the planned EU directive. The basic training will be supplemented by additional modules giving more in-depth information.
This joint project is being implemented under the umbrella of the Sector Dialogue on Tourism for Sustainable Development. Half of the initiative is financed by the project partners’ own funds and the other half by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). Companies interested in actively participating are cordially invited to do so. For further information, please contact Futouris.
Background:
Futouris e.V.
Preserving the natural and cultural heritage of our world and shaping the future of tourism in a sustainable way – that is what Futouris – the German Sustainability Initiative, founded in 2009, stands for. Together with our members we aim at developing and implementing pilot projects and innovations which enable more responsibility and sustainability in destinations and in the business activity of tourism companies. Members of the non-profit organization are medium-sized companies and market leaders, national as well as international companies, which are united by a common spirit. They do not only work locally in the destinations, they also put the results into practice in their own company. In order to ensure the highest standards in qualifying the world-wide projects, Futouris is supported by an international scientific advisory board, who is involved in project development and accrediting the projects. The German Travel Association (DRV) and the Austrian Travel Association (ÖRV) support the goals of Futouris and actively participate as patroness. For further information please visit www.futouris.org.
Contact
Tatjana Peters
Project manager Futouris e.V.
Heidenkampsweg 58
D-20097 Hamburg
Mail: Tatjana.peters@futouris.org
Roundtable Human Rights in Tourism
The Roundtable Human Rights in Tourism is a multi-stakeholder initiative that promotes the implementation of human rights due diligence by tourism companies. The Roundtable currently has 39 members from seven countries, including tour operators, travel associations, certification bodies, industry multipliers and non-governmental organisations. It is an open dialogue platform for exchanging and transferring know-how within the industry. It provides information, materials, and good practice examples to respect human rights in tourism according to the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. For further information please visit www.humanrights-in-tourism.net.
Sector Dialogue Tourism for Sustainable Development
The Sector Dialogue is a multi-stakeholder partnership of business, civil society, and academia with the aim of using tourism to contribute to the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Climate Agreement. As the secretariat, the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH coordinates the cooperation of the Sector Dialogue Tourism for Sustainable Development and provides technical support for the sector initiative.