Sustainable initiatives by JTB group company renew “Travelife Certified”

SUNRISE TOURS, run by JTB GLOBAL MARKETING & TRAVEL INC. (JTBGMT), facilitates packaged tours for international travelers with a focus on sustainable tourism. The agency has renewed its Travelife Certified status, recognizing them as a frontrunner in sustainable tourism. This significant achievement reflects JTBGMT’s compliance with over 200 criteria set by Travelife and the Global Sustainable Tourism Council, covering environmental conservation and social contribution.

What is Travelife Certified?

Travelife, based in the Netherlands, leads initiatives toward sustainable-focused tourism by facilitating and conducting certification programs. They are an internationally certified group authorized by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council to stipulate global standards. Travelife offers a three-step program: Engaged (companies must present appropriate management flows for sustainable tourism), Partner (company reports and compliance must be assessed by Travelife), and Certified (companies must meet the global standards established by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council).

Initiatives of SUNRISE TOURS by JTBGMT

What kind of sustainable actions are implemented by SUNRISE TOURS? Here are some examples:

Providing travelers with curated sustainable tours and action-oriented opportunities

Collaborative actions with clients are essential to achieving one of the agency’s greatest missions: the co-creation of sustainable tourism. To make this possible, a four-step travel action plan was designed, enabling travelers to engage with sustainability throughout their entire stay in Japan.

• Trip Research (Research Phase)

The agency provides customers with resourceful information about travel plans applied to specific themes: environment-friendly activities featuring nature-oriented hands-on experiences, cross-cultural understanding through learning local history and culture, staying in old Japanese houses, and social contribution with features like donating to local distributions and projects. This phase initiates customers’ interest and helps them find their focus on traveling.

• Pre-Trip (Preparation Phase)

This phase encourages travelers to keep important considerations in mind and aims for them to be responsible travelers. The agency provides cues on how to care for regions and cultivate empathy and appreciation for themselves and others. The purpose of this stage is for travelers to find happiness in everything around them.

• Mid-Trip (Activity Phase)

Travelers are required to apply what they have learned in the Pre-Trip phase. Experienced tour guides conduct tours in world heritage sites, nature spots, and local regions, providing travel tips that expand knowledge about sustainable tourism in Japan.

• Post-Trip (Sharing Phase)

In this final phase, the agency encourages customers to stay engaged with sustainability even after their trips end. They invite travelers to share their experiences on social media with the hashtag #responsibletraveler, spreading the word and creating shared values.

Efforts for carbon offsets

There are packaged plans to contribute to compensating for CO2 emissions by purchasing renewable energy with a portion of travel fees. For example, tours based on the Setouchi Scenic Route not only respect eco-conscious principles, including carbon offsets, but also help revitalize the local economy and allow travelers to discover the photogenic beauty of the Seto Inland Sea and the Shikoku region.

SUNRISE TOURS emphasizes that their forward-thinking missions can be achieved through collaborative work involving travelers, communities, and the agency.

It is not an exaggeration to say that overtourism in Japan could discourage sustainable-minded travelers from visiting. However, travel agencies committed to sustainable tourism, like SUNRISE TOURS operated by JTBGMT, offer solutions. Traveling with them can help address your concerns, enhance the quality of your trip, solve regional issues, and contribute to local communities.