SkiGroup – Sustanability Statement

Sustainability policy of SkiGroup

Purpose

The company is committed to minimising its impact on the enviroment. The purpose of this policy is to manage and improve continouosly on identified sustainable areas by tirelessly follow-up, adjustments and aspire to resposible tourism.

Scope

This policy applies to all operations within the company; this includes all full-time and seasonal workers across all locations where an employee from SkiGroop is placed.

Sustainability management & legal compliance

Sustainability commitment

SkiGroup leadership is wholly committed to the company's sustainability performance and endorses the company's sustainability mission statement and policy.

We will use the Travelife platform to report on our sustainability progress and to monitor and evaluate progress. We are committed to (publicly) communicating our sustainability performance (by means of the Travelife report) every two years.

Sustainability management & legal compliance

SkiGroup commits to continuous improvement of sustainability practices, including the ongoing monitoring and evaluation of our sustainability policy, with dedicated personnel and resources to achieve our sustainability goals.

We follows all local, regional, national, and international regulations as they relate to human resources, human rights, children’s rights, land rights, environmental management, wildlife, and land use. We follow a strict Code of Ethics, including a zero-tolerance policy for corruption, bribery, forced labor, and discrimination.

Internal management: social policy & human rights

Employees

We recognize that our employees are our biggest asset for delivering meaningful travel experiences to our customers. Therefore, we maintain a clear human resource policy to ensure:

Legal compliance in all regards
A safe, healthy, and welcoming workplace
Fair contract conditions including fair compensation
Training opportunities including trainings on topics of sustainability, sexual harassment and exploitation in the workplace and in the industry
Participation in the sustainability planning activities
Inclusion and equal opportunity for all employees, particularly with regard to compensation, promotion, distribution of benefits, and professional development opportunities.

Internal management: environment

Environmental management of office operations

We are committed to keeping the direct footprint of our business operations as minimal as possible and actively follow sustainability andenvironmentally-sound principles. We have the following measures in place:

Follow all local and national regulations concerning environmental law
Measure, monitor, and evaluate use of all commodities in terms of water, waste, energ
Measure on carbon-footprint of our guests
Procure office supply. locally, seasonally, fair trade, in bulk, with limited packaging, sustainability certified whenever possible
Print only when absolutely necessary, and when printing, always print double-sided on grayscale. Paper must always be FSC or equivalent certified, with preference for the highest percentage post- consumer materials
Energy saving measures are in place in all common areas
All equipment and lighting is energy-efficient and turned off/unplugged/on sleep mode when not in use
Water saving measures are in place in all common areas and restrooms, including water capture in external areas
Waste is separated into the categories that is identified in sorting by the municipality
Noise, light, and air pollution is minimised

Carbon management of office operations

SkiGroup is committed to reducing our carbon footprint and endeavours to reduce the amount we travel as much as possible by:

Reduce the amount we travel as much as possible
Monitoring and measuring carbon footprint with the aim to reduce as much as possible and offset remaining amounts.
We commit to offsetting our remaining direct and indirect carbon from travel and fossil energy use via [carbon offset company].
Installing energy efficient equipment and appliances where possible

Land use

SkiGroup offices are located in an urban area and abides by all local land use laws, respects local cultural and natural resources in our business operations, and favours sustainable architecture and design.

General suppliers policy

SkiGroup is committed to sourcing its products and services responsibly, avoiding harmful impacts on society, culture and nature as much as possible. We expect the same level of engagement and commitment from our suppliers.

SkiGroup prefers to work with partners that share the company’s commitment towards sustainability. This

means that we prefer partners that have a written sustainability statement as an integral part of their business policy and/or a clear sustainability policy in place.

SkiGroup prefers to work with suppliers in the destinations that are locally owned or managed, use local and seasonal products and services and benefit the local community by hiring locally and equitably and by providing fair working conditions.

Whenever possible, SkiGroup prefers to select partner companies that comply with tourism-specific, internationally recognized (GSTC-accredited) certifications, or other sustainability certifications like B Corp or ISO.

SkiGroup expects its suppliers to adhere to a [Code of Conduct/Code of Ethics], that includes the following responsible business practices:

Complying with all local, regional, national and international regulations
Respecting all human rights including labour rights, children’s rights, and women’s rights Committing to fair employment conditions
Following anti-corruption, anti-bribery, anti-extortion, and anti-discrimination policies Protecting children from (sexual) exploitation through tourism
Protecting the environment and natural resources
Acting in the best interest of local communities
Protecting the interests of [company]

Following a zero-tolerance policy, SkiGroup will immediately terminate any relationships with suppliers that violate abovementioned, specifically through acts of bribery, corruption, discrimination, and violation of human rights.

SkiGroup raises awareness amongst its suppliers to adopt sound social and environmental practices, and to minimise their carbon footprint.

SkiGroup maintains open lines of communication with our suppliers and partners and encourage feedback from our stakeholders at any time and on any topic, particularly sustainability.

Inbound partner agencies

In the entire process of developing and operating our travel packages, SkiGroup expects partner agencies to act in the best interests of the surrounding communities and environment as well as our guests.

SkiGroup provides partner agencies opportunities for sustainability learning and management, including free access to the Travelife online learning and reporting platform.

Transport

When selecting transport for guests and business related travel, SkiGroup commits to choosing the most environmentally friendly options available for travelling to, from, and within the destination – taking into consideration distance, price, route, and comfort.

SkiGroup is implementing clear guidelines for reducing GHG emissions from transport and selecting the most environmentally friendly transport options, including the following measures:

Preferring ground transport over air transport for short-haul travel destinations (less than 1 hour flight time)

Avoiding in-destination (ferry) flights as much as possible
Offering coach transport to and from the airport at ski destinations upon arrival/departure Using public transportation options in the destinations
Using appropriate vehicle sizes for group sizes and purchasing most efficient vehicles available

SkiGroup endeavours to measure and - in the future - compensate for the unavoidable GHG emissions produced from transportation. Compensation costs are either included by default in the package price or compensation is actively promoted to the clients as a booking option.

Accommodations

In the accommodation selection process, SkiGroup considers the sustainability practices of an accommodation by taking into account their sustainability management and social and environmental footprint.

Activities & Excursions

All excursions and activities run by or on behalf of SkiGroup respect local customs, traditions, cultural integrity, and natural resources.

SkiGroup commits to not offering any excursions that harm humans, wildlife, environment, or natural resources such as water and energy.

SkiGroup gives preference to excursions and activities that benefit local communities, respect animal welfare and support environmental protection.

SkiGroup provides excursion and attraction providers opportunities for sustainability learning and management, including free access to the Travelife online learning and reporting platform.

Tour leaders, local representatives, and guides

SkiGroup commits to hiring qualified local guides, porters, drivers or other local staff, paying them living wages and providing safe and fair working conditions. We expect the same from our suppliers that are hiring local staff on behalf of SkiGroup.

SkiGroup understands that guides are the intermediaries between the guests and the socio-cultural and environmental context of the destination, conveying the appropriate behaviour to them. Therefore, we make sure that all guides hired by or leading tours on behalf of SkiGroup are trained regularly and knowledgeable in the sustainability topics of the destination.

Destinations

Sustainable destinations

SkiGroup prefers to work in destinations that have committed to sustainability as an integral part of community and destination development.

SkiGroup does not support destinations that have a questionable human rights track record. Contribution to local communities / local economic network

SkiGroup commits to positive contribution to the destinations in which we operate, by: Sourcing locally and responsibly, and supporting local and traditional arts and culture

Encouraging guests to shop responsibly and educating them about illegal/prohibited/forbidden souvenirs

Collaborating with other local tourism stakeholders [including local government, other tourism businesses, academia, community groups] to further the sustainable tourism development of the destination

Respecting and advocating for all human rights (i.e. children's rights, women’s rights, labour rights, etc.) as well as land rights

Environmental stewardship in destinations
SkiGroup commits to environmental stewardship in the destinations in which we operate by:

Ensuring natural resources remain intact
Educating guests about the principles of responsible travel and responsible visitor behaviour

Customer communication and protection

Privacy

Our customer protection is our priority. Therefore, we maintain a clear privacy policy https://www.hojmark.dk/information/diverse/persondatapolitik/ ; https://www.onlineski.dk/information/rejsebestemmelser/persondatapolitik/

; https://www.lionalpin.se/information/diverse/gdpr/ to ensure Legal compliance in all regards
Customers and their data are protected
Customers know how their information is being used

Marketing and communication

SkiGroup strives to be truthful in all situations and at all times. We offer products and services that do what we claim in our communications.
We honour our explicit and implicit commitments and promises.
We are anti-greenwashing and stand behind our sustainability claims 100%.

We endeavour to be inclusive and representative in our marketing, and to always take into account cultural, religious, and ethnic sensitivities.

Sustainability communication

Customers will in the future be informed about the social and environmental impact of their journey, and are educated about the sustainable choices they can make, including transparent communication on:

Certified accommodations
Compensation of their trips CO2 emissions
Activities and excursions that benefit the local communities and environmental protection

Customer experience

The company aims for all customer experiences to be positive, and follows strict health and safety, marketing, and excursion policies to ensure customer satisfaction. These policies cover specific topics of (but not limited to):

Health and safety Emergency procedures

Privacy
Group numbers
Greenhouse Gas emissions and offsetting Transport
Shopping
Sexual exploitation
Children in tourism
Satisfaction and complaints

SkiGroup maintains open lines of communication with our customers and encourages feedback at any time and on any topic, particularly sustainability.

Contact / Responsible person

All staff are responsible for the ownership and undertaking of this policy.

The implementation of this policy will be lead by the Sustainability Coordinator, Kristian Bach Spaabæk, who can be reached at kristian@skigroup.dk.

Effective date

This policy is effective from September 4, 2023.

Revision history

This policy was developed on September 4, 2023 This policy will be revised by March 2024