At Greatway Tour, we believe that travel is more than just a way to explore the world—it is a powerful force for environmental preservation, social equity, and cultural respect. As a inbound tour operator in China, we are acutely aware of the impact that tourism has on natural ecosystems, community development, and future generations. We are committed to making sustainability the core of our company strategy, actively engaging our employees, partners, and travelers in responsible tourism practices.
We believe that through concrete and actionable steps, Greatway Tour can contribute to creating a greener, fairer, and more beautiful world. This green mission statement is not just words on paper—it is the unwavering belief and guidance behind every journey we craft, every service we deliver, and every decision we make.
1. The significance and purpose of policy formulation
Chengdu Greatway Tour Co., Ltd. is a travel company that is oriented to the global market and deeply involved in the field of inbound tourism in China. We are fully aware of the extensive impact of the tourism industry on the environment, society, culture and economy. Therefore, we have formulated this sustainable development policy to:
Systematically guide the company's internal and external activities to promote resource conservation, environmental protection, cultural respect and social responsibility;
Provide clear sustainable behavior guidelines and practical directions for employees, customers and partners;
Build a transparent, responsible and future-oriented corporate image and actively respond to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
2. Scope of Sustainable Development Policy
This policy applies to:
All staff and management of the headquarters
Global travel agencies, local tour operators, hotels, restaurants, fleets, tour guides and other suppliers
Customers, Partners and Community
Including daily office, product design, supply chain management, marketing, customer service and other aspects
3. Policy Statement
I. Company Policy
1) Sustainability management and legal compliance
The company has a sustainable development coordinator and three assistants who are responsible for planning, promoting and supervising all sustainable development-related matters of the company. Their responsibilities include:
Draft annual sustainability report; coordinate communication with suppliers, customers, and third-party organizations; set green goals.
in company meetings , collect feedback from various departments, and propose suggestions for further improvements.
Company management needs to encourage employees to incorporate environmental protection and responsibility into their daily work judgment and execution.
All operations strictly comply with China's Labor Law, Environmental Protection Law, Tourism Law and industry-related international standards (such as Travelife).
2) Internal Management: Social Policy and Human Rights
All employees sign a legal labor contract before officially joining the company, which clearly lists job responsibilities, salary standards, benefits and resignation procedures.
Employees enjoy five insurances and one fund, including pension insurance, medical insurance, unemployment insurance, work-related injury insurance, maternity insurance and housing provident fund.
Employees can submit complaints or opinions to the Human Resources Department at any time in writing or through an anonymous online platform. HR will handle the complaints within 5 working days, and management will implement a "zero retaliation" commitment for complaints.
The company explicitly prohibits all forms of discrimination, harassment and forced labor, and implements gender-equal recruitment, promotion and remuneration policies.
Child labor, temporary unsecured employment, and internship exploitation are all prohibited.
The company has established a health and safety system to ensure that the office is well ventilated, the equipment is safe, and the fire protection standards are met, and arranges annual physical examinations and safety training.
Each employee can participate in no less than 20 hours of internal or external training each year, with topics covering tourism destination knowledge, foreign languages, digital tools, and sustainable development concepts and practices.
The company encourages employees to participate in project-based tasks and helps them achieve career development through cross-departmental collaboration, open competition, mentoring mechanisms, and other means.
3) Internal Management: Environmental Sustainability
All office paper is made of renewable paper that meets national environmental protection standards. Daily documents adopt electronic approval and electronic circulation mechanisms, reducing paper usage by an average of 70%.
We also try our best to go paperless in product promotion and customer communication, sending electronic brochures, electronic business cards, and electronic itineraries, etc.
All printers are set to print in black and white double-sided by default, and departments advocate "don't print if you can avoid it."
Cleaning products such as detergents have obtained the national Class A environmental certification, are non-toxic, low in residue, and safe and friendly to employees and water bodies.
The office area is equipped with energy-saving lamps, LED lighting, low-energy copiers and computers, and employees are encouraged to turn off lights and shut down equipment when not in use .
that you bring your own water cups and tableware to reduce the use of disposable water cups, plastic bottled water and disposable tableware .
The office provides locally sourced tea and snacks, supporting local businesses and reducing transportation costs .
Garbage is classified into four categories: "paper, plastic, electronic, and hazardous" and collected regularly by the office building cleaning department to ensure compliance with regulations.
Enhance employees' awareness of water conservation
Encourage employees to use green commuting (such as walking, cycling, bus, and subway), provide monthly transportation card subsidies to long-distance employees , and implement flexible work and rest hours .
In terms of business travel, high-speed rail is preferred instead of short-distance flights, and batch visits and centralized meetings are encouraged to reduce unnecessary business trips.
II. Supplier Policy
1) City tour operators and cooperative travel agencies
Sustainable behavior clauses will be included in all cooperation agreements, including cultural respect, environmental protection, legal employment and safety management requirements.
Conduct partner evaluation questionnaires regularly and adjust cooperation levels and priorities based on the evaluation results.
Provide partners with sustainable tourism operation guidelines and online sharing sessions to enhance the sense of responsibility of the entire service chain.
2) Transportation providers
Priority will be given to fleets or car rental companies that have compliant operating qualifications, energy-saving vehicle configurations, and good driver health and safety records.
For multi-day trips, it is recommended to use the high-speed rail connection + short transfer mode to reduce long-distance driving fatigue and carbon emissions.
Reject any supplier that fails to pass the annual review or competes at low prices and poses a safety hazard.
3) Accommodation options
Accommodation with the following characteristics is recommended: B&Bs or hotels that have obvious energy-saving and emission-reduction measures, use environmentally friendly toiletries, employ local staff, and respect local cultural architectural styles.
Conduct a questionnaire survey on partner hotels to understand whether they do not require daily changes of towels and bed sheets and whether they have green check-in options.
4) Travel activity selection
The following activities are explicitly prohibited: wildlife performances, contact-type wildlife interactions, stereotyped ethnic "role shows", and crossing the boundaries of nature reserves.
The following experiences are encouraged: Tibetan family tea party, village hiking, intangible cultural heritage handicraft experience, and ecological monitoring volunteer activities (such as bamboo planting activities).
5) Tour guides and representatives
All cooperating tour guides are certified and have passed the annual review.
All tour guides sign long-term cooperation agreements or short-term labor contracts, and the company does not engage in informal "part-time tour guide" behavior.
All tour guides must participate in annual sustainability and cultural sensitivity training, which includes: tourist behavior guidance, environmental protection interpretation skills, emergency response, etc.
The cooperating tour guides are required to hold a certificate and pass the annual review.
6) Destination selection
We give priority to developing destinations with the following characteristics: good ecological environment, community reception capacity, no large-scale pollution or development pressure, and cultural core.
The product development team needs to conduct field investigations and sensitivity analysis reports, and provide feasibility recommendations on cultural reception capacity and ecological carrying capacity.
III. Sustainable policy communication to customers
1) Customer privacy protection
Strictly implement the Personal Information Protection Law and GDPR standards.
Customer data is limited to what is required for travel, and sharing with third parties is strictly controlled.
Conduct data security self-inspection every six months .
2) Pre-trip communication
Customers will receive an electronic road book containing the following details:
The destination’s cultural background, ethnic customs, behavioral norms, environmental protection suggestions (such as bringing your own cups and walking as much as possible), and taboos (such as not taking photos of monks in Tibetan areas or touching the altar, etc. ).
Medical reminders include: an overview of local medical resources, such as high-reaction countermeasures in plateau areas, a list of commonly used medicines, etc., to remind customers to make travel preparations.
Climate and clothing recommendations: Provide the average local temperature during the travel month, clothing layering recommendations, and equipment to bring (such as sunscreen, windbreaker, mosquito repellent, etc.).
China's transportation baggage regulations and prohibited items
Sales staff will provide green suggestions based on the customer's travel route:
In terms of transportation, high-speed rail or carpooling are recommended instead of domestic flights.
When it comes to accommodation recommendations, we tend to choose B&Bs that have energy-saving measures or community participation.
Provide electronic itineraries and electronic tickets to reduce paper usage and encourage customers not to print paper documents.
If the itinerary covers sensitive areas (such as ethnic minority cultural areas), customers will receive relevant cultural reminders , including:
Dress code (no shorts or vests allowed into the temple)
Code of Conduct (Do not cross the threshold, do not walk in front of other people's scriptures, do not touch local children at will)
Speech taboos (avoid discussing topics such as religion, ethnic conflicts, etc.)
3) In-line prompts
All tour guides must make a "responsible travel notice " on the first day of reception, including:
illegal souvenirs such as ivory, pangolins, furs , etc.
Instruct customers on how to save electricity and water in the hotel (e.g. hanging up towels means no need to change them).
Inform customers to avoid giving candies, snacks, and cash to street children to avoid encouraging begging culture.
On public transportation, at tourist attractions, and before folk activities, tour guides will repeatedly remind customers to remain respectful and quiet, not to make noises or take videos at will, especially during religious activities.
Independent travelers will receive a booklet containing the contact information of local embassies and consulates, a map of emergency medical locations, and instructions for calling 120/110 to ensure that they can respond to emergencies without escort.
For customers of long-term projects such as motorcycle tours/self-driving, the company will set up an exclusive WeChat group, where tour guides or operation specialists will push the following content every day:
Road conditions and safety tips for the day
Eco-friendly toilets and garbage collection points near tourist attractions or B&Bs
Encourage environmentally friendly behaviors (such as sharing the lobby washing machine with the host, using digital bills)
4) Post-trip feedback
Customers will receive a satisfaction survey questionnaire after the trip, covering dimensions such as service experience, cultural experience, environmental protection implementation, and transportation arrangements.
The company encourages customers to give honest evaluations of the tour guide’s environmental guidance performance, the accommodation’s green measures, and whether they actively participate in local charity projects.
make complaints/suggestions online through email, travel agency , etc. All feedback will be followed up by a specialist within 5 working days and an internal service improvement report will be formed.
At the end of each year, the company will summarize all customer sustainability feedback as a basis for product optimization and supplier evaluation, and publicly summarize progress results in the sustainability annual report.
4. Contact Person/Person in Charge
Sustainability Coordinator:
jy.zhang@greatwaytour.com
Sustainability Assistant:
ruiwen.yuan@greatwaytour.com
songling.li@greatwaytour.com
jiaqi.chen@greatwaytour.com
5. Effective Date and Update Mechanism This policy shall take effect on
June 28 , 2025 .
The Sustainable Development Coordinator will organize a policy implementation effectiveness evaluation and update meeting with the participation of all employees every year to summarize the achievements and problems of the previous year and revise goals and strategies.
If the policy involves major changes, it will be announced 15 working days in advance and will be subject to feedback from employees and partners.
