Communication and reporting

Transparency is an important aspect of responsible business conduct. Public communication on identified risks and measures taken increases a company’s credibility and accountability.

Publicly speaking about potential human rights issues and how they are being addressed also contributes to increasing awareness about challenges faced by the industry and fosters exchange and mutual learning on how to address human rights impacts as companies and as a sector.

Communication on human rights can happen through various channels, such as companies’ websites, travel blogs, newsletters, social media, customer information and corporate reporting.

Public reporting should be based on regular progress reviews and monitored with the help of human rights-related indicators to measure the effect and success of measures taken.

The tabs below provide concrete recommendations for and examples of comunication channels, reporting and monitoring mechanisms.

⇒ Click here to identify your value chain-related human rights risks

Customer information materials developed carefully and which consider potential human rights-related impacts can help avoid negative impacts of tourist behaviours in a destination. Information linked to customers’ rights should be included in such communication too. Relevant information can be integrated in travel documents, handed out to customers, added to itineraries or provided in dedicated brochures.

Depending on the human rights issues identified (see value chain risk assessment on this website), customer information can include the following topics:

  • local traditions, customs, and religions in the destination
  • the general human rights situation in the destination
  • recommendations as to where to buy souvenirs that are produced locally and benefit local communities (including information on imported or potentially fake products)
  • how to behave when encountering child beggars / children selling souvenirs or food
  • how to identify human trafficking / sexual exploitation of children and how to react
  • how to take pictures with respect
  • accessibility of touristic services (considering the needs of various forms of disabilities such as visually impaired, deaf, impaired mobility, wheelchair etc.)
  • how customers’ personal data is used and with whom it is shared

Examples

  • Studiosus customer information brochure on how to respectfully take pictures (2015): Blickfang. Gedanken zum Fotografieren auf Reisen (in German only)
  • Studiosus includes information on the «dark side» of destinations in its catalogues describing product offers. This includes political, social and ecological topics – always with respect towards business partners and local communities in the destinations (in German only)
  • The “Sympathiemagazine” by the Studienkreis für Tourismus und Entwicklung e.V. provide in depth information about a destination (in German only)
  • If Gebeco guests identify concerns during their trip, they are requested to notify the company via a specially created email address. Tour guides are also made aware of the importance of respect for human rights during regular training courses in Germany and abroad, as well as through a separate chapter in the comprehensive tour guide. In 2019 Gebeco introduced a child protection flyer.

Resources

Tools:

Integrate information on the human rights issues deemed most salient (see value chain risk assessment on this website) by your company, including the way they are addressed (action plan) in the company’s annual reporting. This should include information on the company’s human rights policies and processes (see related measure card), measures taken throughout the year and how they are monitored (performance indicators).

If sustainability reporting has already been conducted, it is recommended that human rights aspects are integrated or strengthened in the already existing system. In addition to the internal processes, the impacts of supply chains and business relations should also be reported.

For standardised reporting, one the following recognised standards may be used:

  • GRI G4 Sustainability Reporting Guidelines
  • Ten Principles of UN Global Compact
  • UNGP Reporting Framework, which is the world’s first comprehensive guide for companies about reporting on how they respect human rights.

Many certification schemes such as TourCert cover human rights aspects and tour operators might cover human rights related aspects in their reporting to achieve a certification.

Introductory video on the UNGP Reporting Framework.

Examples

Find examples of Modern Slavery Statements in the Modern Slavery Registry online (in compliance with UK Modern Slavery Act).

Resources

Guidance on reporting frameworks: 

Public reporting should be based on regular progress reviews and monitored with the help of human rights-related indicators. The effect and success of measures taken should be measured. Integrate indicators into the action plan for the purpose of steering and result checking.

Exemplary human rights-related indicators for tour operators can be found in the Roundtable Human Rights in Tourism’s implementation guideline on human rights for tour operators (see link below).

Resources

Learn more

Find more information in the Resource Centre. 

Learn more