Aitken Spence Travels wins top German brands Sustainability Award 2024

Aitken Spence Travels team with AHK Sri Lanka Chief Delegate Marie Antonia von Schönburg (third from left)

Aitken Spence Travels Ltd. (ASTL) won as the Most Sustainable Tour Operator/ DMC at the “Sustainability Awards 2024,” organised by the Delegation of German Industry and Commerce in Sri Lanka (AHK Sri Lanka), in collaboration with the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom (FNF) for the tourism industry. This is the second time Aitken Spence Travels has won this award.

The primary objective of this recognition program was to acknowledge the exceptional efforts of tourism sector stakeholders in promoting sustainability within their businesses. Additionally, it aims to create a competitive platform to increase visibility, highlights achievements through success stories, enhances reputations among industry peers and stakeholders, and utilises this recognition to foster future partnerships and business opportunities.

This year the awards focused on two main segments; namely the tour operators/Destination Management Companies (DMCs), and hotel and accommodation service providers. Within each category, there was a sub-category awards for both large enterprises and small to medium-sized enterprises.

The evaluation of the awards took into consideration factors such as the organisations’ holistic approach towards sustainability, the company’s visionary leadership, innovative capability, and resistance to external factors when implementing sustainability practices.

Aitken Spence PLC Head of the Tourism Sector Stasshani Jayawardena commented, “We are delighted to receive this recognition for the second time, as the last award ceremony was held in 2022. As one of the leading DMCs in Sri Lanka’s tourism industry, sustainability is deeply rooted into our company’s core values”.

ASTL Managing Director Nalin Jayasundera commented, “The Company has a dedicated sustainability team to ensure consistency and high standards in our sustainable approaches. We carry out all our activities under the umbrella brand of ‘Travel Kindly’. We embrace CSR practices in key areas, including youth skill development, cultural preservation, and biodiversity conservation. Particularly in biodiversity, we place special emphasis on addressing the human-leopard conflict in the Central Highlands of Sri Lanka, underscoring our commitment to both environmental and social responsibility”.

Together, both Stasshani Jayawardena and Nalin Jayasundera extend their sincere appreciation to their dedicated staff, valued customers, trusted suppliers, and esteemed partners as their unwavering support has been instrumental in upholding Aitken Spence Travels’ sustainability principles and policies. The Company is deeply grateful for their belief in its mission and their continued collaboration.

At Aitken Spence Travels, we work within the industry to safeguard and strengthen the livelihoods of communities, promote social integration and peace through cultural exposure, and help to foster goodwill among different communities. The Company has integrated the UN Sustainable Development Goals and specific targets into their sustainability strategies so that the outcome would contribute towards national and international development needs. As the company looks ahead, it remains steady in its pursuit of excellence and is committed to continuous innovation to cater to the evolving needs of travellers around the globe.