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Aitken Spence Travels wins top Sustainability Award 2022

Aitken Spence Travels (Pvt) Ltd emerged as the most sustainable Destination Management Company (DMC) and the role model of sustainability in the tourism industry at the recently held "Sustainability Awards 2022," organized by the AHK (Delegation of German Industry and Commerce in Sri Lanka), together with the Friedrich Naumann Foundation.

The Sustainability Awards 2022 serves to recognise sustainability initiatives and award companies across the agriculture, textile, and tourism industries for such efforts. The nominees were reviewed under four broad categories, namely, holistic approach to sustainability, visionary leadership, innovative capability, and resistance to external factors to reward.

As one of the leading DMCs in the tourism industry in Sri Lanka for 45 years, Aitken Spence Travels being part of the Aitken Spence PLC group has sustainability engrained to the DNA of the company and is serious about its commitments and principles. The company works 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. Moreover, has integrated the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and specific targets into the company’s sustainability strategies as the outcome would contribute towards national and international development needs.

Offering community-based excursions, offsetting carbon footprints, and executing CSR projects such as "The Art of Giving", Tree planting programs, and "Travel Kindly" initiative are salient contributors to the company's successful sustainability journey.

Commenting on the company's stellar performance, Stasshani Jayawardena Executive Director, Aitken Spence PLC and Head of the Tourism and Leisure, said, “Aitken Spence Travels has continuously strived towards making meaningful contributions to local and global development needs in the tourism industry. This achievement resonates with the values of the organisation and our unwavering commitment to reach greater heights in sustainability amidst many challenges faced in the tourism industry.”

Nalin Jayasundera, the Managing Director, Aitken Spence Travels (Pvt) Ltd, also commented, "We are delighted to win this award, which is a reflection of our effort to preserve sustainable tourism at every step of our value chain. We are thankful to our staff, consumers, suppliers, partners, and all other stakeholders for their patronage that has helped us to extend and excel in sustainability."