OUR VISION
Our vision is to make every holiday a delightful authentic experience for the traveller.
OUR MISSION
The mission of the company is to inspire travellers around the world to choose the Maltese Islands for their holiday through sustainable growth, authentic quality experiences and innovative technologies that help position Malta as a premier destination and our company as a leading incoming tourism provider.
Sustainability is traditionally built around three interconnected pillars: economic, environmental and socio-cultural responsibility, often referred to as the "triple bottom line". Achieving these goals requires collaboration between all stakeholders. This policy and its associated actions represent our commitment to pursuing sustainability while supporting responsible business growth.
Impact Report 2025-2026
From Commitment to Implementation
Over the past two years, we have moved beyond policy‑level commitments and embedded sustainability into the daily operations of our business. Our approach has been to integrate sustainability pragmatically across our value chain, recognising both our responsibility and the structural realities of operating in a small island destination such as Malta.
Rather than introducing theoretical frameworks, the focus has been on implementable actions, supplier engagement, and real operational change, while remaining aligned with Travelife certification standards and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
Strengthening Governance and Accountability
Sustainability governance has been reinforced at executive level, with the Sustainability Coordinator reporting directly to the Executive Management Team. Annual reporting is now embedded into the company’s management cycle through the Sustainability Report, which is formally reviewed at leadership level, alongside the Travelife Action Plan.
The organisation has continued to operate with a clear accountability structure, ensuring that sustainability is not treated as a parallel function but as an integrated part of decision‑making, procurement, and supplier engagement.
Driving Change Through the Supply Chain
As a business‑to‑business inbound tourism operator, our primary impact lies within the supply chain. Over the reporting period, we have significantly strengthened how sustainability is embedded within supplier relationships.
This includes:
- Introduction of enhanced contract clauses covering environmental protection, biodiversity, labour conditions, and anti‑exploitation
- Implementation of codes of conduct for excursion providers, including wildlife protection and responsible tourism practices
- Direct engagement with key suppliers, including physical meetings where sustainability policies were presented and recognised through certificates of appreciation
- Ongoing communication of sustainability expectations across accommodations, transport providers, and activity suppliers
In parallel, sustainability performance is now visibly integrated into our commercial systems through tagging and classification tools, enabling clients to make more informed choices and creating a clear incentive for suppliers to improve their sustainability standards.
Environmental Management in Operations
Internally, the company has implemented a number of practical measures to reduce its environmental footprint:
- Office cleaning has been outsourced using EU Ecolabel certified, non‑toxic and biodegradable products
- Energy use and light pollution are managed through a formal switch‑off policy
- Water consumption is reduced through practical measures such as flow restrictors and efficient appliance usage
- A new fleet of low‑emission vehicles has been introduced for operational needs
- Waste practices have been streamlined through supplier‑managed recycling systems
These actions reflect a low‑impact operational model, consistent with the nature of a service‑based tourism business.
Sustainable Product Development
On the product side, the company has expanded its portfolio of sustainable experiences, with particular focus on environmental and community impact.
Key developments include:
- Launch of a series of nature walking tours, including visits to protected areas such as Chadwick Lakes, managed by the environmental NGO Nature Trust Malta
- Continued promotion of locally owned suppliers, guides, and service providers, ensuring tourism spend remains within the local economy
- Integration of sustainability considerations into excursion design, including biodiversity awareness and responsible visitor behaviour
This reflects a shift towards value‑based tourism rather than volume‑based growth, in line with broader industry discussions in Malta.
Policy Advocacy and Industry Impact
Beyond company‑level action, sustainability has been advanced through industry engagement and policy advocacy.
Through participation in initiatives such as Rediscover to Align and direct engagement via the Malta Chamber, the company has contributed to wider discussions on tourism sustainability, including:
- Reform of VAT treatment for DMCs to support value creation
- Promotion of sustainability certification as a market differentiator
- Support for national policy direction requiring eco‑certification for new tourism developments
This reflects a recognition that sustainability in tourism must be addressed at system level, not only at company level.
Understanding Our Limits – A Pragmatic Approach
While significant progress has been made, the company has adopted a transparent and realistic approach to areas where full implementation is not currently feasible.
This includes:
- Product‑level carbon footprint measurement, which would require standardised data from a fragmented supplier base
- Full carbon offsetting mechanisms in the absence of reliable measurement frameworks
- Mandating behavioural change across independent suppliers beyond contractual and commercial influence
In these areas, the focus remains on indirect influence, transparency, and gradual improvement rather than impractical commitments.
Looking Ahead
Sustainability remains a continuous process rather than a fixed outcome. The next phase will focus on:
- Further strengthening supplier engagement and data quality
- Improving visibility of sustainability performance across digital platforms
- Continuing to align business strategy with Malta’s long‑term tourism vision
- Supporting industry‑wide shifts towards quality, sustainability, and value‑driven tourism
Our Position
We do not position sustainability as a compliance exercise.
We position it as a core strategic lever for:
- improving the quality of tourism in Malta
- strengthening the resilience of the value chain
- aligning the industry with long‑term economic and environmental realities
Impact Report 2022–2024
At our company, sustainability and responsible tourism are deeply embedded in our values. Over the past two years, we have taken meaningful steps to reduce our environmental impact and support the communities in which we operate. We recognise, however, that sustainability is an ongoing journey that requires continuous improvement and collaboration.
Key Achievements
- Sustainability Training: Expanded sustainability training programmes and increased employee participation in the Travelife programme.
- HR Policies: Introduced new HR policies, including a formal Health & Safety Policy, updated complaint-handling procedures and overtime remuneration processes. A comprehensive Welcome Pack now helps new employees understand our sustainability commitments from day one.
- Environmental Management
- Energy Reduction: Introduced a formal energy reduction policy, monthly monitoring and annual reduction targets of 3%.
- Waste Reduction: Implemented a formal waste reduction and recycling policy.
- Paper Reduction: Reduced paper consumption, saving the equivalent of four trees in 2024 compared with the baseline year.
- Energy Savings: Achieved a 22% reduction in electricity costs through energy-saving initiatives.
- Water Usage: Water consumption increased by 1.45%, highlighting an area for future improvement and increased efficiency measures.
- Accommodation: Continued incorporating sustainability certifications into accommodation selection criteria.
- Sustainable Activities: Expanded the range of sustainability-conscious activities and clearly identified them within our systems.
- Customer Communication: Updated destination information to encourage responsible traveller behaviour and awareness.
Industry Leadership and Advocacy
- In 2022, Co-CEO Alan Arrigo represented the company on the Council of the Malta Chamber of Commerce and chaired the Tourism Operators Business Section. Under his leadership, the section launched the Rediscover policy document promoting a sustainable vision for Malta's tourism industry.
- In 2024, Alan Arrigo was appointed to the Board of Management and Council of the Malta Chamber of Commerce. He continues to promote sustainability through his work with FATTA and ECTAA, including participation on ECTAA's Finance, Tourism and Sustainability Committees.
- Alan also serves on the Boards of the Malta Tourism Authority and the Inspire Foundation.
Community Support
We are committed to supporting local communities through our involvement with Victory Kitchen, a charitable foundation providing food assistance to families in need.
- In 2022, employees raised €1,000 through a fundraising swim event.
- In 2024, the company formalised its support through a corporate sponsorship agreement covering 2024–2026.
Room for Growth and Long-Term Goals
While proud of our achievements, we recognise that sustainability requires continuous improvement. One key focus area is improving water efficiency, supported by more ambitious reduction targets and enhanced monitoring processes.
We encourage collaboration with our partners, customers and stakeholders to identify new opportunities for improvement. Our long-term objective is to achieve Travelife Certified status and continue aligning our business with the highest environmental, social and economic sustainability standards.
We cannot achieve these goals alone. By working together with our partners and stakeholders, we can create a positive and lasting impact on our destination, communities and industry.
Sustainability Policy
Our sustainability policy is divided into ten themes. Each theme consists of a set of principles, actions and goals. For a detailed overview of our sustainability policy, please refer to the dedicated Sustainability Policy section.
Travelife Sustainability Report
Based on our sustainability reporting and compliance with Travelife requirements,
Robert Arrigo & Sons has achieved Travelife Partner status.
This recognition reflects our commitment to social and environmental sustainability
and confirms compliance with more than 100 sustainability-related criteria covering
management practices, operations, supplier engagement and customer communication.
We continue working towards achieving full Travelife Certified status.
References
Elkington, J. (1998). Cannibals with Forks: The Triple Bottom Line of 21st Century Business. New Society Publishers.
Sherman, W.R. (2012). The Triple Bottom Line: The Reporting of Doing Well & Doing Good. Journal of Applied Business Research, 28(4).