This statement is made pursuant to section 54 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 (UK). It outlines steps the Intrepid Group has taken to prevent acts of modern slavery and human trafficking from occurring in its business and supply chain for the calendar year ending 31 December 2017.

1. Introduction

The Intrepid Group is committed to upholding human rights principles outlined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Through our company values, policies, guidelines and operating procedures, we work to ensure that our staff, customers, suppliers and business partners are treated with dignity, equality, freedom and respect. 

This Statement on Modern Slavery outlines the ways in which we work to prevent, identify and mitigate incidences of modern slavery, which encompasses forced labour and wage exploitation, involuntary servitude, debt bondage, human trafficking, forced marriage and other forms of exploitation. 

2. The Intrepid Group and our supply chain

The Intrepid Group is the world’s largest provider of sustainable, experience-rich travel. Carrying over 300,000 passengers a year, our brands offer over 1,600 itineraries on every continent, catering for all ages, budgets and appetites for adventure.

As a responsible travel business, the Intrepid Group is committed to:

•    respecting the destinations we operate in;
•    supporting local people;
•    preserving the environment;
•    protecting the rights of the most vulnerable; and
•    giving back to local communities.

Our vision: To change the way people see the world

With 1,600 staff in 24 offices globally, we offer a breadth of distribution and a network of tour operators in over 100 countries. As a vertically integrated business, we have operational offices called PEAK Destination Management Companies (PEAK DMC), which operate the majority of our itineraries. This enables us to manage our own operations and have greater oversight of our supply chain, as well as identify and mitigate risk areas of modern slavery and trafficking within our business.

Our purpose: To deliver the best experience ever

At the heart of our culture and everything we do is our core values:

Growth: Stakeholders in our own success.

Innovation: Thriving on new ideas and embracing change.

Fun: It’s ingrained into who we are and what we do.

Responsibility: Think global, act locally.

Passion: We are inspired by the work we do and the trips we offer.

Integrity: Doing the right thing.

3. Policies and guidelines

The following policies and guidelines assist our staff and suppliers in ensuring we are operating responsibly and protecting human rights throughout our operations. 

Intrepid Group Code of Conduct

We are committed to obeying the relevant laws governing operations in all countries and regions in which we do business. The Intrepid Group Code of Conduct is intended to help staff in identifying and overcoming ethical and legal challenges in day-to-day working life and to provide a basis for dealing with conflict.

Supplier Code of Conduct

PEAK DMC, as part of the Intrepid Group, is committed to sustainable, ethical business practices that obey applicable laws, conventions and regulations. The Supplier Code of Conduct is designed to convey our expectations to our suppliers so they will support ethical practices, and must be signed by all suppliers. All suppliers are expected to demonstrate that they:

•    respect human rights and labour laws;
•    support local communities;
•    identify and monitor bribery and corruption risks;
•    identify and monitor negative environmental impacts;
•    introduce and maintain quality assurance policies and procedures; and 
•    introduce and maintain health and safety policies and procedures.

Leader and Crew Conduct Policy

This policy provides clear guidance to all leaders and crew operating Intrepid Group trips on conduct that is deemed inappropriate and would result in termination of their employment. This includes behavior that compromises the leader or crew’s duty of care to passengers, a failure to follow PEAK’s core values, behaviour that breaches s local laws and other acts of misconduct. 

Prevention of Bribery and Corruption Policy

Our company culture reflects the value we place in acting with integrity and being socially responsible. Accordingly, we are committed to conducting business fairly, openly and honestly. We inherently oppose bribery and corruption. We recognise that these inappropriate ways of doing business are evident in and are a cause of hardship and crime in a number of countries in which we operate.
Laws in several countries (UK Bribery Act 2010, US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act 1977, AU Criminal Code [Bribery of Foreign Officials] 1999) hold Intrepid Group’s companies, staff and suppliers accountable for preventing bribery and corruption anywhere in the world in which we do business. The Prevention of Bribery and Corruption Policy confirms our commitment to comply with these laws and outlines actions to be taken by all companies within the Intrepid Group to achieve this aim.
Prevention of Discrimination, Bullying and Harassment Policy

The Prevention of Discrimination, Bullying and Harassment Policy confirms that Intrepid Group does not condone any form of discrimination, bullying or harassment in the workplace, and will act to stamp out any such behaviors reported to management or human resources. The policy outlines the rights, responsibilities and our expectations of all staff in regard to preventing discrimination, bullying and harassment in order to create the workplace we all want. This policy applies to all employees, contractors, temporary staff, volunteers and visitors of all Intrepid Group companies.
 
Confidential Hotline Policy

Intrepid Group is committed to the highest standards of openness and accountability and we seek to conduct our business both legally and responsibly.

The Confidential Hotline Policy provides individuals with a means to report any concerns regarding malpractice, wrongdoing or illegality to the company’s attention. The confidential nature of the hotline allows individuals to lodge a report without fear of reprisal or intimidation. Any concerns raised through the confidential hotline process is fully investigated and rectified where necessary. The Confidential Hotline  Policy establishes the framework and procedures for this system.

This policy is applicable to all permanent and temporary employees of Intrepid Group companies. It also applies to freelance leaders and crew, external consultants, contractors and agency personnel while providing services to Intrepid Group companies.

Purchasing Policy

Each year Intrepid Group spends a substantial sum of money purchasing goods and services in the countries we operate in. With this purchasing power comes responsibility. The purchasing decisions we make have a real impact, not only on our business but on the environments and communities in which we operate. The aim of the Purchasing Policy is to ensure that the impacts are positive, while still serving the operational needs of the business.

Responsible Travel Policy

Our Responsible Travel Policy outlines our key principles for travelling responsibly: to ensure that our operations respect local destinations, preserve the local environment, and protect wildlife and the rights of the most vulnerable, while also giving back to the places we travel. Our Responsible Travel policy and supporting guidelines are used as training tools for all of our staff, including those in our offices as well as operational staff and leaders.

4. Due diligence

B-Corp Certification

Intrepid Group has been working towards B Corp certification and aims to apply for certification in 2017. 

B Corps (or Benefit Corporations) are for-profit companies certified to meet the highest standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency across areas including governance, workers, community, impact and environment. The aim is to shift a business’ focus from maximizing shareholder value to maximizing shared value, which means using business as a force for good, rather than just for profit. 

We are currently in the process of finalizing our 2016 assessments for all 24 of our global companies across Intrepid Group, with the majority of companies have completed their assessments. If we achieve certification in 2017, we are on track to be the largest B Corp in the travel industry, globally.

Global supplier benchmarking

Our Destination Management Companies carry out a benchmarking process where we track the quality, service and performance of existing suppliers. This allows us to evaluate suppliers regularly and identify and mitigate any issues related to compliance with our Supplier Code of Conduct.

Traveller feedback

We ask our customers to evaluate and provide feedback on their experience in travelling with us. This feedback is invaluable to our business. It is monitored regularly and allows us to act any identified issues.

Leader trip report

All of our tour leaders must prepare a trip report within 48 hours of completing each tour, which is then sent to their manager. Included in this report is a section where a leader can document the practices of our suppliers (accommodation, transport providers, restaurants and other businesses), and is used as a mechanism for us to identify and mitigate any potential risks from within our supply chain.

5. Initiatives

United Nations Global Compact Signatory

Since 2010, Intrepid has been a member of the United Nations Global Compact, a global initiative to help businesses align strategies and operations with universal principles of human rights, labour protection, environmental protection, and anti-corruption, and take actions that advance societal goals. 

Each year, all signatories publish a Communication on Progress (COP) report. The Intrepid Group’s 2016 report can be found here: https://www.intrepidtravel.com/sites/intrepid/files/IG_UNGC_report-2016.pdf

Steering Committee Member of Rethink Orphanages

In 2016, the Intrepid Group joined Rethink Orphanages, a cross-sector network that aims to prevent the unnecessary institutionalisation of children by shifting the way Australia engages with overseas aid and development.

As a steering committee member of Rethink Orphanages, Intrepid Group is advocating for the tourism industry to recognise how recent growth in orphanage tourism is resulting in child trafficking and exploitation, which is a form of modern slavery. In 2016, Intrepid Group removed visits to orphanages and organisations with residential care from its itineraries and is now working to help existing partner organisations of The Intrepid Foundation transition to better models of care. Through our work with Rethink Orphanages and other child protection organisations, we are advocating change within the tourism industry in an effort to prevent the unnecessary institutionalisation of children.

Child Protection Guidelines

In 2017, we updated our Child Protection Guidelines and created additional supporting documents with support from child protection specialists.These guidelines are intended to provide practical guidance for our staff on how to ensure we are protecting the rights of children and their families throughout our operations.

The Intrepid Group Child Protection Guidelines can be found here:
www.intrepidtravel.com/our-stance-child-protection 

A supporting document, “Child Protection Do’s and Don’ts”, is a practical guide for our operations and purchasing staff, as well as our tour leaders to provide clarification on acceptable behavior and how best to operate our trips in accordance with our Child Protection Guidelines. 

Child protection training for staff and partners

Staff in our Thailand, Cambodia and Myanmar offices have received child protection training in partnership with Friends International. Our Myanmar office was the first company in Myanmar to be certified as ‘Childsafe’ through a certification program with Friends International.

Building on previous child protection training for many of our tour leaders, in 2017 we will be coordinating staff training on child protection for our operational staff, leaders and suppliers. This will begin in key operating regions, to be expanded globally over the next 12 to18 months. 

6. Performance indicators

The following indicators will assist our business in ensuring  our supply chain upholds human rights:

•    Number of staff who have received training on child protection
•    Actions were taken to strengthen our policies
•    Steps were taken to strengthen supply chain management
•    Projects and partnership activities initiated to support human rights and child protection

Endorsement

James Thornton
Chief Executive Officer, Intrepid Group

For further information:

Please contact our Responsible Business Team with questions, comments or suggestions at responsible.business@intrepidgroup.travel