S-Cape Partners France Achieves Travelife Certified Status

We're proud to share some exciting news: S-Cape Partners France has just achieved Travelife Certified status, the next level of the Travelife sustainability certification. It's a milestone for our whole team, and a great moment to look back at what we've learned along the way.

The result is a complete sustainability policy that applies across all our brands: S-Cape Partners France, French Bike Tours and Vacances Vélo.

Putting it all on paper

Reaching this new level has been an interesting challenge, forcing us to structure our approach and clearly communicate our commitments, from how we run our office in Monpazier to how we choose our suppliers, whether bike hire, transport or accommodation.

This has been incredibly valuable. Writing things down made us more consistent, and it gave everyone in the team a shared reference for the choices we make every day.

Discovering we were already on the right path

One of the nicest surprises was realising how much of what Travelife asked for was already an integral, and intuitive, part of how we work. We didn't start doing these things for a certificate. We did them because they felt right, and because they make for better trips and a better place to work. For example:

• Small, local businesses first: we prioritise family-run hotels and guesthouses, local bike hire companies, and shared luggage transfer services that carry bags for many travellers at once, rather than a taxi making a whole journey for just one or two bags.
• Off-the-beaten-track routes: we design routes through lesser-known villages and landscapes, so our guests discover the real France without adding to overtourism in already busy places.
• Train and public transport: we encourage travelling this way whenever possible, and every one of our guidebooks explains how to reach the start of the trip by public transport.
• Giving Back to Nature: our direct customers contribute to our "Giving Back to Nature" scheme, and we match their contribution for every booking.
• A good place to work: we offer our team flexible working hours, the option to work from home, and close, direct contact with management.

Back at the office, the small things count too. Our guidebooks are only printed on request, and we're working towards going 100% digital. When we do print, it's double-sided on FSC-certified paper. We separate our waste, and we keep an eye on our energy and water use.

What comes next

Sustainability is always an ongoing process, and Travelife is now guiding us towards our next steps. Our focus is on bringing everyone along with us:

• Our customers: sharing more information about the social and environmental impact of their trip, and simple tips for travelling responsibly, from getting to the start by train to shopping at local markets and producers.
• Our suppliers and partners: sharing our Code of Conduct, talking openly about sustainability, and supporting the small businesses we work with as they take their own steps forward.
• Measuring our progress: working towards carbon measurement for our trips and publishing a sustainability report every year, so we stay honest and transparent about where we are.

We believe sustainability grows stronger when it's shared, and that the biggest impact comes from working together. So whether you're a traveller, a partner or a supplier, we'd love to hear your ideas and feedback.