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 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).
