🌱Sustainability at KMS Travel
A comprehensive and principled commitment to responsible tourism, human dignity, and environmental stewardship across Chile
At KMS Travel, sustainability is not a separate line of work or a marketing accessory — it is a strategic foundation, a philosophy of operation, and a moral commitment. As a company deeply rooted in Chile, operating across some of the most remarkable and fragile territories on the continent, we understand that every decision we make has consequences for communities, ecosystems, cultural heritage and future generations.
We design and operate tailor-made travel programs throughout Chile — from the Atacama Desert and its ancestral traditions, to the forests and fjords of Patagonia, to cultural regions where communities have protected their identity for centuries. Operating in such diverse landscapes requires respect, responsibility, and integrity.
Our sustainability framework aligns with:
- GSTC (Global Sustainable Tourism Council) principles
- Chile’s SERNATUR S-Seal
- UNWTO Global Code of Ethics for Tourism
- ESCNNA national prevention standards
- World Fair Trade Organization (WFTO) ethical principles
But beyond frameworks and certifications, our work is anchored in an internal conviction:
tourism must honour human dignity and protect the natural world.
This page outlines in full detail the principles, actions, policies and commitments that guide KMS Travel.
📜KMS Travel Sustainability Policy
(Full version — official, complete, and mandatory for compliance)
Our motto: “By discovering the world, we become better people.”
At KMS Travel, we are committed to building a more responsible and conscious future, where every journey contributes to the well-being of people, communities, and the environment. This Sustainability Policy—public and accessible to our team, suppliers, and clients—reflects our unwavering commitment to continuous improvement, safety, and preservation of resources.
What drives us is the creation of meaningful experiences, in direct contact with nature and local culture, enriching and transforming our travelers as they move along their personal journey to become better individuals. We believe these commitments are essential to deliver what we promise: the most authentic Chilean experience, recognizing Chile as one of the world’s most celebrated destinations for adventure, culture, and natural beauty.
Our policy is based on the following principles:
- We oppose the exploitation of human beings in all its forms, especially sexual exploitation and particularly when it affects children and adolescents.
- We provide equal employment opportunities, without discrimination of any kind, allowing everyone to grow personally and professionally.
- We prioritize purchasing local products, contributing to regional economic development.
- We maintain a responsible procurement policy, privileging environmentally friendly products.
- We contribute to integral development, respect for communities, and local well-being, especially among Indigenous peoples.
- We promote sustainable practices that contribute to the conservation of the environment and biodiversity.
- We support the conservation and protection of cultural heritage, and we encourage recycling.
- We adhere to Fair Trade principles.
- We ensure the highest possible service quality, encouraging our suppliers to follow the same standard.
- We optimize transportation management, striving for efficiency and reduced impact.
📎 For more information or to download the original Spanish version, please click here.
🛡️Human Protection & Child Safeguarding (ESCNNA Prevention)
Deepening a commitment rooted in human dignity, ethics and protection
KMS Travel holds a fundamental belief: every human being deserves dignity and safety.
This belief becomes even more urgent when it concerns children and adolescents — individuals who must be protected with absolute determination.
Our stance is unequivocal:
❗Any form of commercial sexual exploitation of children and adolescents is a crime, a violation of human dignity, and incompatible with our values.
We therefore assume an active, preventive and ongoing responsibility to eliminate risks, detect early signs, and report situations that threaten minors.
This commitment is not merely a legal requirement:
➡️ It is an expression of our ethical core.
➡️ It is a reflection of our respect for humanity.
➡️ It is a direct extension of our sustainability philosophy, which views people and community well-being as inseparable from environmental responsibility.
Our Strengthened Safeguarding System
1. Immediate and Transparent Communication
We require that all collaborators — staff, guides, drivers, porters, community hosts, excursion providers and transportation partners — receive, acknowledge and accept:
- Our ESCNNA policy
- Our reporting protocol
- Our behavioural expectations
- The national legal framework
- The consequences of non-compliance
No one works with us without first understanding these standards.
This transparency protects minors, protects communities and strengthens ethical tourism.
2. Robust Training and Human Awareness
We invest in training built on empathy, alertness and responsibility.
Our training covers:
- Recognizing early risk patterns
- Managing sensitive situations
- Intervention and reporting procedures
- Understanding dynamics of vulnerability
- Ethical interaction with communities and children
Training is updated periodically because safeguarding requires continuous attention.
3. Zero-Tolerance Enforcement
There is no negotiation, flexibility or exception.
If a guide, supplier or partner is involved in — or shows signs of — violating our ethical protocols, the relationship is terminated immediately, and appropriate authorities are notified.
4. Protection for Travelers and Travelers as Protectors
Travelers must also be informed, empowered and aware.
We provide all clients with information on:
- How to behave responsibly
- How to avoid unintentionally supporting harmful situations
- How to report suspicious behaviour
This shared responsibility strengthens community safety.
5. Use of Official National Materials
We use and display Chile’s official ESCNNA prevention seal to reinforce knowledge, visibility and commitment.
📎 Download our original (in Spanish) ESCNNA Protocol and Letter of Adherence.
🤝Fair Trade & Ethical Business Practices
Extending dignity, respect and fairness across the tourism value chain
Fair Trade principles are not merely operational guidelines for us — they are expressions of human respect. We believe that tourism must be a mechanism for equity, opportunity and social development.
KMS Travel embraces the full WFTO ethical framework, but due to the nature of tourism operations, we work directly with five principles that shape our relationships with guides, community hosts, artisans, drivers and small suppliers across Chile.
These principles anchor our goal of building a travel industry that uplifts people instead of exploiting them.
1. Transparency and Accountability
We cultivate an environment where:
- information flows clearly,
- agreements are documented,
- expectations are defined,
- and decisions are communicated honestly.
This clarity strengthens trust with communities and partners.
2. Payment of a Fair Price
Fair pricing supports:
- local families
- cultural traditions
- community resilience
- small-scale suppliers
- long-term sustainability
Pricing is not just economics. It is respect.
3. No Child or Forced Labour
We implement strict controls to ensure that no part of our supply chain involves vulnerable individuals in inappropriate roles.
Our zero-tolerance reflects our commitment to human dignity.
4. Non-Discrimination, Gender Equity & Freedom of Association
We believe in safe, inclusive and respectful collaboration.
Our work reflects equal access, equal treatment, and equal opportunities.
5. Good Working Conditions & Capacity Development
We support skills training, cultural continuity, safety practices and the empowerment of local guides and community providers.
We see tourism as a platform for growth — not exploitation.
📎 Learn more about Fair Trade principles here.
🌍Responsible Traveler Code
A shared responsibility between traveler, operator and host community
At KMS Travel, we believe that travelers can be powerful stewards of protection and respect. Therefore, responsible behaviour is communicated:
- at quotation stage
- in travelbooks
- in emails before arrival
- by guides during the trip
- and whenever environmental or cultural vulnerability is present
Guidelines for Responsible Travel
- 🌱 Respect nature: leave no trace, honour wildlife, protect fragile ecosystems
- 🧭 Respect culture: honour customs, rituals, languages and ways of life
- 🛍️ Support local economies: choose local, artisanal and community-run services
- ♻️ Reduce impact: minimize waste, single-use plastics, water and energy consumption
- 🔒 Protect children and vulnerable people: act with vigilance, report any concern
- 🙏 Be mindful guests: travel with humility, curiosity and respect
📎 Read the Code of Conduct for the Responsible Tourist here.
🌐UNWTO Global Code of Ethics for Tourism
This Code reinforces:
- human rights
- transparency
- cultural dignity
- respect for nature
- safety
- responsible behaviour across all tourism actors
We integrate its principles into training, decision-making and supplier selection.
📎 Access the full UNWTO Code here.
🇨🇱🌱Proud Holders of SERNATUR’s Sello S
A consolidation of values, a framework for improvement, and a long-term commitment
The fact of being holders of the local board, SERNATUR Sello S (Seal of Sustainability), represents an institutional dedication to strengthening our ethical and operational commitments.
Rather than the beginning of a journey, the S-Seal serves as:
- a framework to scale up what we already practice,
- a tool for auditing and improving our environmental and social management,
- a structure to consolidate human dignity, ecological protection and ethical values,
- a pathway for continuously elevating our standards.
We use the S-Seal’s methodology to measure progress, identify gaps, reinforce training, strengthen supplier expectations, and integrate sustainability across all areas of operation.
📎 Learn more about the S-Seal here.
🌄Looking Ahead: A Future Grounded in Integrity, Respect and Responsibility
Our vision for the future is grounded in profound respect for:
- human dignity
- local and Indigenous communities
- Chile’s ecosystems, national parks and cultural landscapes
- ethical, safe and responsible tourism practices
- fair, transparent and respectful relationships
We will continue strengthening:
- environmental management
- supplier oversight
- ethical decision-making
- community engagement
- responsible travel communication
- and internal sustainability procedures
Because for us, sustainability is not simply part of the business. It is the way we honour humanity and the landscapes that make Chile unique.
