Travelife has been designed according to the following principles:
- Transparent, comparable and accountable: one uniform system for travel companies consisting of one common set of standards and implementation process, ensuring consistency and comparability of audits and allowing sector wide benchmarking.
- Sector wide : applicable to both small and (very) large companies and covering all types of travel companies including inbound, outbound and retail travel companies.
- International: global availability of online tools in multiple languages.
- Development oriented: a step by step approach to help companies and their suppliers implement the Travelife standard gradually.
- Knowledge-based: Travelife integrates learning to develop knowledge and skills for travel companies, accommodations, activity and excursion providers and consumers.
- Supply chain oriented: taking into account the supply chain of travel companies including transport, accommodation and excursion providers. Offering easy tools to evaluate, manage, share and communicate supplier performances.
- Efficient: a common database of suppliers creates efficiencies and avoids duplicating audits. Data are shared between participants.
- Unified communication: sector-wide logos and messages for communication in travel companies’ promotion materials.
- Realistic and practical: criteria and actions based on what travel companies (can) do.
- Triple bottom line: integration of the full set of sustainability issues: environmental, social and economic.
- State of the art: integration of major global standards and guidelines: EMAS III (including tourism sector reference document), ISO 14001, ISO 26001, Global Reporting Initiative, OECD standard for multinational companies and the Global Sustainable Tourism Standard (GSTC).
- Collaborative: Travelife enables involvement of relevant stakeholders and destinations. The standards are supported by and developed with businesses, NGOs and governments.
- Not for profit: Travelife runs on a cost basis, all income will be used to manage and improve the system and tools.