Toft and Travelife renew partnership to boost sustainable tourism in India and Nepal in India and 2026, EttravelWorld

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For tour operators represented by TOFT (Travel Operators for Tigers) and the European Center for Eco and Agro Tourism (ECTEAT), Travelife have renewed their Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for 2026 to promote sustainable and responsible tourism in India and Nepal.

The broad partnership shows the organizations’ ongoing efforts to integrate travel company sustainability into their operations, raise awareness and adhere to internationally recognized standards. Under this renewed agreement, TOFT will continue to provide travel and management for Tour operators with sustainability tools for Tour operators and management systems for the member network. Based on globally accepted frameworks such as ISO 26000, these systems comply with European Union (EU) sustainability regulations and align with global responsible tourism criteria.

The updated Memore outlines mutual responsibilities for effective implementation. Toft will provide members with access to Traveife’s online education and reporting tools, support for local adaptation of international sustainability standards, appoint certified sustainability coaches and travel certified companies in the region. In turn, Travestife will provide the necessary digital platform, guidance, ancillary support, training resources and international certification oversight to ensure quality and consistency in application.

Speaking about the renewed agreement, representatives from both organizations reaffirmed their shared commitment to advancing responsible business practices within the travel industry. The initiative aims to help tour operators and travel agents measure, manage and reduce their environmental and social impacts while improving competitiveness and traveler confidence.

Toft and Travelife have maintained an association working hard to advance responsible tourism frameworks in South Asia. Their active cooperation started in January 2022 within the framework of the Sustour project, supported by the ASIA program, which provides a structured role of the Tour Operators program for the Tour Operators program in India and Nepal. The program provides participating companies with practical tools to assess sustainability performance, implement best practices and obtain third-party certification aligned with global tourism sustainability standards.

Over the years, collaboration, transportation and training pathways – from recruitment and training to certified compliance with several Indian and Nepali tour operators – have been conducted. This progress has helped to raise awareness of the importance of sustainability in tourism, especially in environmentally sensitive and culturally rich destinations.

By extending your memory to 2026, Toft and Travele reaffirm their shared vision for sustainability in the regional tourism industry. The collaboration not only supports India and Nepal’s growing reputation as responsible travel destinations, but also global goals such as the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGS), particularly related to responsible consumption, climate action and sustainable communities.

Both institutions plan to further strengthen certification drivers and destination-level initiatives in 2026 with workshops, certification drivers and initiatives encouraging travel businesses to integrate sustainability as a long-term strategic priority.

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