Sustainability, Conservation and Biodiversity Policy

Zameera company-wide policy and sustainability pledge

Last updated: 6 January 2026

1. Purpose

Zameera exists to help customers discover and book exceptional experiences. We believe exceptional travel must protect the places, wildlife, and cultures that make it worth doing. This policy sets the minimum standards we expect across Zameera and the suppliers featured on our marketplace.

2. Scope

This policy applies to:

  • Zameera's own operations: our team practices, procurement, technology, partners, and day-to-day decisions.
  • Supplier expectations: the minimum environmental, biodiversity, community, and animal welfare standards required for experiences listed on the Zameera marketplace.

3. Our principle-based approach

We operate on two levels:

  • Do no harm: we avoid supporting activities and practices that damage ecosystems, exploit animals, disrespect communities, or accelerate climate impact.
  • Net positive where possible: we actively prefer suppliers and experiences that contribute to conservation, restoration, cultural preservation, and local prosperity, and we continuously raise our standards as we grow.

4. Core commitments

A. Biodiversity and wildlife ethics

We will:

  • Prioritise experiences that respect wildlife, habitats, and protected areas, with minimal disturbance and strong guiding standards.
  • Refuse to promote experiences that involve wildlife harassment, forced contact, or exploitation.
  • Prefer suppliers that contribute to habitat protection, anti-poaching support, conservation fees, scientific monitoring, or community-led conservation.

Examples of what this means in practice:

  • No marketing of experiences that encourage touching, chasing, baiting, or feeding wild animals.
  • Strong preference for ethical wildlife viewing with clear distance rules, capped group sizes where relevant, and responsible driving or boating behaviour.

B. Animal welfare

We will:

  • Exclude experiences that rely on animal cruelty, coercion, or poor welfare conditions, even if they are legal locally.
  • Require suppliers to follow humane handling and care standards for any domestic animals involved in an experience.
  • Prefer experiences designed around observation, education, and natural behaviour, not performance.

Examples:

  • No experiences built on animal fighting, abusive training methods, or photo opportunities that require restraint or stress.
  • Clear expectations for rest, hydration, shelter, appropriate workloads, and veterinary access where working animals are involved.

C. Local communities and cultural heritage

We will:

  • Prioritise experiences that benefit local people, respect cultural heritage, and operate with appropriate permissions and community relationships.
  • Expect suppliers to provide fair working conditions and to avoid cultural misrepresentation.
  • Prefer locally owned and locally staffed operators when quality and safety standards are met.

Examples:

  • No experiences that trivialise sacred sites, exploit communities for "spectacle," or breach local access rules.
  • Preference for experiences that include local guides, local sourcing, and meaningful cultural interpretation.

D. Carbon and climate

We will:

  • Reduce emissions in our own operations through practical decisions in tech, procurement, and travel.
  • Use our marketplace to encourage lower-impact choices without compromising quality.
  • Support suppliers that operate efficiently and protect climate-critical ecosystems.

Examples:

  • Preference for suppliers with efficient logistics (smart routing, consolidated transfers, right-sized group vehicles).
  • For Zameera operations: reducing avoidable travel, choosing lower-impact options when travel is essential, and improving energy efficiency across our tools and partners.

5. Minimum standards for listings

All suppliers listed on Zameera must meet these baseline requirements:

  • Legal compliance: required permits, licenses, land access rights, and local environmental regulations.
  • Environmental care: waste management, litter prevention, and responsible use of water and materials.
  • Wildlife and habitat protection: no avoidable disturbance, no illegal wildlife products, and respect for protected area rules.
  • Animal welfare: humane treatment, no cruel practices, and avoidance of experiences that depend on harm or coercion.
  • Community respect: respectful conduct, cultural sensitivity, and ethical representation of local people and traditions.
  • Transparency: honest descriptions of what guests will do, where they will go, and what standards are in place.

These standards are a condition of being listed and may be strengthened over time.

6. Supplier review, audits, and enforcement

We apply practical controls to keep standards real, not symbolic:

  • Pre-listing review: suppliers provide documentation and operational information relevant to safety, permits, and sustainability practices.
  • Minimum standard checks: every listing must meet the baseline requirements above.
  • Ongoing audits: risk-based audits, spot checks, and periodic reconfirmation of key standards, with additional scrutiny for wildlife and sensitive environments.
  • Customer feedback monitoring: we treat reports about welfare, environmental harm, or cultural disrespect as high priority signals.
  • Corrective action: where issues are found, we may require changes within a defined timeframe.
  • Removal and escalation: we may suspend or remove listings immediately for serious breaches, repeated non-compliance, or lack of cooperation.

7. Net positive priorities

Where we can influence outcomes, we will:

  • Promote suppliers that fund or deliver conservation outcomes, restoration, or community-led stewardship.
  • Prefer experiences that reduce pressure on fragile sites through smart timing, group sizing, and access management.
  • Encourage high-quality education and interpretation that helps guests understand the place they are visiting.
  • Partner with organisations and specialist companies that help us go further, including conservation groups, biodiversity and animal welfare experts, and climate and sustainability partners, so our standards and verification improve over time.
  • Implement practical tools and programs that raise performance across the marketplace, such as supplier playbooks, minimum practice guidelines for sensitive environments, and improvement plans for suppliers who want to meet higher standards.
  • Where credible and appropriate, support structured initiatives that channel funding toward protection and regeneration, for example contributions tied to bookings for conservation, habitat restoration, or community projects, and clear reporting on how those funds are used.
  • Invest in better decision-making on our side through measurement and governance, including tracking operational improvements, monitoring recurring issues, and updating our listing criteria as new best practices emerge.

8. Governance and responsibility

Accountability sits with Zameera leadership. We will review this policy at least annually and update it as the marketplace expands, regulations evolve, and better practices emerge.

9. Raising a concern

If you believe an experience listed on Zameera violates this policy, we want to know. Report concerns through our support channels, and we will investigate promptly and take appropriate action.