INTERNATIONAL RETREAT ASSOCIATION
STANDARDS OF PRACTICE & CODE OF ETHICS
Effective Date: May 5, 2026
By becoming a member of the International Retreat Association (“IRA,” “Association”), you agree to uphold the following Standards of Practice and Code of Ethics. These standards are designed to ensure excellence, integrity, and trust across the global retreat industry.
1. Professionalism Definition: Professionalism is the consistent delivery of retreat experiences with excellence, integrity, and intentionality. It reflects a commitment to preparation, clear communication, ethical conduct, and a high standard of service that fosters trust, safety, and transformation for all participants. In Practice, This Includes:
- Delivering retreat experiences with a high level of organization, preparation, and attention to detail;
- Communicating clearly, promptly, and respectfully with clients, partners, and participants;
- Maintaining appropriate qualifications, certifications, and ongoing education relevant to their offerings;
- Upholding ethical standards, professional boundaries, and the confidentiality of participants at all times;
- Representing themselves and the retreat industry with credibility, reliability, and professionalism.
2. Integrity & Ethical Conduct Definition: Integrity & Ethical Conduct reflect a commitment to honesty, transparency, and accountability in all aspects of business and participant interaction. These standards ensure trust is established, expectations are clear, and all retreat experiences are represented and delivered with authenticity and fairness. In Practice, This Includes:
- Conducting business with honesty, transparency, and fairness in all communications and transactions;
- Accurately representing retreat offerings, outcomes, pricing, inclusions, and any limitations, and engaging in truthful, non-deceptive advertising and marketing;
- Avoiding misleading claims, exaggerated promises, or misrepresentation of results or experiences;
- Refraining from medical, psychological, therapeutic, or other professional claims that exceed the member’s qualifications, and clearly distinguishing wellness, coaching, spiritual, or transformational offerings from licensed professional services;
- Maintaining clear, transparent policies regarding payments, cancellations, and refunds;
- Honoring commitments made to participants, partners, and vendors;
- Acting in alignment with ethical business practices that prioritize participant trust and well-being.
3. Participant Safety & Responsibility Definition: Participant Safety & Responsibility reflect a commitment to protecting the physical, emotional, and psychological well-being of all participants. These standards ensure that retreat experiences are conducted with appropriate care, clear communication, and respect for personal boundaries. In Practice, This Includes:
- Prioritizing the physical, emotional, and psychological safety of all participants;
- Clearly communicating risks, expectations, and responsibilities, and using appropriate participant waivers and informed-consent processes;
- Maintaining appropriate professional boundaries and a duty of care;
- Providing a safe, respectful, accessible, and inclusive environment, and making reasonable efforts to accommodate disability, accessibility, dietary, and mobility needs;
- Exercising heightened care with minors and vulnerable populations, consistent with applicable law and appropriate safeguards;
- Maintaining emergency-response and safety planning appropriate to the activity and location;
- Protecting the privacy and confidentiality of participant information;
- Encouraging personal responsibility while offering support, and responding appropriately to emergencies or concerns.
4. Quality & Experience Standards Definition: Quality & Experience Standards represent the intentional design, delivery, and continuous refinement of retreat experiences. In Practice, This Includes:
- Designing retreats with clear outcomes and meaningful transformation;
- Conducting reasonable due diligence on venues, vendors, and service providers, and ensuring they meet appropriate quality and safety standards;
- Delivering a cohesive experience from start to finish;
- Aligning marketing with the actual experience delivered;
- Gathering feedback and improving offerings;
- Maintaining attention to detail across all touchpoints.
5. Collaboration & Community Definition: Collaboration & Community reflect a commitment to fostering a supportive and cooperative environment. In Practice, This Includes:
- Encouraging collaboration over competition;
- Respecting intellectual property;
- Engaging with professionalism and respect;
- Refraining from using Association meetings, forums, or activities to coordinate or exchange competitively sensitive information regarding pricing, fees, market or customer allocation, or other matters that could restrict fair competition;
- Contributing to a positive global retreat community.
6. Innovation & Growth Definition: Innovation & Growth reflect a commitment to evolving, learning, and improving.In Practice, This Includes:
- Embracing innovation;
- Staying informed on trends;
- Engaging in ongoing development;
- Seeking continuous improvement.
7. Compliance Definition: Compliance reflects a commitment to operating in accordance with laws and regulations. In Practice, This Includes:
- Following all applicable local, state, national, and international laws and regulations;
- Obtaining and maintaining required licenses, permits, and registrations for the member’s activities and locations;
- Maintaining appropriate and adequate insurance for the member’s offerings;
- Ensuring legal and ethical business practices.
8. Accountability & Enforcement Definition: The Association maintains the right to uphold its standards and to protect the integrity of the Association and its community. In Practice, This Includes:
- Receiving and reviewing complaints, requesting clarification, issuing warnings, and suspending or terminating membership where appropriate;
- Determining, in its sole discretion, whether to accept, decline, investigate, or close any complaint, and the manner and scope of any review;
- Imposing interim measures, including suspension of membership, directory listings, badges, or other visibility benefits, while a complaint or concern is pending;
- Declining to adjudicate private business or contractual disputes between members or between members and third parties;
- Taking action it determines necessary to address conduct that violates these Standards, harms the Association or its community, or creates legal or reputational risk.
[Detailed complaint-submission, review, timeline, and disciplinary procedures to be developed following the Association’s internal process determination.]
9. Agreement to Standards Definition: Agreement to Standards reflects each member’s commitment to uphold these Standards of Practice. In Practice, This Includes:
- Agreeing to uphold all standards;
- Understanding the expectations set out above;
- Accepting review and action if standards are not met;
- Representing the Association with integrity.