What sustainable initiatives do you have in place currently?
There are two pillars to our sustainability in action program: Planet and People. Ultimately, everything feeds back to our purpose, which is to create lifelong ambassadors for the planet. Within these pillars we have initiatives including:

• We have emissions reduction strategies and 100% carbon neutral certification.
• We operate purpose-built, sustainably designed expedition ships.
• Sustainable onboard dining, where we are increasingly supporting the local economy and smaller-scale farmers in Argentina; sourcing local organic fruit, vegetables and dairy products, free-range chicken and eggs, Argentinian grass-fed beef and a selection of other local products. Furthermore, all seafood is certified by internationally recognised certifying bodies, while fish eggs and tuna will be eliminated from onboard menus across both ships, due to concerns related to overfishing and the need to protect the ocean’s ecological balance.
• In honour of the Sylvia Earle’s namesake and her abiding commitment to the conservation of our oceans, we have committed to a Sustainable Sea Day on day six of each voyage on the Sylvia Earle, when seafood will not be available on the menu.
• There are eight Citizen science projects onboard our voyages.
• We are committed to eliminating single-use plastics and recycling reusable plastics as they reach end-of-life. We have made significant strides towards eliminating single-use plastics, including eliminating plastic items such as stirrers, cups and straws, and providing aluminium water bottles to passengers upon request, with water-refilling stations fitted across our vessels. We will continue to advocate for change and collaborate with partners to improve plastic initiatives in our operations and along our supply chain.
• We have our Women in Conservation programme, which can be seen onboard our second purpose-built ship, the Sylvia Earle. This world-first initiative is prominent on every deck, highlighting achievements by leading female conservationists from around the world, and educating our passengers on their inspirational work.
• We are also proud of our partnerships with change-focused and community engagement organisations like UpSchool, who provide free, global access to climate change education, as well as Oxen Network, a Canadian not-for-profit working with expedition operators to provide social and economic benefits to communities in the Arctic.

Why have you chosen to champion sustainability in 2024?
We have championed sustainability for over three decades and will continue to do so. We believe that the travel profession and industry can make a positive impact and not only participate but lead climate change initiatives.

We are committed to being part of the movement of innovative thought leaders working toward making the industry more sustainable, while recognising that it is an ongoing journey for us all. The key is a commitment to continuous improvement, change and collective action.

We will continue working to enhance our impact in areas such as our sustainability programs both on and off-ship, including emissions reduction and waste management strategies, conservation education, citizen science projects, sustainable food initiatives, and our partnerships.

For example, we recently announced a new citizen science partnership with Eyesea, a specialist in mapping marine pollution – our vessels are the first passenger ships to be testing and incorporating Eyesea’s technology on its voyages. 

We are also preparing to announce a new Climate Change Expedition to the Arctic in partnership with Dr Sylvia Earle and Ocean Geographic, following the success of the Antarctic Climate Expedition in February 2023.

Will you be offering these TTG Sustainable Travel Ambassadors any additional benefits in 2023?

Ambassadors can make the most of agent discounts with exclusive additional ambassador perks, depending on destination, as well as dedicated support from our sales team.

What marketing advice or selling tips do you have for travel agents looking to sell more responsible travel?

For the majority of guests, sustainability is not a deciding factor when planning their holiday. As a result of this, we feel it’s of vital importance to provide the most sustainable holidays possible within the current market. We would therefore recommend that agents do the same if they are conscious of the impact of travel on the environment.

Agents should do the research for their clients, in order to offer them a sustainable option that doesn’t cause the customer extra work. We hope that in the near future, sustainability will be a deciding factor, so if agents get familiar with what sustainable travel means now, they are well prepared for the future. 

It’s encouraging that the movement for seeking and selling responsible travel is growing, and that people want to travel to and learn about the remote and untouched regions of our planet such as Antarctica and the Arctic.

We hope travel agents take the time to educate their clients on the importance of choosing responsible operators whose commitment to protecting and preserving the environment is at the forefront of their operations. Certifications like B Corp help signify to agents as well as their clients that a company is operating as ethically, transparently and sustainably as possible, while also committing to continuous improvement.

In the expedition travel space, it’s also important for clients to understand the difference between expedition travel with a company like AE Expeditions, and traditional cruising. We believe that small-ship expeditions are the way forward, with fewer passengers, led by experts, where education, immersion and operating with the utmost respect for the environment are at the heart of the company’s operations.

Many travellers don’t realise that having lower passenger numbers has a significant impact on their experience, particularly in the polar regions. In the Antarctic Peninsula, only 100 people are allowed on land at one time, while at some sites it is fewer. Having smaller groups enables passengers to have more time off-ship exploring, learning and connecting with nature. Our two ships currently carry a maximum of 132 passengers per voyage, so our aim is to get passengers off the ship two to three times per day.

As part of our TTG Sustainable Travel Heroes initiative we’re seeking agent Ambassadors to champion promoting and selling responsible tourism. How are you planning on supporting these agents in their journey?
We are continually evolving our support initiatives for travel agents to enhance their understanding of the AE Expeditions product as well as help them with their sales efforts.  

Most recently we announced a partnership with Approach Guides, the leading content optimisation platform for travel brands, a service that is free for all travel advisors that they can seamlessly use to engage their clients and boost conversion. The content experiences via this platform include information and resources detailing our sustainability initiatives and credentials and can be easily shared and even co-branded. 

Where available, we are also able to coordinate engagement with select AE Expeditions ambassadors, such as members of our Women in Conservation programme, to attend and speak at agent and industry events.

Finally, our regional sales team provides regular training for agents on the AE Expeditions product and what makes us different, including our focus on responsible and respectful travel, and we of course have a focus on hosting agents on fams and ship visits whenever possible.