Why you’re missing a trick if you’re not selling sustainable travel

G Touring’s Travelsphere had one holidaymaker whose Delhi tour with a former street child who now works for the Salaam Baalak Trust (an initiative supported by Travelsphere Cares in partnership with Planeterra) changed her life and gave her a new mission.

“It was such a moving experience that I felt compelled to do something to help these young people, so, I arranged a party in aid of the trust and, thanks to the generosity of my friends and family, raised over £6,000 for the charity,” explains customer Anne Lennox-Martin. “The trip opened my eyes to what we can all do to make a difference to other people’s lives.”

Meanwhile, one Intrepid Travel customer said they were “far more aware of the issue of plastic pollution” after travelling with the operator, with another adding they are now “much more aware of different cultures when meeting new people”.

Intrepid recently conducted customer research to deduce if its holidays create a positive impact for customers via education, cultural connection, and enhancing physical and mental wellbeing.

The survey showed 99% of respondents experienced “strong” or “some” positive impact from education, 98% from culture, and 91% from health and wellbeing practices, while 66% of respondents said their Intrepid holiday motivated life improvements.

Sustainability in tourism spans so many multifaceted pillars – from carbon offsetting and respecting wildlife and biodiversity to supporting local communities, staying in sustainability-conscious accommodation and reducing single-use plastics – that it’s easy to understand why agents might not have dedicated time to learning and selling truly sustainable travel just yet.

The TTG survey revealed 79% of respondents either never or only occasionally include sustainable travel messages in their marketing, while 49% of respondents never include sustainable travel messaging in their pre-departure communications with clients, and 36% only occasionally. This might include tips on being culturally sensitive, minimising water and single-use plastic usage, buying locally made souvenirs and visiting community projects – all information easily communicated with the right knowledge.

Taking action

It seems this lack of knowledge is something the industry acknowledges and is keen to rectify, with the majority of survey respondents saying they want more sustainability-focused information from suppliers.

“It’s important to communicate the impact we can make in local communities and how travel can become more responsible to customers,” said one respondent. “We need to be educated and pass that on in some small way.”

This power behind the travel agent when it comes to helping the industry become more sustainable is undeniable – with 93% of TTG survey respondents believing they have an important role in this endeavour – but some agents are cautiously optimistic about their ability to help implement this change.

“We must all play our part despite our intentions to sell as much as we can right now after the last two dreadful years for sales,” said one respondent, with another adding that “guiding clients towards more sustainable travel while balancing their perceptions and budgets is difficult to achieve”.

No one is saying the journey to implement truly sustainable travel across the industry will be an easy one, but it is necessary. Even baby steps – if taken by all – can make a big difference, so watch this space for upcoming features on carbon offsetting, community tourism, nature protection and how to communicate these messages to clients. Let’s power the next phase of the sustainable travel movement.

Visit the TTG Sustainable Travel Heroes Hub for educational features on how to sell more responsible holidays, as well as sustainable fam trip opportunities.