How independent travel businesses can prepare for a sustainable future

While making real change may seem like a mammoth task more suited to larger companies, championing and prioritising sustainability is achievable for smaller businesses too.

Here are a few thoughts on getting started on your journey towards sustainability.

Plan for the future

Prioritising sustainability can sound like hard work when we’re still trying to recover from the pandemic. However, if you accept that we must get to net-zero, then you need to picture it as a wall, which is somewhere around 2030.

Now, imagine a ramp leading from today to the top of that wall. Start walking along that ramp now and it’s at an angle, but it’s achievable. Start now and you only need to reduce carbon by about 7% a year. Every year you delay, the steeper the ramp gets until you’re facing an impossible incline.

As 2030 fast approaches, so will measures such as carbon taxes, so future proofing your business now is vital.

Commercial impact

Having more ethical choices available for customers will make you more money. Not overnight, but it’s worth building the foundations now so you can claim your place in what will become a crowded space.

To become an authority in sustainability, it’s essential to do your research - don’t just repeat the marketing claims of airlines, tour operators and hotel groups, do your own research.

People are savvier than ever about greenwashing and are likely to notice it immediately. Proving why you have confidence in your claims is critical to long-term success.

Quick wins

For smaller retail travel businesses, your biggest emissions will be power in your office - switching to a renewables tariff will eliminate them.

Similarly, sourcing your IT equipment with reference to the TCO compliance list and incentivising your team to find more sustainable ways to carry out their morning commutes are immediate points of action.