The Big Question: Does all-inclusive value come at too high a price for the planet?
Tom ParryIt’s a favourite with budget-conscious clients, but the all-inclusive is facing calls to provide its sustainability credentials.
At TTG, we believe in encouraging high-quality debate and discussion to drive progress, and this month our attention turns to all-inclusive resorts.
The operators that run them have faced increased scrutiny in recent years as travel becomes more focused on, and conscious of, its environmental and social impact.
All-inclusives are certainly popular among some consumers, and provide an option for holidaymakers seeking value – especially given the ongoing squeeze on household finances.
However, can the model stay relevant as the industry looks to operate more sustainably? What innovations can be made to make sure resorts treat the planet and their local communities as well as they do their guests? And what can agents do to help their clients make more conscientious decisions that are right for them?
What do you think? Join in the debate in the comments section below, or email feedback@ttgmedia.com. Alternatively, head to one of TTG’s social media channels to get involved.
'Food waste is a major sustainability challenge'
All-inclusive getaways, while having always been popular for traditional holiday providers, have in the past endured an unfair reputation for being low-quality, unauthentic and offering limited choice.
In more recent years, we’ve seen a real shift in consumer perception in line with the re-invigoration of the all-inclusive, which now includes something for all tastes – whether it’s adults-only, ultra-luxury or family-friendly.
The biggest appeal of all-inclusive is, of course, that it offers quality and choice but with the reassurance of knowing what the holiday will actually cost – something we know is of growing importance to holidaymakers.
With this increase in popularity comes the increased importance of ensuring this type of holiday remains a sustainable way to accommodate mass tourism. So, with all-inclusive our most popular holiday type, we’re looking for solutions.
We know food waste is a major sustainability challenge, which exerts negative impacts on the environment, society and economy. Knowing hotel partners have limited or no measures in place to prevent and reduce food waste, and that most hotels lack the ability to accurately quantify the amount of food waste they generate, we’re investing in artificial intelligence solutions to help our partners cut their food waste in half.
We’re the first tour operator to be supporting hotel partners in tracking food waste, cutting costs and saving time while offering a tangible, real-world solution to a problem faced by our entire industry, not just all-inclusives.
We’re committed to having a positive impact on the communities that make our holidays so special. As an industry, it’s important we continue to focus our efforts on addressing real issues to help support our all-inclusive hotel partners and deliver holidays that – as well as being brilliant for our customers – can be a force for good for our destinations.
Matt Callaghan is director of customer and operations at easyJet holidays.
'People want to see, do and experience more'
There’s a common misconception that all-inclusive resorts deter guests from stepping outside the gates of their hotel, preventing them from discovering the destination they’ve travelled to and – crucially – from spending money in shops, restaurants and attractions.
As a Caribbean, family-run business, the communities surrounding Sandals and Beaches Resorts have always been extremely important to us. Our founder, Gordon “Butch” Stewart, was born and bred in Ocho Rios in Jamaica – he grew up in the late 1950s selling fish he’d caught to the luxurious Arawak hotel, now the new Sandals Dunn’s River.
For more than 40 years, we have supported Caribbean communities. Not only by predominantly employing local people across our 15,000-strong workforce and sourcing up to 90% of produce locally, but also by encouraging guests to get out and explore.
Island Routes, Sandals Resorts’ sister company, offers hundreds of excursions through local vendors, from zip-lining in Jamaica to learning how to catch and cook conch in Turks and Caicos. Mini Routes, meanwhile, gives guests the opportunity to drive around Jamaica in convoy, stopping off at sights and restaurants along the way.
In Curacao, Island Inclusive gives guests staying in butler suites a $250 voucher to dine out at a partner restaurant in Willemstad. Vouchers can be used for lunch or dinner, and the hotel provides free transportation. The feedback from guests and the restaurants has been so positive that we’re rolling the programme out to other islands soon.
While “fly and flop” was popular a few years ago, the truth is that most travellers don’t want to just sit on a beach any more. They want to see more, do more and experience more. All-inclusive resorts should be supporting that rather than resisting it.
Karl Thompson is managing director of Unique Caribbean Holidays Ltd.
'Families want the security of an all-inclusive'
I’m very aware of the potential problems all-inclusive properties can cause for destinations. There is the issue of tourism leakage, where little of the money spent in-destination actually goes on to benefit tourism- dependent communities. Then there is the quite alarming amount of food that is often wasted.
So are all-inclusives entirely bad for the communities in which they are based? As with anything, there isn’t
a cut and dried answer. At Abta’s Delivering Sustainable Travel conference earlier this year, for instance, it was highlighted how all-inclusive properties provide a lot more employment opportunities than other types of properties.
It is important for me to try to influence and encourage my customers to make choices that benefit the communities they’re visiting, without compromising their experience. Quite understandably in the current economic climate, many families want the security of an all-inclusive holiday – to know they have pre-paid for many things.
In these circumstances, I often try to find them a locally run hotel, although not so many of these are all-inclusive, or I encourage them to book with a brand I know I can trust to operate in a sustainable way.
Iberostar, for example, use sustainably caught fish from local fishermen, take measures to improve the coastal health of their locations, and are making great strides in reducing the food waste commonly associated with all-inclusives.
Where switch-selling isn’t possible, I always attempt to add something with a positive impact into the itinerary through locally led excursions, or by helping the customer with recommendations for outings and local businesses. It’s the least we can – and should – be doing.
Annika Nickson is a Not Just Travel consultant and one of TTG's 20 Sustainable Travel Ambassadors.
'Cruising is on more people's radars than ever'
Sustainability continues to be a priority for travellers as they look increasingly hard at ways to travel responsibly
and how their travel affects local communities. As one of the pioneers of the all-inclusive concept, it’s important for us at Club Med to lead the way on sustainable initiatives as part of our overall Happy to Care programme.
We believe we have a responsibility to work with local communities, whether it’s sourcing talent or buying local to ensure the best experience for our guests and to future-proof local economies and environments. That’s why nearly 94% of jobs created by Club Med are filled locally across our Villages (resorts).
Our Green Farmers programme works with local farmers to supply organic and seasonal ingredients so, on average, 86% of a Village’s purchases (goods and materials) are from suppliers in the country where it operates. As a result, food waste has decreased to an average of 101 grammes of food waste per person and per meal (the size of a kiwi) through optimised stock management, calibrated portions and adapted menu plans.
The same applies internally – we each have a responsibility to ensure our resorts are as sustainable as they can be. From energy and water consumption to waste, it all matters. Initiatives such as eliminating single-use plastic by 50% across 2024 and ensuring that 13-30% of energy/electricity needs come from renewable sources means all of our resorts are Green-Globe certified.
While all-inclusive hotels have certainly progressed over the years, there’s still room for improvement, but we believe that our approach of leading with community and investing in innovation will help to ensure tangible and permanent change.
Nicolas Bresch is managing director UK, Ireland and Nordics at Club Med.
The Big Question by TTG
The Big Question is a monthly feature from TTG taking on some of the burning issues facing travel through expert commentary, insight and debate. While it's not designed to be adversarial, it won't flinch from placing a spotlight on some often uncomfortable topics travel – like it or not – will one day have to reckon with.
- Is the 'S' word starting to put customers off?
- Is direct action targeting commercial travel ever justifiable?
- Is it time to rebrand the travel agent?
- Does travel have an ageism problem?
- Has travel added too much capacity for summer 2024?
- Can celebrity endorsements ever be truly responsible?
- Do women have equal opportunity to progress in travel?
- Should the cruise sector shout about lower prices?
- Is it time for a change of government?
- Has the pandemic changed peaks for ever?
- Is it finally time to turn APD into an environmental tax?
- Does all-inclusive value come at too high a price for the planet?
- Can cruise sail ahead of land-based breaks?
- Should travel companies still be selling captive animal attractions?
- Can aviation do more to help disabled travellers?
- Is there a future for private jets in travel?
- Should agents start charging for their time?
- Is it finally time to reform the Atol scheme?
- Should we be flying during a climate crisis?
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