Travel Counsellors launches year-long responsible travel campaign
James ChappleTravel Counsellors has created new marketing assets, learning materials and guides – including a dedicated microsite – to underpin a year-long responsible travel campaign launched off the back of Earth Day (22 April).
The homeworking firm has pledged to do more to help individual Travel Counsellors communicate and spread key teachings and learnings on responsible travel with the aim of bringing consumers up to speed on how they can ultimately reduce their carbon footprint.
New resources will cover sustainable destinations and hotels, and highlight ways agents can support their clients in making choices that benefit local tourism-dependent communities and indigenous wildlife.
Manchester-headquartered Travel Counsellors has pledged to halve its own carbon footprint by 2030 via a three-pronged strategy and investment plan – its aims include reducing its own impact at company level, educating its agents and franchisees on the role the industry must play in promoting and driving responsible travel, and guiding customers towards making more sustainable travel choices.
In addition, Travel Counsellors has pledged to work with supplier partners to share knowledge, and to promote products "that align with the company’s goal to champion sustainability in travel".
For agents, the campaign centres around a digital brochure featuring content based on customer engagement and interests, with supporting social media assets designed to help Travel Counsellors showcase the campaign and promote it across their channels.
Other materials include dedicated emails and e-cards, as well as a responsible travel training guide available from the Travel Counsellors marketing hub and other information made available via Travel Counsellors TV.
According to a recent Travel Counsellors poll, 90% of customers are interested in travelling more sustainably, with a further 80% stating experiencing local cultures when they travel was "very important" to them.
Dave Callan, Travel Counsellors customer director, said educating its own agent community and their customers, while offering a more diverse range of sustainable travel experiences, would drive the agenda forward and ensure its impact is "as positive as possible" for people and the planet.
"This campaign will not only arm our Travel Counsellors with the right tools, platform and insights, but will add value to the growing sustainability needs of our customers, enhancing the pivotal role our community play in personally guiding customers to make more responsible choices when travelling," said Callan.
Travel Counsellors’ in-house booking platform already identifies accredited "green leaf" properties meeting Global Sustainable Tourism Council standards to make it easier for TCs to guide customers towards sustainable properties, while it’s partnership with Trees4Travel allows TCs to help their clients calculate their likely emissions and offset them through UN-certified emissions reduction projects.
Callan added all TCs undergo mandatory sustainability training, which was refreshed last month, introducing green leaf product, which now accounts for 11% of accommodation bookings, and 20% of booking value "indicating sustainable choices are becoming more popular with premium leisure travellers".
"Our view is that the world should be enjoyed by everyone and we should work together to look after it, and we hope that this campaign plays a small part towards making that a reality," he added.
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