‘We can be a real force for good’: how agents are inspiring others to sell responsible travel

Sharing knowledge 

Several of the Ambassadors at Travel Counsellors have now joined the homeworking giant’s Sustainability Champion team, which was established in January 2024 and meets virtually to discuss the business’s sustainability strategy. Among the recruits is Emma Summers, who explains: “The more we educate each other and share learnings with fellow agents and customers, the more likely we are to help travel become a real force for good in the world.”

Marina Schumacher regularly supports fellow Travel Counsellors as a rail product expert, explaining how she’d approach an enquiry, including focusing on the benefits of rail travel, and highlighting experiences that could be better for the client and the environment. She says: “A lot of agents feel out of their depth with rail enquiries, and if I can help them it gives me a sense of accomplishment. Plus, sharing commission is a win-win, as I know some agents in the past would have just said ‘no’ to taking the enquiry.”

Top-tip guides 

Many of the Ambassadors created simple guides to provide fellow agents with key tips. Jayne Lomax made a “cheat sheet” to remind other Travel Counsellors of small changes to make trips more sustainable. She says: “It’s a quick sheet to pull up when you have a new enquiry, reminding agents of things they could be thinking of, and the responses have all been positive.” Meanwhile Trailfinders’ Erin Neville created a list of tips that have been posted on noticeboards around the business. “They focus on how we can introduce and incorporate more sustainable methods and products into our clients’ itineraries, even without them asking for it first,” she explains

Fams and facts 

Several Ambassadors chose to run training events, with Dot Mechan hosting a 30-minute virtual presentation to 20 colleagues at the four Murray Travel branches, focusing on the programme and her Intrepid South Africa fam trip. She says: “It definitely raised awareness of sustainable travel in general, as well as Intrepid’s profile with the team. Afterwards, one of the Inverness team made an Intrepid booking worth almost £15,000. Often we just need to try and nudge clients a little towards more sustainable holidays and if I can encourage my colleagues to do the same, it’s a start.”

Jess Morton is preparing a presentation for her seven colleagues at Fusion Holidays, covering everything from the best suppliers for sustainable travel to why selling it will benefit the agency. She explains: “At present, sustainability is not a priority to them, so I’m looking forward to explaining how we can be smarter in the products we sell, as well as how we can be smarter in the way the office runs.”

All of the agents’ efforts have been incredibly well received by their colleagues, including for Gareth Harding, who spoke at the Travelosophers conference in Malta in November to address 48 fellow homeworkers. He shared his experience of the programme, and the changes he has made to his business, explaining: “The reaction and interest was great, and lots of people came up to chat later in the day about the fams and the content of the programme.”

The fams also sparked conversations for Designer Travel’s Simon Collinge, whose colleagues were keen to hear about his adventures. He adds: “By simply explaining to them some of the issues and changes we can make in basic terms, I’ve found they are more open to listening and learning, especially when they realise that even small changes that have no real impact on their own sales or performance can have a big impact on the experiences our clients may have.”

Easy wins

Emma Butterworth agrees that small changes can have an impressive result. She is now the overall sustainability lead at Adventures By, and frequently talks to her five colleagues about promoting more sustainable options. “One tip I have given them is to try and notice when hotels or suppliers mention that their properties or holidays have a ‘greener’ credential,” she explains. “More are advertising this little indicator, and while it takes work to look into exactly why they’ve been awarded it, it’s something we can show to the client to make them more aware.”

Not Just Travel personal travel consultant Lewis Jones shared his top tips for incorporating sustainability into a business with 32 of his colleagues via WhatsApp. He explained why it’s not just about carbon emissions, and encouraged others with ideas such as suggesting clients opt for a B&B so more of their money is spent locally.

He explains: “Aside from those tips being directly useful to agents, I think simply raising awareness and getting people talking about the issue is equally important. One tip for other agents looking to inspire their colleagues is KISS (Keep It Simple, Silly!). The worst thing we can do is get too excited and over-complicate things when trying to explain sustainable travel to a newbie. So keep it simple and make it relatable.”

Several of the agents also took their advice beyond the travel industry, such as Not Just Travel’s Lourdes Huelgas, who presented to fellow business owners at her local BNI networking group. Many are now rethinking their own travel habits. She says: “Don’t hesitate to share your knowledge and passion for promoting sustainable travel. Most people genuinely want to travel responsibly but may not know where to start. By initiating conversations and raising awareness, we can inspire more meaningful changes and collectively contribute to a more sustainable future for travel.”