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Green travel: is it on your agenda? |
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| | “Invest in responsible products to sell.” |
Our business plans need to incorporate some form of green eco travel resolution. Why? Well, it’s today’s emerging travel segment. Tap into it now and you’ll be well positioned going forward. Today, you’ll find 39 million pages on Google alone relating to eco travel. Secondly, you’ll have a direct hand in shaping how this key area unfolds.
When Travelport surveyed Asia-Pacific travel agents last year, we found that while sustainability and carbon footprint reduction may have become buzz words, the reality is just that – a buzz word.
Less than 10 per cent of travel agents in our region proactively promote eco-friendly tourism on a regular basis. Yet more than half of the respondents polled expressed a willingness to pay for more eco-friendly travel when on company business.
So here’s an opportunity. Start with multinationals, particularly those that need to provide regular reporting on their commitment to the environment. Travel agents have environmental tracking systems that automatically calculate carbon emissions for every travel booking. Why not make money by selling this tool to corporations, helping them meet the greenhouse gas (GHG) protocol or equivalent standard used by governments and business leaders to understand, quantify and manage GHG emissions?
So far, we’ve equated green with reducing, reusing and recycling. But sustainable travel should also be about responsible behaviour, about genuinely paying our way and uncovering new ways of seeing and experiencing the world rather than simply trampling all over it. It’s about protecting our heritage and indigenous cultures, staying at hotels that respect the local environment and provide responsible employment for their staff, supporting local charities, enjoying ethical and fair-trade foods, and buying locally made products and services.
It is about discovering a new meaning in travel. An awareness of what travel and tourism have to offer about respecting and supporting local communities.
How do you get eco travel on your business plan?
• Invest in responsible products to sell. Widen your offering before your competition does.
• Audit your current suppliers and partners on their sustainability practices.
• Partner with firms and individuals that embrace or promote responsible travel. Give them the support and exposure they need to deliver their products and services into the marketplace.
• Act the part. Audit your operation and educate staff so they can play their role and sell knowledgeably to your customers.
• Benchmark your business with firms within and outside the industry to see how others are addressing this challenge.
• Take your message to the street – talk about the issue with your community and clients.
Simon Nowroz
President and managing director
Asia-Pacific, Travelport GDS
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