Holidaymakers have temporarily lost their focus on sustainability following the pandemic but will very soon regain it, tour operators have predicted. This was revealed at a recent WTM London sustainability panel, which said the issue had slipped down the agenda in the scramble to travel again after two years of confinement.
Chris Wright, MD of English tour operator Sunvil, said ‘flight shaming’ – the wariness of flying due to environmental concerns – had become an issue among his clients in 2019. But that, he said, had since disappeared. “It’s almost like the desperation to travel has overtaken.”
Sonal Patel, Audley Travel Chief Sustainability Officer, also said the issue of health and safety had very much taken over in the last two years. However, the panel agreed that the issue of sustainability was climbing to the top of the agenda again.
“This is the first WTM where destinations are interested in sustainability and are contacting us to help them,” said Zina Bencheikh, MD for EMEA, Intrepid Travel, commenting on the sense of returning green ethos at WTM.
She described how the operator tackled the issue of flying, calling it the elephant in the room. Twenty per cent of Intrepid’s product is now domestic, compared with less than 5% pre-pandemic. Intrepid has also halted the use of domestic flights in favour of boats and trains.
Patel described Audley Travel’s initiatives, which included a café project in Vietnam that taught hospitality skills to underprivileged locals. Audley also has projects with schools near its own offices to teach learners about sustainability and careers in travel. An apprentice programme is being developed as well.
Wright said Sunvil worked with property owners to alleviate issues about water use, waste disposal, and recycling. “We work outside of government,” he said, describing a project in Corfu where Sunvil had collaborated with a volunteer recycling group. “We tend to work with small, owner-managed properties and we lead the conversation around conservation and waste management. The conversations are not all about numbers.”
He advised operators to start off small and described how a scheme to eliminate plastic bottles had led to some Sunvil properties having water tanks fitted for delivery of spring water.
Sunvil also now has a train travel option. “We have been really inspired. We really did not expect people to be interested, but everybody talks about slow travel now,” he said.
Sam Seward, MD of Travelopia and Exodus Travels, said his small group tours were inherently low impact, and that new staff were wholly in support of the sustainability ethos. “This year we have taken on 100 staff and everyone is aligned with the idea of improving life through travel. They make that really clear and our customers are inspired by it.
“Sustainability drives loyalty; that should be an incentive for any operator,” he added.
