Travel Counsellors recently launched its new Responsible Travel campaign to coincide with Earth Day on April 22.
The year-long campaign, which includes a microsite platform for customers, aims to increase educate the Travel Counsellors community and customers about responsible travel.
It will provide them with information on sustainable destinations and hotels, ways to support local communities and wildlife at destinations, and how they can reduce their travel carbon footprint.
The platform supports the company’s pledge to halve its carbon footprint by 2030. It educates the community on the industry’s role in driving action, and influences customers to make more sustainable travel choices. That involves working with supplier partners to learn from one another, and surfacing products to champion travel sustainability.
Working with accommodation providers within its in-house booking platform Phenix, Travel Counsellors has launched its accredited ‘Green Leaf’ properties, which meet the sustainability standard recognised by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council. These hotels have maximised their social and economic benefits in the local community, enhanced cultural heritage, reduced negative impacts on the environment and are planning the future with sustainability in mind.
Business partner, Trees4Travel, enables Travel Counsellors to help clients calculate and offset their emissions, particularly in the luxury space. This helps fund UN-certified emissions reductions projects, as well as planting of trees.
A digital brochure features content about customer engagement and interests, with supporting social media assets enabling Travel Counsellors to showcase the campaign, as well as sustainable activity across social channels. The company is also providing dedicated emails and e-cards to share the campaign and information. This ensures business owners have the knowledge to support the campaign.
A responsible travel training guide and other information are also continuously being shared through the company’s communications channels.
Travel Counsellors Customer Director Dave Callan says: “We are on a journey to travel more responsibly, and by educating our community and customers, while offering a more diverse selection of sustainable experiences, will ensure our impact is as positive as possible for both the planet and its people. This campaign will arm our Travel Counsellors with the right tools, platform and insight and add value to the growing sustainability needs of our customers.
“Dedicated training is mandatory for all those that join us to build their own business and the launch of a refreshed sustainable training programme last month. The Green Leaf initiative is a core focus as we work with supplier partners to highlight sustainable product via our platform. Sustainable choices are becoming more popular with the premium leisure traveller.”
For more information on responsible travel with Travel Counsellors, visit https://travelcounsellors.foleon.com/magazine/responsible-travel/
