Any company can slap a little green leaf on their website. If we really want to travel more sustainably, it's up to us to go deeper and ask more difficult questions to hold our hosts to account. They won’t always know the answers — which in itself tells you something about their eco credentials — but more importantly it could prompt them to do better as a business when it comes to environmental, social and economic impact. We asked some of the industry’s smartest operators to give us a guide on what to ask and why it matters.
1. How do you try to make sure money stays in local pockets?
Bruce Poon-Tip, founder of G Adventures
Why it matters: “The easiest and best way to ensure money stays in a destination is to do your research; find out where your money is going in the places you are visiting and ensure local people are benefiting. As the pioneers of community tourism, G Adventures offers a ‘ripple score’, which is designed to provide transparency around the local economic impact of a tour, but it does not reflect the quality of the on-trip experience — the more local operation costs stay locally, the better the ripple effect in those communities and the greater the ripple score. A score of 100 means that all of the services we have used to create that specific tour are locally owned. We also have more than 100 community tourism projects built into our trips around the world that directly benefit local people.”
2. The question: Can you recommend an itinerary that allows me to travel abroad without flying?
Cat Jones, founder of train travel specialist Byway
Why this matters: “Flying less is one of the most impactful things we can do as individuals for the climate. Not only does choosing to travel by train instead of plane cut CO2 emissions per passenger by up to 90 per cent, it also makes for a really joyful way to travel! You experience scenic journeys (perhaps even from a bed on an overnight train), enrich your holiday by staying in more than one place and support local economies by choosing routes away from over-touristed airport hubs. The hurdle many face when considering flight-free travel is the initial uncertainty (Where to go? Which route? What to do? Which tickets?). That’s why this question matters — it’s tough to know where to start! If your agent doesn’t have flight-free options, perhaps let them know that Byway can help. Partnering in this way helps us to empower the travel industry to bring flight-free into the mainstream, making it easier for people to travel more sustainably. We want people to feel encouraged to dive in and enjoy holidays by rail — for the planet and because it’s a richer way to travel. At Byway we make it easy to go flight-free, with personalised trips by rail, boat and bus that also include accommodation as a protected package. Our trip-building technology powers flight-free planning and booking for partner, too, so we can easily work with agents such as Kuoni, Intrepid and Exodus, where we provide out-and-back flight-free journeys to already-booked tours.”
3. The question: How does your company work with local businesses to help ensure you’re supporting the destination you’re visiting?
Jonny Bealby, founder of Wild Frontiers
Why it matters: “As a tour operator, you can’t create and support responsible and sustainable forms of tourism without understanding the needs and challenges on the ground, which can differ hugely from country to country. It's vital for us that we communicate very closely with our global partners who are essentially the eyes and ears on the ground. It is through those partners, in addition to our own time spent in each of our destinations, that we are able to develop strong and effective local initiatives and projects, which not only enable us to offer great trips to our clients but also support the communities we visit. Look out for companies that have an ethos like this, which is key to our Wild Frontiers Foundation which we established to create further awareness and deliver additional funding to projects within the destinations we visit.”
4. The question: As an operator, how are you collaborating with the wider travel industry to affect change?
Justin Wateridge, founder of Steppes Travel
Why it matters: “Collaboration is hard — we have to share more. We have to work together. Look into what a company is doing to raise your awareness of issues and how much is advocacy a part of the company’s vision to create a greener, more biodiverse planet. Is it lobbying for a ‘green flying duty’, for example — this is a version of the existing UK air passenger duty which would put an end to the tax break given to aviation, and reduce demand for flying with higher prices, with revenues ring-fenced for investment into sustainable versions of aviation and other ways to decarbonise air travel. It would make short-haul a lot less appealing, and make first class proportionately more costly.”
5. The question: Are you or are you able to book me to stay at or to travel with a B Corp travel business?
Thomas Power, founder of Pura Aventura
Why this matters: “A company that has been satisfactorily assessed to be a B Corp is legally committed to doing business in a more ethical way — and it’s a simple way for a consumer to identify a company which has considered its environmental and social impact. There are so many labels, badges and promises that it's easy to get overwhelmed. Honestly, I feel sorry for consumers who want to have a wonderful holiday rather than take on a load of homework! That's why I suggest they ask their agents about B Corp businesses. We are a member of Travel By B Corp — a group of B Corp-certified companies in the UK covering everything from self-catering houses, hotels and holiday parks on our shores to adventures in far-flung places thanks to members including Intrepid Travel and Sawday’s. The more holidaymakers who are aware of this badge the better, and it sparks discussion around the values."
6. The question: Can you help me ensure my money goes beyond my hotel stay and impacts the local community?
Jessica Blotter, co-founder of Kind Traveler
Why it matters: "97 per cent of travellers want their travel dollars to positively impact the communities they visit, according to our 2022 Kind Traveler Impact Tourism Report, and with our Every Stay Gives Back programme, every guest stay with participating hotels mobilises funding for local charities connected to destination wellbeing, regardless of where the booking originates. Hotels can easily communicate and celebrate the measurable positive impact of their efforts through a QR code and live community impact report. As an example, The Stavrand, a boutique, woman-owned hotel in Sonoma County, California, has designated Farm to Pantry as its local beneficiary and has already mobilised 3,184 servings of Sonoma County-grown fruits and veggies to marginalised families while also solving food waste issues, and has saved the emissions equivalent of taking 79 cars off the road for one day.”
7. The question: What do you look for when booking sustainable accommodation?
James Jayasundera, founder of Ampersand Travel
Why this matters: “I think a sensitivity to nature and the local culture, from style of architecture to being in harmony with nature, the location and the community, is key. Travel companies need to be teaching locals to take pride in what they have. Encourage them to be more caring: stop polluting, host clean-up operations and develop an appreciation among locals for what is local. You want to ask your agent how they are supporting businesses that think in this way.”
8. The question: Are you recommending this trip as a salesperson or can you genuinely speak to its sustainability credentials?
Byron Thomas, founding MD of Niarra Travel
Why it matters: “There’s a big difference between a trained and certified travel advisor – our team are all GSTC certified travel researchers– recommending the most sustainable trip available for your dates and the salesperson who’s proposing the one for which the supplier has given them an eco-enough suggestion but more than anything, a nice commission. In tour operating, which most people use to book high-end safaris, up to 35 per cent of the room rate will not reach the local folks on the ground. It's important to ask for transparency around financials/commission structure if they are serious about supporting the communities and conservation efforts that the trips are all about."
9. The question: If I want a honeymoon that is unique, away from mass tourism and all-inclusive offerings, what can you do to encourage a more authentic experience?
Katie Terrington, founder of Katie Terrington Private Travel and member of The Conscious Travel Foundation
Why this matters: "Rather than looking for a two-week, all-inclusive beach break, honeymooners are increasingly requesting to spend their precious time discovering destinations slowly, learning about cultures, staying in off-grid properties, learning something new, having specialist local guides and delving deeper into the destination. As an independent travel designer it is incredibly important that I work alongside a carefully curated selection of hotels, lodges, local guides and other local partners who can help me create these experiences. Rather than booking with large wholesalers that are driving local properties for increased commissions, have standardised excursions and tend to focus on booking larger properties, I actively seek out partners who are smaller, more creative, work closely alongside their communities, are engaged with conservation and who partner with a plethora of incredible local suppliers."
For more tips on how to be a more climate-friendly traveller, explore the Sustainable Travel hub.
