When it comes to sustainability in travel, there’s an elephant in the room: tourism has an inherent environmental impact. The moment that travellers take a plane or jeep, for instance, there’s a sizable carbon footprint. But that’s not to say that becoming a sustainable tour operator is hopeless.
In fact, as many tour operators have shown, there are plenty of realistic ways to make a meaningful impact, environmentally and economically. Here’s how tour operators can contribute to sustainable tourism – with real-world examples – and why it's so important to do so.
There’s a reason why the travel industry is talking about sustainability. Terms like ‘overtourism’ are no longer future-focused problems, but something that locals, travellers, and companies are seeing the effects of.
Just take this summer's protests in Barcelona, for example, which saw tourists squirted with water pistols. Or, Bali’s recent decision to suspend the building of new hotels in some areas. Real pushback means that travel companies need to be mindful of how they operate in these destinations.
There’s also demand for planet-friendly travel from customers themselves. Booking.com’s Sustainable Travel Report 2023 found that almost three quarters of travellers want travel companies to offer more sustainable options.
For tour operators, there’s an opportunity to future proof their businesses. To find ways of operating more sustainably, and do right by people, the planet, and long-term profitability.
Start by accepting that some elements of sustainability are out of your hands, but that you can still make positive changes – even if they’re small.
For instance, although transportation is responsible for 75% of tourism's overall CO2 emissions, you can’t always change the fact that travellers need to catch planes, trains, or boats to reach you.
However, you can steer them towards more sustainable accommodation when they arrive. Accommodation is responsible for 21% of emissions, so there’s still plenty of room to make a difference!
As we’ve discussed already, overtourism is an issue that travel companies need to address. Of course, if you offer tours in destinations affected by overtourism, it might not be financially viable for you to make huge product changes overnight.
However, now could be a good time to start researching destinations for future tours. This could be a great opportunity to futureproof your business, while stimulating tourism in places that could use the financial support.
To do this in the most responsible way, consider hiring local guides, accommodation, and transport options instead of international chains. The key is to make sure that the money generated from your tours is going to the right place!
In addition to taking your tours to new destinations, could you diversify the products you offer altogether? As an example, our client KE Adventure Travel has seen success by offering railway adventures. This is a smart move given that train transport was the fastest growing travel category between 2023-24!
For inspiration on how to diversify your tours, check out Naturetrek. From flightless tours to completely virtual adventures, they’re a fantastic example of how to create sustainably minded experiences that align with travellers’ preferences.
Something else we can learn from Naturetrek is that your target audience matters. By creating experiences that responsibly minded tourists are willing to pay for, Naturetrek is able to reinvest the money made into relevant causes. For instance, Naturetrek donates 10% of the income it generates from its 25 butterfly-focused tours to the Butterfly Conservation.
Another idea is to target travellers with the financial freedom and flexibility to travel outside of peak seasons, such as the post-mortgage market. If you currently offer experiences in destinations affected by overtourism, this could be a good route forward.
We still talk to many tour operators who rely on pen and paper, whether it’s printing brochures to promote their upcoming tours, or giving their customers paper documentation.
Of course, going paperless might not make as big of a difference as going flight-free. However, it’s still a step in the right direction!
Taking your admin online might mean modernising your back-office system, which can feel daunting. That’s why we’ve written a blog on how to minimise any disruption during this process, so you can see the business benefits without too much hassle.
There can be a lot of confusion about how best to make a positive impact on the planet. The rise in carbon offsetting schemes is a prime example of this. These have had some bad press, with examples of companies being led to believe, incorrectly, that their products are carbon neutral.
Therefore, it’s really important to make sure that any changes you make are having their intended impact. A great example of this in action comes from KE Adventure Travel. Last year, CEO Ashley Toft travelled to Indonesia to see first-hand how their chosen carbon offsetting projects worked and benefitted local communities.
You can read about his experience, and get inspired, here.
Keeping up with travel trends and behaviours can feel like a never-ending challenge for tour operators. That’s why we’ve packed some of our top tips for staying successful, sustainably, into our Travel in 2024 report. Inside, we explore:
What’s more important – profit or revenue?
How to create a safety net for your travel business
Why it’s time to invest in travel technology
And much more.
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