Much like sustainable design, sustainable travel has quickly become a concept embraced by its wider industry. The values of the Australian traveller have altered significantly over the last five years, with climate change issues firmly entrenched in the mind of those abroad.

The Travel Corporation’s (TTC) second global Impact Report seeks to update the wider public on their goals of becoming a truly sustainable enterprise through their brands, which includes the likes of Contiki, Trafalgar, Insight Vacations, AAT Kings, Adventure World, Costsaver, Luxury Gold, and Uniworld Boutique River Cruises. The 11 sustainability goals – aligned with the UN’s SDGs – form part of the wider How We Tread Right (HWTR) strategy.

40 percent of those surveyed for the report have indicated a shift in their values, which has been brought about by the amplification of sustainable travel advocates. A third of those surveyed are looking to travel sustainable when they get away over the course of the next year, while 34 percent are looking towards a ‘staycation’, where local options are sought as opposed to venturing across continents.

Shannon Guihan, TTC Chief Sustainability Officer and Head of The TreadRight Foundation, says that while there are concerns around sustainable travel coming at a cost, the company has worked to ensure that both factors do not come hand in hand.

sustainable travel report

“With a cost-of-living crisis, it’s no surprise that 53 percent of us say value for money is the most important factor when planning a holiday, but 69 percent believe sustainable travel comes at an additional cost.

“Doing the right thing doesn’t have to cost more, we have worked hard to integrate sustainable practices and experiences at no additional cost to our guests.”

The inclination by Australians to travel sustainably is seen within the survey, with over half (54 percent) of respondents of the opinion that net zero operation should be one of the biggest priorities travel operators can make. TTC has responded to the feedback in kind, with the company pledging to become carbon neutral by 2030 and net zero by 2050.

“Contiki caters to many younger travellers and has been carbon neutral since January 2022. We did this by purchasing verified carbon credits from our partner, South Pole. However, the process of validating our net zero targets forced us to identify the fact that offsets do not address the fact that we are an asset-heavy tour operator with ambitious decarbonisation goals,” says TTC Tour Brands Managing Director, Toni Ambler.

sustainable travel report

“These goals require significant investment into the business, thus the shift from the purchase of carbon credits to investing in our own decarbonisation through our Carbon Fund. It’s a very exciting time for us.”

Food wastage is a concern for a lot of Australian travellers, with 48 percent wanting to visit hotels, operators and restaurants that aim to reduce food waste. Those who do already travel sustainably, approximately 58 percent of those surveyed, tend to look for a locally operated and produced food tour.

The local flavour extends to experiences in general, with nearly two thirds (65 percent) of respondents of the opinion that local tourism, trade, and foundations should be supported by tour operators. 64 percent of Australians plan to embark on a holiday where local wildlife and nature can be viewed or interacted with in the near future.

“It is encouraging to see increasingly positive consumer sentiment around sustainable travel, but this is not what drives TTC’s efforts,” TTC Chief Executive David Hosking says.

“Reducing the environmental impact of our business, as articulated in our HWTR strategy, is at the core of all that we do. It is too great a risk not to address these issues in a meaningful, timely and transparent manner. Our investment in a Carbon Fund to support achieving near-term, long-term and net zero validated targets is, I believe, a critical step forward in our sustainability journey.”

To read the report, click here.

Jarrod Reedie

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