Touring and adventure suppliers say more customers are asking questions about their sustainability credentials as awareness grows of travel’s impact on the environment.
Joe Ponte, managing director of Explore, pointed to the scale of last week’s climate strikes and protests, saying: “Consumers are changing. It is really important to have strong sustainability credentials. The highest repeat customers are asking about sustainability.”
Giles Hawke, chief executive of Cosmos, said: “There is a change in perception, and we are on the cusp of customers being more proactive and asking [about sustainability].”
He highlighted how modern coaches are fuel-efficient and operators are tackling the problem of single-use plastics and bottles.
Rachel Lewis, campaign and partnership manager at South Africa Tourism, said agents should not stop selling holidays because of campaigns about ‘flight shaming’.
“One in seven people in South Africa is employed in tourism, it’s imperative these jobs are kept, as it helps the local economy and local guides,” she told delegates.
Ponte and Hawke were speaking as part of a panel which dispelled common myths about escorted tours.
Pictured on the panel, from left: Ponte, Carol Kirkham (Kirkham Travel), Hawke, and conference moderator Lucy Huxley (Travel Weekly Group).