Customers do not let concerns about carbon emissions restrict their travel plans, according to agents at the Elite Travel Conference in Jerez, Spain this week.
During a debate on global warming, the 170 delegates were asked whether their customers care about the environment.
Agents agreed that very few customers had even even mentioned climate change or carbon emissions when booking a holiday.
The Travel Wallet director Maggie Luton said: “I have a client who is a pheasant farmer and has had his crops ruined by climate change. He is still willing to fly, though. People work hard and they need a break.”
Marion Owen of Marion Owen Travel in Hull, added: “I’ve visited Antarctica and seen the glaciers melting. I think it’s something more people should be aware of but not all the responsibility should be on the travel industry.”
Meanwhile, Elite Travel Group chairman Neil Basnett criticised rival consortium Advantage for jumping on the “green bandwagon”.
He said the rival consortium was using the “trendy” issue to generate publicity.
“Advantage has pledged to be more green but what does that mean? I don’t want Elite to go down that road.
We’ve become the sole industry to blame for carbon emissions and global warming, but the public are not interested.”
Tour operators also admitted tackling climate change was low on their list of priorities.
Peltours sales and marketing director Darren Panto said: “We have a green policy in that we don’t contract hotels that don’t have sustainable practices. But we are a commercial enterprise and our priority is to stay in business and employ people.”