Thomson and First Choice have raised their targets for cutting emissions and waste following research showing a high level of support for sustainability among customers.
The leading Tui Travel UK tour operators will aim to reduce emissions from shops by 15% in two years – an increase from the 12% target announced last year. The pair also aim to save the equivalent of 25,000 trees or 800 million sheets of paper by printing fewer brochure pages and issuing e-tickets.
The companies launched a series of commitments to sustainability last year in an initiative they called Holidays Forever, listing 20 pledges to be fulfilled by 2014.
Thomson and First Choice raised the targets this month following “strong progress in meeting the targets”.
The pair report having saved 380 million brochure pages in a year and say they have adopted tougher targets to reduce carbon emissions from shops and save paper as a result, as well as introducing a commitment to provide more information to consumers on “greener, fairer holidays”.
Research by Tui Travel UK suggests a strong correlation between how customers rate a brand’s approach to the environment and communities “and their rating of their holiday overall”.
Tui Travel reports 95% of customers in the survey cited reducing the carbon footprint of travel as important, and 98% wanted more information on the local culture and environment of resorts.
Tui Travel group sustainable development director Jane Ashton said: “We are thrilled to have made good progress in the first year of our 2014 sustainability strategy, but we have a long way to go.
“Understanding what is important to our customers has helped us increase our focus in certain areas. We remain committed to driving sustainable tourism through Holidays Forever, working closely with suppliers to make holidays greener and fairer.”
Tui Travel carried out research among 600 customers in November and questioned 900,000 during summer 2010.