Destinations have been urged to show a direct link to sustainability projects if they introduce green taxes which can add “hundreds of pounds” to the cost of family holidays.
EasyJet holidays boss Garry Wilson also warned the imposition of taxes to raise funds did not always “build confidence in demand” for the countries that introduce them.
Speaking at a panel debate at Abta’s Travel Convention in Greece, Wilson said: “Destinations are all jumping on green taxes. There has to be real thought into the impact they will have.
“It is putting hundreds of pounds on the cost of family holidays.”
Wilson suggested that customers would better understand and accept taxes if destinations explained which sustainable projects they supported rather than just going into a “big pot”.
He added: ”We have got a problem with that. There has to be a long-term strategy so people can prepare for that [the extra cost].
“The way it is being done by a lot of destinations is not necessarily building confidence in demand.
“Governments need to consider the impact on demand. If they introduce a green tax that is fully committed to the environment, we fully support it. If it just goes into a general pot, we’d not support that.”
The travel industry has a collective responsibility to deal with overtourism and must ‘bust the myth’ that sustainable holidays are expensive.
Speaking during the same panel, Wilson urged the entire sector to work together with governments and communities in destinations to learn the lessons of the past.
He said: “We have a collective responsibility here. Tourism boomed in the 1980s, you look at the mess it left behind and investment [needed] to put it right. We all should learn the lessons of that.”
He added: “I just think there are more players now that have to buy into that ethos.”
Abta chief executive Mark Tanzer agreed, stressing the need for a debate on overtourism by destinations to “get the balance right”.
He acknowledged overtourism protests in Majorca, adding: “We have a role to play. Travel has to work together.”
Tanzer also highlighted the importance of talking to consumers about sustainability, adding: “I can see sustainability is not top of mind for customers. We must take customers with us. We need to be talking about it and saying how many hotels meet certain criteria in terms of sustainability.”
Wilson said there were many considerations for consumers when booking a holiday, and that increasingly would include climate change.
“There are so many things at play …[but] clearly climate change is becoming a consideration,” he said.
He also called for the industry to break the perception that sustainable holiday were more costly, arguing that businesses could bring down holiday costs by making their own policies more sustainable.
“We need to bust the myth that sustainable holidays are more expensive; they could be cheaper. If you have very clear social policies, you will retain staff and have higher levels of repeat customers and less marketing costs. If you have a policy on electricity usage your bill will go down,” he said.
Not Just Travel non executive director Derek Jones agreed climate change could impact where and when holidaymakers travel if they experience it first hand.
“It affects the enjoyment of the [holiday] experience. People who have experienced it start to think differently,” he said.