Tailor-made travel specialist Audley Travel has said it is “really proud” of the progress it made with its sustainability and responsible tourism targets last year.
The operator outlined its achievements in its annual sustainability report, which details the progress Audley has made against its Environmental Social Governance (ESG) Framework, now entering its fourth year.
The framework set 36 annual targets which are either aligned to the UN Sustainable Development Goals or with Audley’s internal priorities.
Audley said it made “strong progress” against the 36 ESG targets set for 2023, with 33 met and the remaining three being a continued focus for 2024.
Heather Magnussen, responsible travel and sustainability manager at Audley Travel, said: “Responsible travel has always been part of Audley’s DNA and we are really proud of the progress we made in our 2023 ESG targets.
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“The past year has also seen us celebrate our certification as a B Corporation – an achievement that the entire business is incredibly proud of as it acknowledges our focus on operating for purpose as well as profit.
“There are always more improvements that we can make, so 36 new targets have been set for this year, and we are confident that these will enable us to continue to build on this year’s success.”
Highlights in the report include the launch of Responsible Choice criteria to help clients to make sustainable choices.
Audley added 137 stays and experiences to the collection in 2023, taking the total to 279. Audley plans to add a further 200 during 2024.
The operator exceeded its goal of 50% of employees using at least half a day to volunteer, with the team dedicating a total of 4,475 hours to helping out in their local communities.
Audley’s long-term carbon reduction work continues, with a focus on working with suppliers to reduce the carbon emissions from clients’ trips.
It is moving to electric car transfers and replacing internal flights with alternative options, such as train travel.
In November, Audley held a carbon webinar to give suppliers a forum to share ideas and best practice on how to reduce their footprint.