Tour operators will fall by the wayside if they do not offer sustainable options to customers, according to industry experts.
Speaking on a panel at World Travel Market, Brian Young, managing director of G Adventures, warned operators there is an increasing number of travellers who are conscious of having a positive impact on the destination they visit, and they will look to use companies that can offer them a sustainable travel option.
Young said: “The shift we are starting to see is towards a more conscious traveller who wants to go away to have a holiday, but they want to know that by having an amazing time they are having a positive impact on both the destination and the people from that destination.
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“The tour operators are going to have to step up to make positive changes to keep customers interested.
“Rather than us having to educate the customer, the customer will take it as a given that the operator will be providing a sustainable product, and if they’re not given that then they won’t come back.
“At some point there will be a turning point where the customer will say ‘if you don’t make travel sustainable then I won’t book with you’ and operators need to be prepared for that.”
Tui Group’s chief strategy officer Peter Krueger echoed Young’s thoughts, and said he sees a push towards sustainability as a “massive opportunity” for Tui.
“From a strategy perspective, we ask ourselves whether sustainability is a threat or an opportunity and we know it is a massive opportunity.
“The business case for sustainability is very attractive as investment in sustainable products has a very high return, so we want to offer a better product to our customers.
“We are not afraid of customers pushing us to become more efficient; if anything, we want to push them.”
More: Register to attend Travel Weekly’s Sustainability Summit