By Andrew McQuarrie and Juliet Dennis
Travel companies can make “very simple” changes to improve on sustainability and should not wait for consumer demand, according to Travelife managing director Carolyn Wincer.
She urged businesses to take the lead on environmental issues, arguing “it’s not about consumers”.
Speaking at the Travel Weekly Sustainability Summit, she said: “We need to do it because it’s the right thing to do for the long-term viability of our industry.
“We’ll never get to the point where 80% of your customers say, ‘I’ll stop travelling unless you have a sustainable holiday for me’.
“You can go home tonight and think about [ideas] and come back and implement them in your office tomorrow.
“Somehow, there is a perception that being sustainable is something complicated or difficult, but it can just be about reducing your consumption of energy and water, and stopping throwing things away that you can reuse.
“It’s also about treating your staff fairly and treating people in your community fairly.”
Travelife is the Abta-owned sustainability accreditation programme for hotels.
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