Sustainability remains a low priority for most holidaymakers despite the current high profile Cop26 climate conference, according to the trade.
Travel agents said clients rarely, if ever, asked about sustainability or responsible travel when booking a holiday, adding they had not seen any change in recent weeks.
In an online poll by action group Travel Agent Reform Group Engaged Together (Target), 47 members said they had not seen any increase in clients asking to book sustainable travel options in recent weeks – and no members reported an upturn. However, 14 agents said they needed more training to guide clients if asked about the issue.
Co-founder Graeme Brett, of Westoe Travel, said: “Sustainability is a bigger issue for tour operators than agents at the moment. The main priority for the vast majority of agents is the survival of their business.”
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The group’s other co-founder Jill Waite, of Pole Travel, said there was no evidence the issue was important among her own clients.
“We are in a low income area where people save for their holidays. We haven’t seen any change in what clients ask for, and I don’t believe they would pay more to book a sustainable travel company,” she said.
Paul Waters, director at miniple Premier Travel, agreed price was key.
He said: “We have rarely been asked anything about sustainability when booking holidays for customers and no increase in recent weeks due to Cop26.
“The majority of clients currently seem very price conscious and want to ensure they are getting good value for money and not looking to pay for a more sustainable holiday.”
Haslemere Travel owner Gemma Antrobus said most wanted to “spend the money they have not spent in the last 18 months”.
She said: “You might get some saying they want to go to an eco-friendly hotel but they are talking about the hotel style, rustic rather than marble floors not desalinated water or carbon neutrality.
“If we have clients who want to travel by rail it’s because they want that experience or don’t like flying – they are not comparing it in sustainability terms.”
Speaking at the Clia’s Selling Cruise Day, Silver Travel Advisor owner Lisa McAuley said the “vast majority” of members put sustainability “quite low” on their priority list when booking.
She predicted change would come in time. “We’ll get grandchildren pestering grandparents,” she said.
Sunvil chairman Noel Josephides said clients were not “actively asking” but they did have an expectation that companies were “working towards” offering sustainable holidays.
He added: “The view of clients is that it is our responsibility to do it; all they want to do is go on holiday.”
But he stressed the trade needed help on this issue. “We need more clarity [on what we can do]. To put it bluntly, most are struggling to survive and don’t have the luxury of full-time people or consultants to guide us on the right path,” he added.
In contrast, Latin Routes founder Martin Johnson said clients were talking about travelling responsibly and sustainably but noted it was a subject the operator was also raising when having conversations with new clients.
He said: “It’s definitely a discussion we are having with clients. A lot comes from our first conversation with a client on their first trip. There is an element of trust they are building up and questions they want answers to.
“Carbon offsetting is not necessarily something clients look to do but in destination, clients are really looking at where their money is going to these days. They want to travel more responsibly and go to local suppliers and travel in responsible ways. Our trends are pointing towards people staying longer in destinations.”
He said travel agents who improved their knowledge of the issue could use this as a “point of difference”.
He added: “It’s only a matter of time before agents get asked about this. It’s better to be on the front foot and be proactive rather than on the book foot and losing out because you don’t know the answers.”
More: Industry leaders confirmed for Travel Weekly Sustainability Summit
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Comment: Sustainability is key for us all, but will clients pay?