The turn of the year has seen dramatic changes in everyday life, but it is okay to still be thinking about your next holiday! 

Travel is ever changing, which is handy for our fantastic clients, as there always seems to be something new to learn. That is why we travel, isn’t it? In essence yes, but your education starts well before you have arrived at the destination. Let’s straighten out the biggest misconceived term…

What is Sustainable Tourism?

It seems as if the term Sustainable has become a trendy corporate slogan, which has seen its meaning stripped to just being concerned with the environmental impacts of a product or experience. Now, add to this the confusing and diluted subsets of tourism, some of which include Eco, Green and Ethical Tourism. Don’t get us wrong, we love all the strides that have been made to raise awareness of sustainability in tourism, we just appreciate it can all be a bit overwhelming. Therefore, we understand that it has become increasingly harder to bracket ourselves into the type of traveller we want to be!

So what is sustainability in tourism? We believe it embraces the enrichment of the environment, economy and the society of a destination. Therefore, sustainability should be regarded as a responsible approach; not only provided by the supplier, but one adopted by the consumer.

If this is a philosophy you find yourself aligned with, perhaps check out our Responsible Global Tourist’s Guide.

Credit - Guillaume de Germain

Can travelling abroad be Sustainable?

If you’re really keen to escape the British Isles, here’s a few things to mull over –

Holiday for longer! It has become increasingly normal to work remotely, so why not consider preparing that presentation whilst relishing views of the Mediterranean? Need to finish that seemingly never-ending report? Perhaps the dulcet tones of tropical birds tweeting on the coast of the Indian Ocean will give you further inspiration. Less time travelling and more time to enjoy your immediate surroundings is good for your mental health. Staying in a villa, or short term holiday let, enables you to form your own social bubbles and manage the waste associated with cooking and cleaning (not just the dishes, but laundry too!). In fact, choosing a self-catering trip can greatly reduce food emissions than that of opting for an all-inclusive resort, where food waste is typically high.

These longer stays will also enable you to immerse yourself in the destination’s culture, which not only means you can learn more about the community, but local businesses will reap the rewards of a savvy-traveller.

Credit - Gary Butterfield

How can I reduce my Carbon Footprint?

As a conscientious traveller, we are all concerned about our mode of transportation. Of course, the biggest issue being flying! We know that catching a flight can be one of the most carbon-intensive associates of travelling, as the industry produces approximately 2% of global carbon emissions. So, if you’re unable to drive or catch a train, let us lend you some of our industry knowledge –

Choose an airline that has their own carbon offset program. The likes of Easyjet and Qantas make contributions (from your surcharge) to green initiatives, community support and investment in new technologies. British Airways and Lufthansa promote environmentally conscious partners, making the offsetting for their customer easier. Now, we’re of course not saying that carbon offsetting is the solution and we’re not asking our responsible traveller to shift the moral accountability for carbon reduction to someone else. We do believe that offsetting is one of a few tools at our disposal that can make changes across the travel community.

Why not pick an airline that has engaged in progressive technologies, regarding its aircraft and engines. Newer aircrafts, like the A320neo, have been adopted by the likes of Lufthansa and easyJet, and are far more fuel efficient.

Also, forget flying in business class! Abandon this lavish mind-set, as the extra space used to provide a reclining seat could easily accommodate an additional passenger in economy.

Finally, the greatest amount of fuel consumption during a flight is during the take-off. If you’re able to, opt for a direct flight. Not only will you have less faffing around in airports, you will also get to your destination quicker.

To put your mind at ease Travel Matters will plant a tree for every holiday booked, with our friends at Trees for Cities.

If you’re interested to see what your footprint is, here’s a Carbon Calculator, so you can estimate your next flight’s CO2 contribution!

Credit - Brett Zeck

We’ve arrived at our (Responsible Travel) Destination!

Remember, Sustainable tourism; refers to the safeguard of the environment and enhancement of the indigenous populace; concerning the welfare and progression of living circumstances and embracing an Eco-centric philosophy towards nature.

What we ask of our Responsible Travellers is to take this mind-set into their every holiday experience, from the planning phase all the way to the cocktails on the beach.

Travel matters, so be responsible!

Our world is being shaken. Writing personally, Covid 19 has given me the chance to reflect on my actions, goals and ambitions, questioning my individual place and role in society. Adding to the pandemic fear, there are the demonstrations and protests around the globe, speaking out against racial inequality with the Black Lives Matter Campaign. Both have impacted society in a great wave, fuelling a sense of social discomfort and pain.

As an owner of an established travel business, I've certainly wrestled with thoughts and unanswered questions about the future, especially the industry I only really know - travel & tourism. On the environmental impact, realising the stark reality of the negative impacts of tourism, I signed a declaration Tourism Declares a Climate Emergency at the start of 2020. Bitter sweet that a global pandemic has brought the travel and tourism industry to a virtual standstill, with lack of demand for airlines, cruise lines, hotels, railways, car rental companies, tour operators and travel agencies like Travel Matters, my business.

Travel Matters - established 21 years

On the social impact, I am reminded of the International Institute For Peace Through Tourism (IIPT) a not for profit organisation dedicated to fostering and facilitating tourism initiatives which contribute to international understanding and cooperation. A movement to preserve heritage, create poverty reduction and heal the wounds of conflict through initiatives to help bring about a peaceful and sustainable world.

As I see the world opening up again to the movement of people, I realise that I have my greatest opportunity to do things better. To use common sense, to be responsible and mindful when I travel, respecting the host communities I visit, remembering that it’s their environment, their destination I pass through, sensitive to the land & nature around me, enhancing my knowledge of other countries and cultures. This code of conduct and awareness should apply to how I live at home as well as when I travel. The Make Travel Matter campaign was created to help with those tips and ideas. It’s a campaign that I have wanted to share with everyone who knows me personally, as well as those who I have not met.  

Women heading off to pick tea

Early in 2020, Travel Matters partnered with Jump, the UK’s leading supplier of employee engagement programmes that drive sustainable behaviours within a range of industries. From corporate employers to university students, Jump has a proven record of 15.2 million positive actions recorded. By promoting Jump within the travel industry, we’d love to drive positive change across the entire sector. As part of our Make Travel Matter campaign, we’re actively encouraging other industry partners and travel companies to look at their impact, producing a chain effect in the travel sector. A focus on behavioural change is the main ambition of this initiative. The travel sector, pre covid 19 employed over 300 million people globally. As a result of the coronavirus pandemic, the global travel and tourism market is predicted to see a loss of over 100 million jobs worldwide in 2020 alone. It’s utterly devasting, however, I cannot give up hope.

Travel Matters partnership with Jump

What else can we do at Travel Matters? We’ll continue to engage with travellers who are keen to broaden their perspective, venture to new places, connect with new people, learn about different cultures and heritage as well as build international relationships. We know all too well that nothing changes the way you view your own life experience like seeing the way other people live. Your visit to a destination can provide an important source of income and sometimes the most important stream of revenue in many countries and regions around the world. Tourism creates many job opportunities and we can’t forget that.

In conclusion, despite the setbacks, doubts and fears, I’m persevering in my role within the travel industry as a business owner, keen to be a kind global citizen, eager to participate in IIPT’s vision of the travel and tourism industry – to become the world's first global peace industry; sharing the belief that every traveller is potentially an "Ambassador for Peace.”

Karen Simmonds is the owner of Travel Matters