THE BUSINESS TRAVEL MAGAZINE I 39 The Review THE GREEN WATCH ➔ Duty free's carbon cost


Five minutes with... Ian Dunwoody


PROFILE


Chairman and CEO TRAVEL MANAGEMENT GROUP


Ian Dunwoody has spent 40 years in the travel industry. He worked for British Airways and Lunn Poly before joining George Dick Travel in 1980. In 1985, he co-founded Travel Management Group, which today employs 60 staff and generates a £36million annual turnover.


DURING the festive season, were you guilty of paying extra attention to airport offers on Christmas gift items as you passed through duty free, asks Roger Gardner. Or maybe it’s the chance of bagging some January sale bargains that will catch your eye. There's lots to tempt you from those airport malls and the prospect of coming home with a few goodies is just irresistible. But lets think about the eco-cost of those purchases. All that glitters may not be environmentally gold! Surveys of passenger attitudes show that we still have little environmental guilt about flying, with less than 20 per cent of flyers signaling remorse. Far fewer are willing to actually consider changing habits. Flying on holiday is still regarded as sacrosanct but a little more flexibility exists in relation to business travel, where videoconferencing and alternative transport mode choice has a small effect on overall demand for flying. So, if we remain committed


to the core service of getting from A to B quickly, what might we be willing to forego? There are still a number of things that can be done to reduce the carbon intensity of travel but they are getting increasingly closer to you and me and our travelling


experience. Airlines have cut down on weight in every imaginable way by moving to lightweight seating, carpets, catering equipment, fuselage linings etc, and by reducing the amount of water on board. One airline has even asked passengers to visit the loo before boarding as each in-flight visit represents one litre of water carried onboard! Perhaps a little invasive,


but such action illustrates the conundrum faced by the airlines. If more fuel is used, cost goes up and that affects ticket prices. There is only so much cost that the airlines can absorb. But if service levels drop as a result of stringent weight reduction measures, passengers will turn elsewhere. It now gets to the point that


change will start to affect us more noticeably. Would you, for instance, be happy to forego all catering on short-haul flights? That would save the need for a galley. Or go without in-flight entertainment on long- haul flights? We have been largely shielded from such changes as they translate directly into the attractiveness of the package on offer, airline competitiveness and market share. With the cost of fuel and carbon set only to rise, how long will that remain the case? Getting back to where we started, duty free is a con-


tentious issue. Some airlines get smart to avoid disappoint- ment: they tailor the range of in-flight offerings to suit the route and type of travellers that use it. Good common sense. What about only buying on arrival or stopping duty free altogether? Again, it gets complicated as the airport duty-free income helps to keep costs to airlines down but those airport malls carry a significant carbon cost. And carrying all those bottles, cameras and perfumes onboard only adds to fuel burn. Arrivals shopping is now available in some locations but invariably when we get through customs and have collected our bags, we just want to get away. So no pots of gold for airlines and airports there. Home delivery is another option for larger items but that does not help if you want to take a gift for Aunt Elsie in Toronto. At the end of the day, we


want our cake and we want to eat it too. Change will come in time as pressures bite, but spare a thought for the planet as you pick up that aged malt whisky or latest computer gadget. In January, we're all a little conscious of having put on the pounds over Christmas, but that is as undesirable for the weight of our travel baggage and the environment as it is for our own bodies. Bon voyage!


What is your most memorable business travel trip and why? I recently went to Hong Kong with Fulham Badgers FC, a Down’s Syndrome football team sponsored by The Fulham FC Foundation. It was great to work with a group of such energetic, friendly and enthusiastic youngsters who thoroughly enjoyed every aspect of their experience. The trip epitomised the very best of what sport can do for young people’s confidence, joy and self esteem. We arranged the flights, transport and accommodation for the party of 41 people.


What is your worst business travel experience and why? It would have to be a long weekend in Paris with a group of 120 guests whose host had always provided five-star luxury but this time decided to save money and reduce to three-star, without warning us. Needless to say, the agent took the flak!


What is your favourite destination worldwide and why? Asia, particularly Hong Kong, Bangkok and Ho Chi Minh City. They probably have the best hotels in the world with superb service, facilities and customer focus. They are energetic cities with a great range of exciting experiences and cuisine.


What three items do you never leave home without when on business? Probably a few credit cards, my iPod and the latest Gerald Seymour novel.


What single thing could be done to improve your business travelling life? An agreement whereby all hotels and groups introduce a simple, effective bill back system across all brands covering all properties and locations.


What destinations would you like to visit next and why? South Africa. I have worked there many times in the past but last year's football World Cup coverage has rekindled my love for what is a truly beautiful country with dramatic scenery.


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