NEWS hear how operators and destinations are approaching green issues. Andrew McQuarrie reports


Eco-friendly options ‘need to be embedded in packages’


S


Krissy Roe


ustainability should be embedded into travel packages as much as possible, operators at the round-table agreed. Hotelplan UK sustainability lead Krissy Roe


was among those calling for progress in the industry. She said: “I’d like to get to the point where we just


have really good travel experiences and sustainability is embedded in that.” Roe said sustainability “should be naturally part of how


we do travel” and a consumption-driven mentality should be avoided. She added that local products and locally-run accommodation should be prioritised. Intrepid Travel’s Hazel McGuire agreed that


sustainability must be a core element of any trip. “Sustainability can’t be a competitive advantage any


longer,” she said. “It has to be built into what we’re doing. We as an industry need to make these changes.” The Travel Corporation’s sustainability manager, Lucie


Dalila, said the touring brands specialist was currently trying to create its “first fully sustainable itinerary” and was assessing the sustainability credentials of all of its restaurant and transport partners. “The majority of the public want sustainability if it’s


easy, accessible and cheap and doesn’t require extra effort, so it’s all about integrating it into what we offer,” Dalila said. A common theme of the discussion was the need for


urgent collaboration to protect the environment. “If we still want to ski in 20 to 30 years’ time, we have to act now and


Giles Hawke


The majority of the public want


sustainability if it’s easy, accessible and cheap and doesn’t require extra effort


act together,” said Switzerland Tourism’s Alex Herrmann. Roe pointed to snow melt, wildfires and drought as


being among the most striking signs of climate change, adding that the industry must address the impact of climate migration. “We need to look at how we can support the


communities that are being affected,” she said. “And we need to think about how we can act to be


part of that need to reduce global emissions, but also how we can act at the local level.”


Greenwashing ‘jeopardises industry’s reputation’


Travel firms must be able to back up the sustainability claims they make, according to Giles Hawke. The chief executive of


Cosmos, Globus and Avalon Waterways UK told industry colleagues they need to honour any promises they make. “If you’re saying you’re


doing something, you’ve got to do it,” said Hawke, who will soon join Celebrity Cruises as vice-president and managing director for the EMEA region.


travelweekly.co.uk Hawke said the Globus group


of touring brands and river cruise operator had been looking closely at sustainability issues since 2018. Offering advice to businesses


going down the same path, he said: “Only talk about the things you can substantiate and get behind and prove.” He pointed to his brands’ work


on ocean clean-ups as “something we’re doing which no one can dispute”, adding: “It’s doing some good.”


Intrepid Travel’s Hazel


McGuire suggested that when companies are found to be guilty of making themselves appear more eco-friendly than they really are, it damages the industry’s reputation. “Greenwashing is a thing,”


said McGuire. “It’s something we feel we shouldn’t be doing as an industry. When there are instances of greenwashing, it undermines all the good things that are going on.”


6 JULY 2023 13 Round-table panellists


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