CONFERENCE Travel Weekly Sustainability Summit 2023: Third annual event hosts


Firms urged to be able to justify sustainability claims


T


ravel companies have been told to be ready to substantiate any green claims they make in


advertising and marketing as consumers ask more questions about sustainability. Mike Coates, assistant director


of consumer protection at the Competition and Markets Authority, told the Travel Weekly Sustainability Summit it was vital that firms followed the Green Claims Code, as clients would soon be asking them to prove what they were saying. The code was published in 2021


and highlights business’s obligations under consumer protection law when making claims about their environmental sustainability. Coates said: “Consumers are


getting more and more interested in this. Going forward, they will be more and more interested in asking businesses ‘where is the proof?’ “You need to be ready to


substantiate the claim that is made. Customers will


focus on airlines that they trust – those that tell the truth about their credentials


Have that information ready and accessible to the consumer if they wish to explore it.” Under the code, firms must be


sure the claims they make – about their green credentials, for example – are accurate, he said. The claims must also be clear,


not hide any information, include only comparisons that are “fair and meaningful” and should not focus on something that represents a “tiny fraction” of the service or product provided. He reminded travel firms their


customers would not necessarily understand the context of their claims about sustainability but were


willing to “hear and believe” what they were saying. “If you said you are the greenest


airline, you need to be able to explain what you are saying,” said Coates. “Do you use less plastic


inflight or do you use renewable energy? Against what criteria are you the greenest? Think about what you would need to substantiate your claim.” He urged travel companies to


avoid using vague terms in claims and to be as specific as possible. “As we get closer to these net-zero


targets, we will see more consumers focusing on these issues. I think customers will focus on airlines that they trust – those that tell the truth about their credentials.” Coates predicted there would


be “huge competition” around companies’ sustainability in the coming years, adding: “The ones that will win the race for the consumer will be those who win consumers’ trust.”


Jet2holidays and Kuoni to highlight hotels’ eco credentials


Jet2holidays is preparing to highlight the sustainability credentials of its hotel partners in response to growing consumer interest. Chief executive Steve Heapy


Steve Heapy


said a section would be added to the Jet2holidays website in the coming weeks to showcase performance against Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) criteria. “The number of searches for ‘sustainable hotels’


and ‘guilt-free hotels’ is growing massively,” said Heapy, who added that the numbers were small but the percentage growth was significant. Heapy spoke approvingly of Turkey, host of this


12 7 DECEMBER 2023


year’s Jet2holidays VIP Conference, where all hotels are being instructed to work towards the GSTC standards. “All Turkish hotels will be GSTC


level one-compliant by the end of the year, level two by 2025 and level three by 2030,” said Heapy. He predicted that Turkish


hotels would “set a trend” and lead to similar efforts elsewhere.


Kuoni also announced plans for a new eco label


for properties on its website and in brochures. Communications director Rachel O’Reilly told


the summit the move aimed to make it easier to understand which hotels had sustainable accreditation.


Industry bosses claim Airbnb


Travel industry bosses claimed the spread of Airbnb properties could “destroy” communities. Hurtigruten Group chief executive


Daniel Skjeldam and Jet2 chief executive Steve Heapy voiced caution about the growth of Airbnb during a ‘View from the Top’ panel session. Skjeldam, who is also chief


executive of HX – Hurtigruten Expeditions, described Airbnb as a “nuisance” and called for regulators to “wake up”. He added: “Any city allowing Airbnb


Mike Coates


travelweekly.co.uk


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