PROFILE
Booking.com injects sustainability and innovation into its core
OTA says it takes an all-encompassing approach to build a successful sustainability strategy. By Kate Harden-England
As sustainability continues to burn as one of the most feverish talking points for business in 2023, people often start looking to leading travel companies for answers. Global travel platform
Booking.com is
among those seeking to make an impact with its approach. Danielle D’Silva, head of sustainability, shares insights into the work that’s going on behind the scenes, from tech and delivering sustainable options to consumer research and achieving net zero by 2040.
RESEARCH DATA
Booking.com’s Sustainable Travel Report, which has been going for a few years now, is just one way the company plans to tackle sustainability head-on. Findings this year indicate an ongoing
battle of cost versus conscience. The research found 76% of travellers want to travel more sustainably over the coming 12 months, while the same number say the global energy crisis and rising cost of living impact their spending plans. #ǛSĒĨƂËǝšËƉšƹǝǘ¸ďËŨǛšǝĒİŨóśóšŨĒİĉǝ
is the perception that they can’t do both – that they can’t travel sustainably ËİíǝËƖĺśíËæĨƉǝǐǝËİíǝśóËĨĨƉǝšóóǝŨďóǝ two as being mutually exclusive. DĺƃóƂóśƺǝŨďóśóǝËśóǝËçŨŭËĨĨƉǝËƖĺśíËæĨóǝ ƃËƉšǝŨĺǝŨśËƂóĨǞįĺśóǝšŭšŨËĒİËæĨƉƿǙ
In the research, 49% of travellers
believe sustainable options are too expensive, compared with 43% who are willing to pay extra for travel options ƃĒŨďǝËǝšŭšŨËĒİËæĨóǝçóśŨĒƛçËŨĒĺİƿ D’Silva adds: “It’s a perception that we’re going to have to address if we
“Generally, it’s around limited
information or that they feel there aren’t enough choices for them. They’re looking for more options to become available; they’re looking for economic ĒİçóİŨĒƂóšDŽǝËİíǝŨďóƉǝƃËİŨǝƛİíËæĒĨĒŨƉƿ ǘTďËŨǛšǝŘśóŨŨƉǝśóƜóçŨĒƂóǝĺĈǝƃďËŨǝ
we expect to see in the industry and that’s why we launched our Travel Sustainable programme in 2021.”
Travellers are looking
for more options; they’re looking for economic incentives; and they ũËĠŏ ƗĠëËäĊěĊŏů
want to ensure people can actually make sustainable travel choices.” D’Silva, who has headed the
sustainability team for the past 18 months, was surprised by some of the ƛİíĒİĉšǝËśĺŭİíǝæËśśĒóśšǝĈĺśǝçĺİšŭįóśšƿǞ “I was struck by the solutions travellers
were looking for when it comes to making those sustainable travel choices easier – 80% said sustainable travel is important to them but that the barriers they’re facing remain quite large.
GREEN TARGETS As part of the programme, Booking. com and parent company Booking Holdings have a target to be net zero by 2040, and to reduce Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 95% and Scope ƥǝóįĒššĒĺİšǝæƉǝƧƢȎǞæƉǝƤƢƥƢƿ The targets, which bring them in
line with the Paris Agreement, have seen the group already reduce Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 80% since 2019. The “big progress” made is partly
íĺƃİǝŨĺǝËǝĈĺçŭšǝĺİǝçĺįŘËİƉǝĺƗçóšǝËİíǝ the purchase of renewable energy. Since the pandemic,
Booking.com has opened two new campuses, one in Amsterdam and the other in Manchester. The įšŨóśíËįǝĺƗçóǝďËšǝįĺśóǝŨďËİǝ
800 solar panels that generate 8% of the overall electricity needed, with the rest coming from wind farms. D’Silva says: “This year we launched
22 — OCTOBER 2023 —
TRAVOLUTION.COM
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