In what the operator claims is the biggest carbon measurement project in tourism to date, Explore has added carbon ratings for all its tours across its website, with average trip emissions totalling 632kg.
According to the results, Explore’s greenest trip is Walk the South Downs with 59kg of carbon emitted per person, while the lowest-footprint seven-night tours are Cycle Canal de Midi and Active Turkey at 79kg per person.
The effort comes in response to recent research by the tour operator, which suggested more than three-quarters (76%) of people would like a clearer picture of the environmental impact of their journeys.
Working with ecollective to measure carbon emissions of every one of its 515 tours – including transport, accommodation, activities and tour leaders – Explore’s product team added almost 10,000 lines of data, individually calculating the carbon impact of almost 2,000 accommodation types and 24 types of transport all over the world.
The tour operator has pledged to halve emissions across its tours and operations by 2030. It has also launched a Clear on Carbon campaign to educate consumers on the carbon impact of holidays.
It is now calling on the travel industry to declare the carbon footprint of all tours to help consumers make informed choices and aid in transparency around the environmental impact of travel.
Explore’s managing director Michael Edwards said: “I’m so proud of our team, who have worked tirelessly for months to get accurate, scientific measurements for carbon across our entire global programme.
"And this is just the start. Now, with a clear understanding of how our trips impact the planet, the hard work continues as we work alongside our partners and suppliers to start bringing these totals down.”
Edwards added: “We really need this to be an industry-wide initiative. Working together as an industry, we’re stronger and more able to bring about change. We know the methodology is there, so really there’s no excuse now not to be completely transparent with our customers.”
Measuring carbon emissions is part of Explore’s Climate Action Plan to reduce its carbon footprint, which also includes offsetting all its trips with ClimateCare, and working with Rewilding Britain, Cool Earth and ecologi to protect and restore the environment.
To learn more about Explore’s carbon measurement project, head to explore.co.uk/carbon, or for additional training, agents can book appointments with Explore’s agency sales team through its booking tool at: explore.co.uk/travel-agents/bdm.
In a similar vein, TTG Media has forged a partnership with sustainability adviser TerraVerde to measure and declare its current carbon footprint, set a strategy to halve emissions by 2030, and advise on other matters of responsible operations. TTG has also signed the Glasgow Declaration of climate action in tourism.
