Demand for more sustainable travel options won’t be driven by consumers and must instead be led by the industry itself; that was the key theme to emerge from Wanderlust’s WTM London panel session exploring UK consumers’ perception of “green” travel.

The panellists agreed there was still a gap between consumer intent and action, and that sustainable messaging did not drive new customers to book their tours. Sam Seward, Exodus Adventure Travels managing director and chief sustainability officer, said the pivotal moment for consumers came when they have a positive sustainability experience while on tour.

“Sustainability is very visceral,” he said. “Once you understand what a sustainable trip feels like, that translates into brand loyalty and repeat bookings. The trip is the platform on which to have that discussion about sustainability.”

Claire Ross, director of sustainability at Der Touristik UK, agreed the industry needed to drive change because there was a “moral imperative” to do so. 

“Without a healthy planet, we don’t have an industry at all,” added Intrepid Travel managing director EMEA Zina Bencheikh.

Michael Edwards, Explore Worldwide managing director, said travel’s role was first and foremost to provide amazing experiences, then clarity around responsible tourism initiatives. “We want the customer to say, ‘I had the time of my life – and I travelled with this company that had authenticity’,” he said.

All four panellists agreed the sector needed to work together on issues like carbon labelling. “We need to agree a common framework [for carbon labelling] and take that to the wider travel industry and government so there’s no ambiguity,” said Edwards. “We have a voice, but we need to make it much louder.”