While making real change may seem like a mammoth task more suited to larger companies, championing and prioritising sustainability is achievable for smaller businesses too.
Here are a few thoughts on getting started on your journey towards sustainability.
Plan for the future
Prioritising sustainability can sound like hard work when we’re still trying to recover from the pandemic. However, if you accept that we must get to net-zero, then you need to picture it as a wall, which is somewhere around 2030.
Now, imagine a ramp leading from today to the top of that wall. Start walking along that ramp now and it’s at an angle, but it’s achievable. Start now and you only need to reduce carbon by about 7% a year. Every year you delay, the steeper the ramp gets until you’re facing an impossible incline.
As 2030 fast approaches, so will measures such as carbon taxes, so future proofing your business now is vital.
Commercial impact
Having more ethical choices available for customers will make you more money. Not overnight, but it’s worth building the foundations now so you can claim your place in what will become a crowded space.
To become an authority in sustainability, it’s essential to do your research - don’t just repeat the marketing claims of airlines, tour operators and hotel groups, do your own research.
People are savvier than ever about greenwashing and are likely to notice it immediately. Proving why you have confidence in your claims is critical to long-term success.
Quick wins
For smaller retail travel businesses, your biggest emissions will be power in your office - switching to a renewables tariff will eliminate them.
Similarly, sourcing your IT equipment with reference to the TCO compliance list and incentivising your team to find more sustainable ways to carry out their morning commutes are immediate points of action.
Customer experience
Make it easy for customers who are interested in trying something more sustainable by putting together or promoting more appealing products, such as slow travel options.
For instance, telling a family they’ll be embarking on a two-day train journey to Greece will probably sound awful. Packaging it up as a multi-country adventure where they have a night in Nice or Rome along the way makes it much more enticing.
The products you offer
Finally, search for interesting travel products, especially those from Travel by B Corp businesses. You, and your customers, will be amazed where you can find affordable, sustainable travel options, from caravan parks in the UK to group holidays.
If independent high street agents and homeworkers begin to implement these changes, bigger travel companies won’t have a choice but to offer even more sustainable travel options, thereby transforming the way in which the travel industry operates for the better.
Thomas Power is co-founder and chief executive of B Corp certified adventure travel and active holiday specialist Pura Aventura.
