Apply now to the TTG Sustainable Travel Heroes 2026 programme
Now in its fifth year, the TTG Sustainable Travel Heroes programme, delivered in partnership with Intrepid Travel and Iberostar Hotels & Resorts, is inviting a new cohort of agents to apply to take part. Combining expert-led workshops with the opportunity to join a responsible travel-focused fam trip, the initiative is designed for agents who are curious about sustainable travel but may lack the confidence to actively sell it.
To apply for this year's programme, agents are required to complete a small task, matching a client (real or theoretical) to a sustainable travel experience provided by one of our partners.
We know for some agents, the reality of encouraging clients to choose more sustainable travel options can feel like a daunting – even impossible – task. You may know your customer base well enough to assume they have little interest in responsible travel, but selling it doesn’t rely on receiving specific enquiries. In fact, sustainable choices can be easily integrated into almost any booking.
To demonstrate just how accessible sustainable travel can be, three of our most recent Ambassador graduates share their top tips for promoting responsible travel to all clients – including those who may not initially show any interest.
1. Don’t make it an option – make it the default
“My top tip for selling sustainable travel is to keep it subtle," says Travel Counsellor Thea Gillingham.
“Make greener options your default, whether that’s a sustainability-certified hotel or taking the train instead of a transfer, and present them as your first choice.
“By making it the norm rather than something clients feel they have to actively opt into, they’re far more likely to go with it. People don’t like feeling sold to, so remove the pressure. Lead the way, and more often than not they’ll follow, often without even realising they’ve made a more sustainable choice.”
2. It’s an enhancement, not a compromise
For Not Just Travel’s Jo O’Connell, he highlights to his clients how sustainable suppliers can often improve a holiday experience.
He says: “I like to slip into conversation with clients the resorts and hotels that care about their impact on the planet, and care about their staff too. This means staff are generally happier and give better service.
“I also tell them how much I love hotels that really promote local cuisine in their restaurants and how this gives people a chance to try new things that are sourced locally," he added.
3. Remove the label
“I find the key to selling sustainable travel to clients who ‘aren’t interested’ is to take the label out of it entirely,” says Lily Jones, a travel consultant for Travel by Hannah.
“Instead of proposing it as a moral, more sustainable choice, I build it into the itinerary in ways that elevate the overall experience – whether that’s choosing smaller, locally owned properties, guiding them towards lesser known and less crowded places, or incorporating experiences that feel more exclusive and personal.
She continued: “Often, clients don’t realise they’re making more responsible, sustainable choices, they just know the trip feels better created and less generic. For me, it’s about quietly embedding sustainability to add quality, rather than something that needs to be ‘sold’ to clients.”