Make Travel Matter: TTC

THE Travel Corporation (TTC) has launched a new proprietary assessment tool called Make Travel Matter (MTM), which aims to measure experiences against ethical criteria informed by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

To be deemed an MTM experience, activities must meet the criteria associated with at least one of a series of key “Global Goals”, with TTC committing to ensuring that 50% or more of its 1,500-plus itineraries will feature an MTM experience by 2025.

An example of an MTM experience is an Insight Vacations activity that takes travellers to visit Sheroes’s Cafe in India, where people can meet with the female owners who have previously suffered acid attacks.

Another is a Contiki experience which visits Hosanna Farm in Australia, allowing travellers to learn about sustainable and regenerative farming practices.

The new tool is backed by the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), with President Gloria Guevara suggesting its launch sets a great example for the industry about how it can better achieve its sustainability goals.

”With this tool you can really make a difference and see the positive impact of sustainable tourism in the environment, protecting our ecosystem, our assets, and especially wildlife, while at the same time providing a significant positive social impact,” she said.

The MTM tool forms part of a new wider five-year TTC sustainability strategy called How We Tread Right (HWTR), which includes 11 goals designed to advance TTC’s efforts to address climate change, overtourism and animal welfare.

To formally introduce HWTR ahead of World Tourism Day on 27 Sep, TTC’s TreadRight Foundation has enlisted its Ambassadors such as activist filmmaker Celine Cousteau and indigenous storyteller Sarain Fox to provide their thoughts on how travel has impacted their lives view the video HERE.