Visionary LEADERS

Enlightened travellers want to know their tourist dollars are looking after the planet and supporting local communities – and the industry is listening with inspiring companies transforming the way we travel, write Julie Miller and Joanna Tovia.

In a rare example of corporate philanthropy, billionaire Yvon Chouinard – owner of outdoor clothing brand Patagonia – recently announced he was giving away his entire company to fight climate change, pumping all of the company’s profits into saving the planet.

“Instead of ‘going public’, you could say we’re ‘going purpose’,” Chouinard said.

“Instead of extracting value from nature and transforming it into wealth for investors, we’ll use the wealth Patagonia creates to protect the source of all wealth.”

This generosity toward the greater good is now happening across the hospitality and tourism sectors – a recognition that travellers want their tourist dollars to be a force for real change.

And transparency is vital. In a recent survey, Virtuoso found 74 per cent of travellers said they would be willing to travel more sustainably if they knew where their money was going. The survey also found that more travellers than ever are seeking out companies and experiences that benefit the environment, empower local people, and preserve natural and cultural heritage.

Backing bears

The welfare of wildlife is increasingly important to travellers. With this in mind, tour operator Adventure World launched a new collection of exclusive and immersive small-group tours to Asia, Latin America and Africa – all with a focus on wildlife and conservation. Partnering with Animals Asia to promote compassion and respect for animals, Adventure World supports the charity’s ongoing efforts to end the practice of bear bile farming in Vietnam and it has rescued more than 600 bears from horrific cruelty since 1998.

A new Adventure World experience in

2023 includes a visit to the Tam Dao Bear Sanctuary, 90 minutes north of Hanoi. Here, dozens of bears, many with infection and disease, have 11 hectares to roam freely.

An easy choice

It’s becoming easier for travellers to make better choices now that Travalyst, the initiative founded by Prince Harry, has teamed up with major companies to create common hotel sustainability standards. Launched in 2019, it brings together Tripadvisor, Booking.com, Google and Expedia Group to work towards making sustainable travel mainstream.

Six Senses is one of a growing number of luxury hotel brands that is also doing more than making noise about sustainability.

With many of its hotels and resorts in remote, biodiverse locations, preserving the places its guests travel to is of mutual benefit. Six Senses was one of the first signatories of the Global Tourism Plastics Initiative, created to address the root causes of plastic pollution. The brand also funnels revenue into local sustainability projects, supports conservation and wildlife research, and plants organic gardens for use in its cuisine and spa treatments.

Cruise companies too are rethinking their impact on the environment. Carbon-neutral Aurora Expeditions has reduced its fuel consumption by up to 60 per cent with energy-efficient ships that glide through the water with minimal vibration. As well as working to make the process of shipbuilding carbon neutral, in 2023 Silversea Cruises will launch a series of ships with hydrogen fuel cell technology that provides 100 per cent power while in port – an industry first.

Staying on track

Carbon-neutral since 2010, Melbournebased tour company Intrepid is the world’s first tour operator to set emission reduction targets, focusing on itineraries that are closer to home and built with lower carbon transportation options. Working with communities also ensures greater authenticity and immersion in a destination. The company is also tackling social injustices, creating a Reconciliation Action

Plan that strengthens ties with First Nations groups both in Australia and internationally.

Last year, Intrepid launched a toolkit for fellow tour operators to measure and improve their carbon footprints. Developed in partnership with decarbonisation collective Tourism Declares, it was designed to empower tour operators to take real and meaningful action.

The Travel Corporation (TTC) also believes in tracking sustainability transparently and was one of the first travel operators to sign the Glasgow Declaration for Climate Action in Tourism. TTC’s first annual Impact Report in 2022 tracks the company’s progress against 11 sustainability goals. It includes combating overtourism by expanding offerings to less visited destinations, reducing food waste, setting net zero emissions targets and using 50 per cent less electricity in its 40 travel brands, including Trafalgar Tours, Uniworld River Cruises and Red Carnation Hotels. It’s all part of a five-year strategy called ‘How We Tread Right’.

Putting people first

For luxury safari tour operator andBeyond, supporting and building capacity in local communities is a vital part of its ethos. Running 29 camps in 11 African countries, it strives to employ at least 65 per cent local staff and builds capacity in local communities through skill-building and education initiatives. andBeyond also partners with local non-profits such as Africa Foundation to help nearby rural communities develop and prosper.

Luxury global tour operator Abercrombie & Kent is dedicated to positively impacting the communities to which its guests travel, too, championing human rights, fair work and anti-corruption in the process. Abercrombie & Kent Philanthropy runs 46 projects in 21 countries focused on everything from giving people access to clean water in Cambodia to training women to become bike mechanics in Botswana. Inspiring projects indeed