New 5-Year Sustainability Strategy for a Regenerative Return to Travel

The strategy is comprised of 11 goals developed to address travel’s environmental and community impact, anchored to the United Nations Global Goals

 

 

Cypress, Calif.– September 24, 2020 – The consequences of COVID-19 have been felt by all sectors and particularly, the travel industry. During this difficult time, The Travel Corporation (TTC) has redoubled its commitment to sustainable and regenerative tourism, alongside its more than 40 brands. Just ahead of World Tourism Day (September 27, 2020), TTC has launched How We Tread Right (HWTR), its new 5-year sustainability strategy that includes 11 goals designed to advance TTC’s efforts to address climate change, overtourism and animal welfare. The strategy outlines initiatives to strengthen efforts that address sustainable food production, responsible consumption, and diversity and inclusion.

 

A core component of the strategy is the launch of Make Travel Matter (MTM) Experiences, which have been identified using an industry-first, proprietary assessment tool. This tool measures each experience against criteria that take direction from the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Make Travel Matter (MTM) Experiences allow TTC’s award-winning brands, including Insight Vacations, Trafalgar, Contiki, Luxury Gold and Red Carnation Hotels, to identify experiences by the positive impact they have on destinations and the way in which those experiences directly advance the UN’s SDGs.

 

Endorsed by the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), the proprietary MTM E-Assessment tool enables TTC teams to identify which UN Global Goal a potential MTM Experience aligns with as an assurance to travelers on the positive impact of the experience. An experience must meet the criteria associated with at least one Global Goal in order to be labelled a Make Travel Matter Experience and can advance up to two Global Goals. The complete set of qualifying criteria is available on TTC’s MTM Experienceswebpage. This will drive a critical commitment to integrate at least one Make Travel Matter Experience on 50% of all itineraries by 2025, ensuring that TTC’s return to travel is mutually beneficial to both travelers and hosts. TTC’s guided travel brands alone offer in excess of 1,500 unique itineraries worldwide which have laid the foundation for the company to truly integrate these new experiences benefitting people, the planet and wildlife around the world – TreadRight’s three focus pillars.

 

To launch HWTR, The TreadRight Foundation enlisted its Ambassadors – Céline Cousteau, activist and filmmaker; Sarain Fox, Indigenous storyteller and activist and Ami Vitale, National Geographic photographer – to share how travel has impacted their lives, as travelers look to them to learn how they can make their travels matter. The video is available on TreadRight’s YouTube channel here.

 

“Our comprehensive How We Tread Right strategy is the progressive commitment to sustainability and the planet that TTC and our travel brands must make right now to achieve our 11 goals and be accountable for our impact,” says Brett Tollman, chief executive of TTC. “Never before has our industry been faced with so many challenges, many of which are directly tied to the heavy environmental footprint on the planet. At TTC, we believe that sustainability is critical to the return of our business post-COVID-19,” Tollman adds.

 

Among the 11 HWTR goals included in the strategy, one critical step is the company’s commitment to achieving carbon neutrality by 2030 or sooner. TTCintends to drawdown its direct emissions through conservation and technology, investing in clean energy, low-emissions transportation and innovation. Leading the charge is Xigera Safari Lodge, part of the Red Carnation Hotel Collection, which will open in Botswana in December 2020 and run on nearly 100% solar power, while TTC’s guided travel and FIT brands, such as Contiki and Trafalgar, have measured the carbon footprint of their trips and will announce roll out plans later in the year.

In its entirety, HWTR has committed to achieving the following by the close of 2025:

 

• Goal 1: Achieve carbon neutrality by 2030 or sooner
• Goal 2: Source 50% of our electricity from renewable sources by 2025
• Goal 3: Reduce food waste by 50% across all hotels and ships by 2025
• Goal 4: Increase use of local and organic products in our supply chain by 2025
• Goal 5: Reduce printed brochures by 50% by 2025
• Goal 6: Eliminate as many unnecessary single use plastics from our operations and itineraries by 2022
• Goal 7: Include at least one Make Travel Matter Experience on 50% of all itineraries by 2025
• Goal 8: Achieve a 20% increase of itineraries visiting developing regions by specialist brands by 2025
• Goal 9: Increase employee and market sentiment regarding diversity and inclusion across our brands
• Goal 10: Complete 30,000 volunteer hours by 2025
• Goal 11: Ensure all wildlife experiences across TTC brands adhere to our Animal Welfare Policy by 2021

 

The full strategy featuring all 11 goals is available at TTC.com/How-We-Tread-Right.

 

 

About The Travel Corporation: 

The Travel Corporation (TTC) is a highly successful stable, and solvent family-owned and passionately run international group of 40 award-winning brands, celebrating our first 100^th Anniversary this year. Our exceptional portfolio of brands spans across 70 countries and offers an extensive selection of international travel and tourism companies, encompassing a variety of guided travel experiences, independent holiday packages, boutique river cruising, luxury hotels and safaris. We are committed to consistently delivering outstanding service, experiences and value to each and every one of our guests and we do so through continuous innovation. Beyond our commitment to provide the world’s leading holiday experiences, TTC reassures travellers in these uncertain times that their future travels are safe with us. The financial strength and future longevity of the business is backed by the transparent exposure of the companies Red Carnation Hotels unencumbered fixed assets in excess of US$300,000,000 as of December 31, 2019. For more information, please visit TTC.com or follow us on Twitter and Instagram (insert regional link) while using our hashtags #TravelWithTTC and #MakeTravelMatter.

 

 

About The TreadRight Foundation:

TreadRight is a joint not-for-profit initiative established by The Travel Corporation’s (TTC) family of brands. TreadRight sets the direction on sustainability for 40 award-winning brands, in addition to overseeing our TreadRight Foundation. The organization’s singular mission is to #MakeTravelMatter through brand operations, and by providing support to community-based projects worldwide that safeguard the planet, people and wildlife. To date, the foundation has supported 55+ sustainable tourism projects in 280+ communities worldwide, based on priorities set by the TreadRight Steering Committee. Past project partners include WWF, Conservation International, WildAid and The National Trust in the UK, while current initiatives include Manitobah Mukluks Storyboot School, Wilderness Foundation Africa and Wildlife SOS. TreadRight also works with inspiring ambassadors who have a passion for sustainable travel, to support its voice within the sustainable travel community. These ambassadors include Céline Cousteau (‘Planet’ Ambassador), Sarain Fox (‘People’ Ambassador), Ami Vitale (‘Wildlife’ Ambassador) and Costas Christ. To learn more about past and current work at TreadRight, please visit TreadRight.org and follow TreadRight on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter using our hashtag #MakeTravelMatter. We will make travel matter – for our planet, for people and for wildlife. We have taken the pledge, now we invite you to join us.