What is Eco-Friendly Travel Today?
byDaine泰勒/
In the last few years, there has been a significant increase in travellers seeking more sustainable, eco-friendly trips. More and more people are opting to take on the role of the responsible traveller, with sustainability and the ecological impacts of their visit at the forefront of their minds.
As this growing trend continues to expand into other segments of the industry, advisors should be aware of eco-friendly travel, understand what it is, and know how best to suggest it to their clients.
为此,首席客户官利·巴恩斯(Leigh Barnes)与旅行市场报告了什么是环保旅行,以及顾问在开始销售之前需要知道什么。beplay客服
beplay客服旅行市场报告:您通常出售哪种旅行?
利·巴恩斯(Leigh Barnes):我们是一家冒险旅行公司,专门在全球120多个国家 /地区从事文化身临其境的小组旅行。我们的精神专注于可持续的,经验丰富的旅行,使我们访问的人和地方受益,同时在客户和当地人之间培养跨文化的理解,同时度过美好的时光。从徒步旅行秘鲁的印加步道(Inca Trail),进行西班牙北部的真实美食之旅,或在希腊进行小型冒险巡游,脱离典型的旅游小径是我们所做的事情的核心。
TMR:您倾向于迎合大多数(家庭,独奏,豪华,冒险等)的客户?
LB: Sustainable, adventure travel is core to what we offer at Intrepid. Over 50% of our travelers are solo travelers and we have a range of solo-only trips. Plus, we have a range of active and cycling trips, family tours, solo-parent trips, food tours and women’s-only expeditions.
Lately, we’ve been seeing an increase in higher average selling price with most of our trade partners and more of a concentration on comfort-style trips, which indicates that clients are still looking for adventure, but with a softer landing.
TMR: Have you noticed an increased demand for eco-friendly/sustainable travel?
LB: Last year, Intrepid saw growth of 21% globally, which we attribute largely to an increased demand for this style of travel experience. Customers are becoming increasingly savvy and socially conscious consumers, and they expect this from us. In January, North America saw 24% growth year-on-year, with a 43% growth in our tailor made business with industry partners.
TMR:环保旅游对您意味着什么?在增加价值的同时,您如何满足客户的需求和疑虑?
LB:环保旅游业意味着以负责任的方式旅行,例如选择优先考虑环境的旅游公司和航空公司,并通过乘坐当地交通工具或住在当地的酒店来使您访问的社区受益。它还了解您的足迹如何影响您所访问的地方。确保包装可重复使用的手提袋,水瓶和咖啡杯,以避免在旅行时使用一次性塑料。
Climate change is a real issue within the industry, and we aim to reduce our carbon footprint to make this as easy as possible for our clients. We have been a carbon-neutral business since 2010, and this year, we are aiming to become a climate-positive business. This means we’ll be removing more carbon from the atmosphere than we actually create as a business.
We also recently partnered withOffset Earth,a monthly subscription service where travelers can offset their carbon footprint throughout the year, not just while they travel. The initiative will plant trees in a forest in Kenya on behalf of the subscriber, and for every tree planted, Intrepid will plant another tree on behalf of the client.
TMR:您认为,环保旅游的吸引力是什么?
LB:如果您在旅行时可以做得很好,为什么不呢?旅行是如此的特权,我们认为旅行者应该比访问旅行更好。
TMR:您是否将最近对可持续旅行的兴趣归因于临时趋势或利基市场,还是将其视为整个行业的方向?
LB: Sustainable travel is no longer a niche market and I genuinely believe the larger industry is headed that way, because consumers will continue to expect it as their awareness continues to grow.
我们在2018年成为B Corp认证的业务,以表明该业务认真对待可持续旅行。这意味着我们符合经过验证的社会和环境绩效,公共透明度以及法律责任的最高标准,以平衡利润和目标。
While there are over 100 certification schemes in the travel industry, there aren’t any that take a holistic view of the impact a whole business can have on people and the planet, except B Corp certification. Customers can feel assured and trust that when they travel with us, they are traveling responsibly and benefiting the communities we visit on trips, which is what they have come to expect from us.
We no longer want to be the best travel company in the world, we want to be the best travel company for the world.
TMR: What factors do you look for when booking eco-friendly travel?
LB:乘坐当地交通工具;限制您的内部飞行量;并且不要以面值为准。研究重要的事情,例如动物福利,并避免支持任何对动物不自然的活动,例如拍摄老虎自拍照或骑象。我建议与B Corp认证的公司一起旅行,因为这意味着他们符合最高的社会和环境标准,并检查其供应链。