Trees for travellers: South Australian agents set new carbon offset initiative

Close-up on a woman planting a tree in her backyard -environmental concepts
By Zach Havard


After making travellers dreams come true for over a decade, the boss at Live The Dream Travel is steering his business towards a sustainable path, buying and planting a tree every time a booking is made.

Greg Close, a Travellers Choice member and the owner and founder of Live The Dream Travel was inspired by environmental efforts by some of his preferred suppliers, and has now launched his own local carbon offset initiative, Trees For Travellers.

Greg Close. Live The Dream Travel Trees For Travellers. (Supplied)

Close whose has recently moved his business into a new shop front in Strathalbyn, southeast of Adelaide on the edge of the Adelaide Hills – says the concept is simple: every time a customer books a holiday, his agency buys and plants a tree.

With Australians more aware than ever before of the carbon emissions their international journeys generate, Close says his customers have universally embraced the Trees For Travellers program, which is on track to plant 50 new saplings in its first month.

“I was really impressed during the recent Travellers Choice Conference in Melbourne at the number of preferred suppliers putting emissions reduction and sustainability front and centre,” Close said.

“Afterwards, when I thought about it, I couldn’t see any reason why our small business couldn’t also contribute on a local level.

“We looked at the carbon emissions an individual customer might typically generate on a holiday, then started investigating different native trees and their capacities to absorb carbon.

“After consulting with the experts at State Flora in nearby Murray Bridge, we decided to begin with Eucalyptus torquata (commonly known as Coral Gum) which performs well in South Australia, growing up to 11 metres in height.

“Our goal is to plant 1,000 trees this calendar year, while continuing to look for additional ways to ensure that at a local level we work to create a more sustainable planet.”

A tree hugging Greg Close. (Supplied)

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