Sustainability is more important than ever to Australian travellers, with half agreeing they are more informed about sustainable travel compared to five years ago and two in five people (40%) revealing that their values have changed in the past five years as sustainability and climate change issues have come to the forefront.

This is a key finding of consumer research into sustainable travel sentiment commissioned by The Travel Corporation (TTC) in conjunction with the release of its second annual global Impact Report.

The report tracks progress against the group’s five-year sustainability strategy How We Tread Right (HWTR), launched in September 2020.

HWTR’s 11 sustainability goals are anchored to the United Nation’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals in an effort to advance the shared mission to make travel matter for TTC travel brands including Contiki, Trafalgar, Insight Vacations, AAT Kings, Adventure World, Costsaver, Luxury Gold, and Uniworld Boutique River Cruises.

Shannon Guihan, TTC chief sustainability officer and head of The TreadRight Foundation said, “Our Impact Report 2022 provides direct insight into the work we’ve done to achieve our sustainability ambitions to date as we continue to work towards achieving our long-term goals. These focus on climate action, sustainable food production, responsible consumption, travel experiences, diversity, equity and inclusion, and animal welfare.”

The consumer research findings establish three key take outs that align with TTC’s sustainability goals and impact results to date.

#1 We’re wanting to travel more sustainably but see cost as a barrier.

A third of Aussies (33%) say they’ll travel in the next 12 months and will seek out the most sustainable option. Moreover, if sustainable travel isn’t possible, over a third of Australians (34%) would consider exploring more local options, and almost 20 per cent (19%) would simply travel less, or not at all.

“With a cost-of-living crisis, it’s no surprise that 53 per cent of us say value for money is the most important factor when planning a holiday, but 69 per cent believe sustainable travel comes at an additional cost. Doing the right thing doesn’t have to cost more, we have worked hard to integrate sustainable practices and experiences at no additional cost to our guests.

“Our Impact Report highlights that we now include at least one MAKE TRAVEL MATTER Experience on 62 per cent of itineraries across our Brands – this represents 571 immersive experiences designed to benefit a destination or community, educate our clients, and support the United Nations Global Goals for Sustainable Development,” confirmed Toni Ambler, managing director of TTC Tour Brands, Contiki, Trafalgar, Costsaver, Insight Vacations and Luxury Gold.

“Some of our most popular MAKE TRAVEL MATTER Experiences booked by Australians include learning about the Habitat Conservation at Plitvice National Park in Croatia, discovering and protecting the ancient tradition of hand weaving at the Laboratorio Giuditta Brozzetti, Perugia in Italy or experiencing Trafalgar’s first Swisstainable tour where every hotel, experience, meal and mode of transport is accredited as ‘Swisstainable’ – Switzerland’s national benchmark certificate for sustainability.”

#2 Australians want to book with tour operators that focus on sustainability.

One of the most notable achievements since TTC’s launch of HWTR is the replacement of their goal to become carbon neutral by 2030 with the more ambitious goal of reaching net zero GHG emissions by 2050, designed to address TTC’s impact on climate.

In 2022, TTC became the first global tour operator to have near-term, long-term and net zero targets validated by the Science Based Targets initiative, and simultaneously launched an industry-leading Carbon Fund designed to enable investment in green technologies selected for their ability to decarbonise the business.

This is in addition to the nature-based solutions TTC supports through its philanthropic not-for-profit, The TreadRight Foundation.

This critical transition will resonate highly with Gen Z: research found they were the most concerned generation when it comes to offsetting carbon emissions, with over half (54%) agreeing that working towards net zero, by cutting greenhouse gas, is one of the most important sustainable practices travel operators can make.

Contiki tour in Greece (TTC)

“Contiki caters to many younger travellers and has been carbon neutral since January 2022,” Ambler shared.

“We did this by purchasing verified carbon credits from our partner, South Pole. However, the process of validating our net zero targets forced us to identify the fact that offsets do not address the fact that we are an asset-heavy tour operator with ambitious decarbonisation goals. These goals require significant investment into the business, thus the shift from the purchase of carbon credits to investing in our own decarbonisation through our Carbon Fund. It’s a very exciting time for us.”

#3 Aussies want to reduce food waste while travelling.

Food comes high on the agenda when planning a holiday and almost half of Australians (48%) want to visit hotels, operators and restaurants that aim to reduce food waste. TTC’s Impact Report reveals Uniworld has achieved a reduction in food waste by 34 per cent across six ships by introducing the Leanpath food waste technologies in 2022 with a rollout to be completed across the remaining fleet in 2023.

Moreover, TTC has been steadily increasing the use of local and organic products across their properties and ships to reduce impact, support local producers and create delicious authentic cuisine. And, as an added benefit, this approach aligns with Australian traveller interests with 58 per cent agreeing that they look for a foodie adventure that supports local operators and producers when booking a sustainable holiday.

#4 We want to support local tourism, trade, and wildlife.

It seems increasingly important that we book a trip with purpose – 65 per cent of Australians say that local tourism, trade, and foundations are one of the most important sustainable practices a tour operator can support.

“Australia-wide AAT Kings offers MAKE TRAVEL MATTER Experiences across 50 per cent of itineraries. Guests experience these firsthand through our partners, like Maraku Arts, a not-forprofit craft corporation owned and operated by the local Anangu people, where over 900 Aboriginal artists share their passion through art, craft, and organic experiences,” confirmed Ben Hall, CEO, AAT Kings.

AAT Kings Maruku Arts MTM Experience

What’s more, over 64 per cent of Australians say they would like an experience where they can view or interact with local wildlife and nature when it comes to booking a sustainable holiday.

All wildlife experiences included on TTC brand itineraries are free from animal cruelty, with a full audit completed every two years to confirm adherence to TTC’s Animal Welfare Policy. Keeping wildlife protected in the wild is a core ethos of Adventure World’s Conservation Collection: a series of intimate small-group journeys released in 2022 featuring behind-the-scenes wildlife experiences and once-in-a-lifetime encounters. Looking to the future.

David Hosking, CEO, TTC (Australia) and director of TreadRight, concluded: “It is encouraging to see increasingly positive consumer sentiment around sustainable travel, but this is not what drives TTC’s efforts. Reducing the environmental impact of our business, as articulated in our HWTR strategy, is at the core of all that we do. It is too great a risk not to address these issues in a meaningful, timely and transparent manner. Our investment in a Carbon Fund to support achieving near-term, long-term and net zero validated targets is, I believe, a critical step forward in our sustainability journey.”