TTC Tour Brands showcase sustainability progress as The Travel Corporation publishes 3rd annual Impact Report

GLM TEAM June 5, 2024

The Travel Corporation (TTC), the parent company of TTC Tour Brands, which consists of Contiki, Trafalgar, Insight Vacations, Luxury Gold and Costsaver , has released its third annual impact report, cementing the group’s commitment to transparency. The report outlines progress against the group’s five-year sustainability strategy How We Tread Right (HWTR), and features 11 measurable goals developed to advance TTC’s commitment to MAKE TRAVEL MATTER™.

TTC Tour’s latest progress is led by the group’s decarbonisation efforts, critical to its net zero commitment, following the 2022 launch of its industry-leading Carbon Fund:

In 2023, TTC measured the carbon footprint of over 700 trips to develop a roadmap of where the most reduction impact can be made, a potential industry first for this level of analysis.
During the first year of its Carbon Fund implementation, Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions reduced by 31%, and Scope 3 emissions by 5% from its 2019 baseline,
TTC allocated over USD 1.88 million to 13 decarbonisation projects in the first year of the Carbon Fund.
Ended the purchase of branded merchandise, which produced 6.5 million car-driven miles worth of carbon emissions every year. These funds will now get allocated to nature-based climate solutions
Partnered with VisitScotland and The Travel Foundation, aiming to accelerate the decarbonisation of the tourism supply chain in Scotland.
The team completed 10,862 volunteer hours, reaching 83% of our 2025 goal

2023 was an impactful year for TTC Tour Brands. To date, 84% of itineraries have at least one MAKE TRAVEL MATTER™ Experience. Luxury Gold is the first brand to reach 100% of itineraries with a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER™ Experience on it. MAKE TRAVEL MATTER™ experiences are immersive impact experiences offered to our guests, chosen for their positive social or environmental benefit to the people and places we visit, actively advancing at least one of the United Nations Global Goals or UNSDGs. All of the wildlife experiences were also reviewed by the TreadRight team to ensure adherence of TTC’s Animal Welfare Policy.

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Commitment to responsible consumption and production has also seen an introduction of food related MAKE TRAVEL MATTER™ Experiences across the brands, including farm-to-table meals, meeting local producers and farmers, or learning about ancient agricultural techniques. This extends to the supply chain, with a focus on local and organic foods, which for Insight Vacations is now applicable in 97% of itineraries. We have also seen more new local dining experiences introduced, covering 82% of group itineraries.*

In terms of brand specific actions, in the past year, C ontik i, exclusive tour operator for 18-35s, has taken several such steps as part of their mission to reduce its carbon footprint and reach Net Zero by 2050. All of its exclusive properties in France, Austria and head office in Greater London now run on 100% renewable electricity, with 100% local/organic food suppliers. It has also announced its new coaches in Europe will now run on Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO) instead of diesel, wherever possible. This shift will bring about a reduction in carbon emissions by up to 30-40%.

Also for Contiki, Aisha Shaibu-Lenoir was welcomed by Contiki as their LGBTQ+ Ambassador in 2023, representing the brand and training Trip Managers on diversity. For its marketing shoots, Contiki put emphasis on diversity behind the camera as well as in front, using crews from underrepresented backgrounds.

In April 2023, Trafalgar and Switzerland Tourism embarked on an industry leading partnership focused on achieving a sustainable, equitable tourism industry through the development of the world’s first-ever ‘Swisstainable’ travel itinerary. Adhering to the destination’s commitment to sustainability, the ‘Swisstainable’ travel experience supports Switzerland’s natural and social resources and Trafalgar’s commitment to achieve net zero, of which low carbon travel options are a key tactic. Every hotel, experience, meal and transport is accredited as ‘Swisstainable’ – Switzerland’s national benchmark certificate for sustainability.

“This third impact report makes two things abundantly clear – we are not standing still, and yet there remains an incredible amount of work to be done,” says Shannon Guihan, The Travel Corporation’s Chief Sustainability Officer and Head of TreadRight. “I’m immensely proud of TTC leadership for taking such bold action, particularly through prioritising investments in carbon reductions through TTC’s Carbon Fund, and equally of the way our teams have embraced this transition happening as a business and to our sector.”

To read The Travel Corporation’s full Impact Report, please visit https://impact.ttc.com/progress/

*A Local Dining Experience includes any dining experience where key elements of the meal (i.e. meat, seafood, bread, wine, etc.) are considered local (i.e. sourced within a 30-50 mile radius).