Taking My First Big Step Into Sustainable Travel

Why this matters to me

I see every day how important holidays are to my clients. They are the thing you look forward to all year, the stories you tell your friends over dinner, the photos that live on your wall or phone for years. I never want to lose that sense of joy, indulgence and escape.

At the same time, I am very aware that travel has an impact: from how we fly, to where we stay, to the experiences we choose once we get there. Rather than feeling guilty about that, I want to be part of the shift towards doing it better: more thoughtfully, more respectfully and with more of the benefits remaining in the destinations we love.

I am still at an early stage in that journey. So far, my experience has included:

• Designing an LGBTQIA+ honeymoon to Costa Rica that focused on small, locally owned hotels and responsible wildlife experiences
• Offering the clients to plant trees linked to their trip via Trees4Travel.
• Starting to read more widely about topics like climate commitments, B Corp certification and animal welfare policies in travel.

The application: a responsible holiday match

As part of the application, I was asked to choose one of TTG's Sustainable Travel Hero partners and match a client (real or theoretical) with a responsible holiday from that brand, explaining why it would be the perfect fit.

I chose to focus on Intrepid Travel, who specialise in small-group adventures with strong sustainability credentials. The exercise really made me think about my clients in a different way: 

• What do they really value when they travel, beyond the "must-see" list?
• How comfortable are they travelling independently, and when might a small group with a local leader give them more confidence?
• How important are things like animal welfare, local ownership and climate impact once you scratch beneath the surface?

I will keep the exact example I used for the application to myself for now, but the process of matching a client profile to a more responsible style of trip was eye-opening. It showed me that many of the holidays my clients already enjoy could be made more impactful (in a positive way) with just a few thoughtful changes in how and with whom we book.

Being honest about where I am

One thing I committed to in my application was honesty. I am not (yet!) a sustainability expert. I am a Travel Counsellor who cares deeply about this and is building it into my business step by step. 

Right now that looks like:

• A small but growing number of bookings with a clear sustainabiltiy story
• Gently introducing options like locally owned hotels, slower travel and responsible wildlife experiences into client conversations.
• Asking more questions of the partners I work with about what they are really doing, beyond the marketing.

The Sustainable Heroes programme appealed to me because it offers the chance to learn from people who are further along this road, and to turn my personal passion into more consistent professional practice. 

What I hope this leads to

Whether or not my application is successful, the decision to put myself forward already feels like a milestone. It has encourage me to:

• Take stock of where I am and where I want to get to with sustainable travel
• Be more intentional about the kinds of holidays I design and recommend
• Start talking more openly with clients about how we can make their trips that little bit kinder to the planet, local communities and wildlife, without losing any of the magic,

Over time, my aim is to:

• Increase the proportion of my bookings that have strong sustainability credentials
• Make responsible choices feel easy and aspirational, not limiting
• Give my clients the confidence that they enjoy the world and help protect it at the same time.

If you are curious about travelling more responsibly, or you have specific values you'd like you next holiday to reflect, I would love to chat and explore what that could look like for you.