Adventure World Travel has a focus on travel with purpose, taking visitors on conscious travel experiences. Adventure World Travel National Accounts Manager, Andrea Morgan, shares about how the company is making change in travel through their sustainable practices.
What makes a travel company sustainable and how does Adventure World benchmark its practices?
There’s not one universally agreed upon definition, which can make identifying truly sustainable travel companies tricky. Broadly speaking though, sustainable travel companies protect nature, support local communities, preserve culture, and adopt green business practices at every level of their operations.
At Adventure World Travel each of our product offerings are designed with the fundamentals of sustainability in mind. Our team of product managers seek out accommodation properties that are characteristic of the destination and have sustainability practices in place, make use of low carbon transportation wherever possible, and the experiences we offer are chosen with great care based on the positive social and environmental impact they have both on the destination communities and those who experience them.
As travel comes back, are you already seeing demand for more purpose driven travel?
“Sustainable or Purpose driven travel” is becoming less of a buzzword and more of a cultural shift that touches all aspects of a holiday. Consumer’s knowledge of sustainable business practices is empowering them to rightly question the green credentials of an operator and select the one that best aligns to their identity.
There’s no questioning that this mindset is growing at a rapid pace, especially in a post C-19 travelling landscape whereby people have had the time to question their values and mindset. But people inherently want to do the right thing and I believe this ethos has always been at the heart of our travellers at Adventure World.
Are you seeing changes in client demographics wanting to go on AW trips?
Our travellers are well-informed citizens of the world, so they already feel a connection to communities, the planet, and its wildlife; they travel to enhance and advance this feeling of ‘belonging’ in the world.
These people want to (and do) feel part of something bigger, and they won’t stand for anything less than authentic experiences. They can afford to enjoy the creature comforts in life and in travel – but they are also happy to temporarily sacrifice them if it means their curiosity will be rewarded, and that they can feel connected to the world in new ways.
What are some key traits advisors should be following to maximise sales for post-pandemic travel?
When advisors are in the discussion stage of a potential trip or holiday with their client, I would recommend that they ask at least one big-picture question related to sustainable travel to help determine their client’s potential concern—or savvy—for environmental topics. For example: “How much do you care about knowing your travel experience is going to be leaving the place you’re visiting better than when you found it?”
Travellers consistently rank “ecotourism” and “nature” among the top criteria in their consideration set for choosing a holiday, so it’s likely many clients come to their professional travel advisor seeking recommendations for travel where they can authentically explore pristine environments and view iconic wildlife. For these clients, this is the perfect opportunity to tap into their love of nature and encourage them to choose sustainable travel providers.
Any final words for our industry?
You don’t have to be an eco-warrior to care about the planet, and you don’t need to be an expert in sustainability to talk to your clients about travel that makes a positive difference. Remember, at the end of the day, talking sustainability is more of an art than a science, and any conversation that includes sustainable travel is a good conversation!
