Bringing Sustainability into Travel

Companies used to look at corporate sustainability as a box to check. It was a nice thing to promote to customers or use in public relations. In recent years, however, sustainability as a business objective has evolved into a real necessity. Consumers want to know that the companies they patron are being as responsible as possible. This is especially true in the travel world. Many companies, including Adelman Travel, have made “going green” a priority. Here are a few ways you can make your travel program more eco-friendly going forward. 

Travel Only when Necessary

Face to face meetings are often essential for sales or account management. However, more and more companies are looking to other options when it comes to meetings. Video conference calls have become increasingly popular in recent years in an effort to reduce travel costs, but they also reduce environmental impact as well. A directed virtual collaboration strategy for internal meetings enabled one company to significantly reduce its environmental impact by avoiding over 900 trips. The company also saved US$5.5 million and boosted productivity by redirecting over 15,000 hours of employee travel time.

Build eco-friendly Practices into Policy

Over the past year, 58% of travel managers received traveler requests for more eco-friendly trip options, according to GBTA and SAP Concur. Plus, you’ve got more ways than ever to reach your travelers right as they’re making trip decisions with environmental consequences. Use merchandising via your online booking tool to guide travelers toward lower-impact (and often lower-cost) options. Mobile apps like TripSource® allow you to remind travelers to make sustainable choices, like taking public transportation.

Include “Sustainable Practices” when Selecting Suppliers

Companies have already considered sustainability when evaluating agency, air, hotel and car partners. But, three-quarters of travel managers say they’ll focus even more on sourcing with eco-minded suppliers over the next two years, according to research from the Global Business Travel Association and SAP Concur. The challenge is to look beyond standard qualifications, like, explore hotels that ask guests to reuse linens. To make real progress, companies need to seek out suppliers with innovative approaches to reducing environmental impact.

At Adelman Travel, we’re incorporating supplier sustainability, eco-oriented engagement strategies into our day to day business practices. We also provide our clients with tools to do the same, like providing the carbon footprint on our itineraries. If we all work together, we can have a positive impact and benefit future generations of travelers.