Responsible tour operator Intrepid Travel, which says it has been a carbon-neutral business since 2010, has created an open-source document called “A 10-Step Quick Start Guide to Decarbonize Your Travel Business,” available for download from its website.
The complimentary resource is meant to provide an easy-to-follow action plan on reduction and offsetting for tourism businesses, to encourage the industry to rebuild more sustainably amidst the pandemic as part of the travel company’s #RebuildResponsibly advocacy work it has been focusing on while international travel is halted.
“The COVID-19 crisis has brought our sector and the global economy to a halt this year and we would be remiss to not let it be for something good,” said James Thornton, CEO of Intrepid Travel. “We shouldn’t be aspiring for things to go back to normal, but rather redefine what normal means and use this period of travel stagnation to focus on rebuilding our businesses more ethically and sustainably, so that our Earth is preserved for future generations to explore.”
The “Quick Start Guide” provides a way for other travel companies to get started on their carbon journey by offering straightforward steps—from understanding how climate change is affecting your business to developing a carbon management strategy—and using examples from Intrepid to show how others can implement similar strategies within their own organization. Advocating for net-zero emissions by 2030 is one of the key areas that Intrepid has identified as critical to a responsible rebuild of the travel industry, along with ending exploitative wildlife tourism, establishing stronger governance and compliance, and empowering communities and supply chains. In the weeks and months ahead, the company will continue to roll out several other initiatives and partnerships to support these areas.
The resource was written by Intrepid’s environmental impact specialist Dr. Susanne Etti, who has over 15 years of experience in sustainability and is responsible for measuring and driving environmental performance, as well as developing and implementing a culture of sustainability leadership within Intrepid Travel.
To download the guide, visit www.intrepidtravel.com.
Related Stories
CHTA, The Nature Conversancy Pledge Climate Action Collaboration
Stats: 69% of U.S. Travelers Say Sustainable Travel Is Important