Global guided vacation company
Trafalgar, part of The Travel Corporation (TTC) released the 2024 Impact
Report, continuing to lay the foundation for transparency and accountability
within the travel industry.
Shannon Guihan, Chief Sustainability Officer of the Travel Corporation
and Head of its TreadRight Foundation said, “As travelers return in greater
numbers, the conversation must shift from growth to balance, a change we have
been advocating for at The Travel Corporation (TTC). That is why, across
our brands, we are taking meaningful steps to reduce pressure on
overcrowded destinations and to ensure our trips bring benefit, not burden.”
Highlights of the Impact Report
85 percent of itineraries include at least one local
dining experience. Trafalgar supports sustainable agriculture, preserves
local food systems, and promotes local businesses. On many itineraries,
travelers will participate in a Be My Guest Experience and meet with locals to
break bread while learning about traditional cuisine and gaining new
perspectives.
In Japan, guests will lunch with a local farm family on a
traditional tea plantation while the France itinerary includes a visit to a 17th
century farm producing goat cheese, followed by a traditional Tourangelle
dinner.
Achieved emissions reductions while actively engaging the
tourism supply chain, on Trafalgar’s goal to reach net zero GHG emissions by
2050 from a 2019 baseline year.
Scope 1 & 2 emissions decreased by 23% and Scope 3
emissions by 20%. Through its net zero roadmap, the business is prioritizing
biofuels and actively engaging its supply chain to tackle tourism emissions
through collaboration.
In 2024, Trafalgar and sister brands launched Partner
Sustainability Hub to better enable a sustainable supply chain. The group invested
$ 353,307 in decarbonization projects via the industry-first Carbon Fund in
2024, for a total of $2.23+ million invested since the Carbon Fund implementation
in 2023.
98% of Trafalgar itineraries include at Least One MAKE
TRAVEL MATTER Experience. Immersive and impactful experiences are selected
for the positive social or environmental benefits they have for the people and
places that Trafalgar visits that actively advance at least one of the United
Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs).
These include visiting the award-winning organic vineyard
Vale da Capucha, sampling its organic and biodynamic wines. In Scotland, guests
meet with a conservation expert in the Scottish Highlands, learning about the
powerful place of nature in Gaelic culture and the reintroduction of native
tree species.
“What we need is a systemic approach, and so I’d like to be
clear: we support destination-led approaches. We believe that thoughtful,
community-informed policies are essential to preserving the very qualities that
draw travelers in the first place,” Guihan said.
She added, “I understand the value that tourism can bring to
communities when managed in partnership with key stakeholders. Ultimately,
tourism shouldn’t happen to a community; it should happen with them. And so we
not only welcome collaboration with governments, destination management
organizations, and local leaders to build smart frameworks that ensure tourism
delivers real value, limits harm and supports communities, we are seeking it
out. If the past few years have taught us anything, it's that tourism must evolve
proactively, transparently, and together.”
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