The Travel Corporation has released its first official Impact Report, detailing progress against its 11 sustainability goals launched in September 2020.

The company says How We Tread Right (HWTR), its current 5-year sustainability strategy, was built to ensure all 41 brands within TTC’s family of brands are advancing their shared ethos to ‘MAKE TRAVEL MATTER.’

In the 15 months since the launch of its sustainability strategy, the global tour operator has been working towards its 11 goals, which are anchored to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs).

The Impact Report highlights the cumulative progress made thus far as the company seeks to shape a brighter future for the travel industry, the local people and communities it visits, the planet and wildlife.

“This first, and future Impact Reports, enable us to evaluate the progress we’re making as a company as well as individual brands, so we can track our increasing achievements and acknowledge the areas that need more work,” says Shannon Guihan, The Travel Corporation’s Chief Sustainability Officer.

“Our sustainability strategy, How We Tread Right, was carefully designed to enable meaningful measurements with a clear focus on action. We are singularly focused on the success of these actions on the issues we aim to address, and recognize that our impact can only be understood through measurement and transparency.”

TTC says it recognizes the growing expectation from guests across global markets who want to make responsible choices and travel more sustainably, including supporting local communities and reducing environmental impacts.

“With the upcoming Stockholm+50 international environmental conference convened by the United Nations General Assembly, issues including climate change, sustainable food production and animal welfare are global issues which require urgent action,” adds Brett Tollman, Chairman of The Travel Corporation.

“In sharing our blueprint to do better, we hope to engage our industry to join the fight against these critical planetary challenges, as it’s only in working together with clear intent that we can truly make travel a force for good and safeguard our planet for future travellers,” he concludes.

TTC and its 41 brands address sustainability in two key ways, through HWTR, its sustainability strategy featuring 11 SMART goals, and its TreadRight Foundation, which supports the advancement of these goals through giving. Key takeaways from the Impact Report highlighting cumulative progress against TTC’s 11 sustainability goals from September 2020 through December 2021 include:

PLANET

-- Developed net zero targets aligned with the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), currently under review and will be shared later in 2022.

-- Contiki, Radical Travel Group’s HAGGiS Adventures and Highland Explorer Tours announced their carbon neutral trips as of January 1st, 2022.

-- Sourced 28 per cent of global electricity needs from renewable sources.

-- Switched nine additional properties to 100 per cent renewable electricity.

-- Reduced food waste by 39% at 12 Red Carnation Hotels.

-- Introduced food waste management systems at 30 per cent of our hotels and Uniworld ships.

-- Reduced printed brochures by 88 per cent from 2019.

PEOPLE

-- Introduced 554 MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experiences across TTC itineraries, educational experiences designed to advance the UNSDGs, which positively impact and support the people and communities they visit.

-- In 2021, 51% of all TTC itineraries had at least one MAKE TRAVEL MATTER Experience, surpassing the goal set to reach 50% by 2025.

--Offered 65 TTC itineraries visiting 110 developing regions.

WILDLIFE

-- Assessed 400+ wildlife experiences to ensure 100% compliance with TTC's Animal Welfare Policy.

To read The Travel Corporation’s full Impact Report and learn more about the progress TTC and its brands have made against its How We Tread Right sustainability strategy click here.