Trafalgar and sister brands, Insight Vacations, Contiki, Costsaver and Luxury Gold, all part of The Travel Corporation (TTC), released its second annual Impact Report sharing progress against the brands' five-year sustainability strategy How We Tread Right (HWTR), which was launched in September 2020. The brands' 11 sustainability goals address the issues of climate, food, waste, travel experiences, diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), and wildlife, and are anchored to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals in an effort to advance its mission to MAKE TRAVEL MATTER®.

One of the most notable achievements since the launch of HWTR is the replacement of the goal to become carbon neutral by 2030 with a more ambitious goal of reaching net zero GHG emissions by 2050. Thanks to the parent company TTC, the brands became one of the first travel companies to launch a Carbon Fund: an industry-leading fund designed to enable investment in green technologies selected for their ability to decarbonise the business. This fund was announced last year when TTC became the first global tour operator to have near-term, long-term and net zero targets validated by the Science Based Targets initiative.

“We are immensely proud to publish our second annual Impact Report. This is an opportune moment to reflect on progress we made over the past year towards our sustainability goals, as well being reminded of the significant work that remains to be done. It also ensures we remain accountable and transparent on our sustainability efforts,” Says Nick Lim, CEO (Asia), The Travel Corporation. “The opportunity to make travel a force for good lies in our hands and together, we can leave this planet a better place than we found it.”

Other notable highlights include achieving the goal to include at least 1 MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience on 50% of Trafalgar and sister brands' itineraries. And as of 2022, 62% of the brands' trips include at least one MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience, spanning from preserving culture and heritage to supporting endangered wildlife. Trafalgar and its sister brands also surpassed their sustainability goals of reducing printed brochures by 64% from 2019, against a target of 50% by 2025.

Trafalgar and its sister brands' progress as detailed in their 2022 Impact Report includes:

GOAL 1: Reach net zero GHG emissions across the value chain by 2050 from a 2019 baseline year

Impact report update:

• Replaced goal of carbon neutrality by 2030 to the more ambitious goal of net zero by 2050
• Contiki offset all 2022 trips and its special stays Contiki Chateau De Cruix and Haus Schöneck, providing carbon neutral trips. With the reset of TTC's Climate Action Plan and the introduction of its Carbon Fund, Contiki has evolved to prioritize net zero over carbon neutral. 

GOAL 2: Source 50% of our electricity from renewable sources by 2025

Impact report update:

• Sourced 44% of our total global electricity needs from renewable sources, up 20% over the previous year
• 48 coaches were equipped with solar panels that extend the life of the coach's battery.
• Contiki's two special stays run on 100% renewable electricity

GOAL 3: Reduce food waste by 50% across hotels and ships by 2025

Impact report update:

• All Contiki Special Stays have secured a state-of-the-art food waste system, contributing to the 120 tonnes of food waste reduction across TTC. That's equivalent to more than 284,000 meals.

GOAL 4: Increase use of local & Organic across our supply chain

Impact report update:

• Set a goal for Trafalgar and sister brands to incorporate at least one local dining experience across 80% of itineraries by 2025
• Contiki's French Chateau and Austrian Haus Schöneck work exclusively with local and organic food suppliers. Contiki also ran a successful vegan-themed trip to celebrate plant-based eating.

GOAL 5: Reduce printed brochures by 50% by 2025

Impact report update:

• Trafalgar and sister brands reduced printed brochures by 64% (from 2019), surpass sustainability goal 5: which targets at a 50% reduction.

GOAL 6: Eliminate as many single-use plastics across offices and trips

Impact Report Update:

• Trafalgar and sister brands have banned single-use plastics across all offices since 2017
• Introduced sustainable guest gifts and gifting alternatives such as Insight Vacations' support for Trees For Life reforestation efforts

GOAL 7: At least 1 MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience across 50% of Trafalgar and sister brands' itineraries by 2025

Impact Report Update:

• At least one MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience on 62% of TTC itineraries, for a total of 571 immersive impact experiencesaround the world.

GOAL 8: Increase itineraries that visit developing regions by 20% by 2025

Impact Report Update:

• Contiki developed 2 brand new trips visit developing regions, and across TTC, itineraries visiting developing regions has increased by 50% since 2021.

GOAL 9: Increase employee and market sentiment regarding diversity and inclusion

Impact report Update:

• Trafalgar and Insight Vacations launched and operated a series of Woman Only trips which create safe environments for solo female travelers and support female owned businesses
• Contiki ran LGBTQ+ Pride focused trips and welcomed Aisha Shaibu-Lenoir as LGBTQIA+ Ambassador
• Contiki partnered with Travel Alberta to raise awareness of Women in Indigenous communities to preserve and transmit traditional knowledge and stories through the generations

GOAL 10: Complete 30,000 volunteer hours by 2025.

Impact report Update:

• Completed 7,471 hours in 2022, bringing our total to 46% of our goal since the launch of HWTR

GOAL 11: Ensure all wildlife experiences across TTC adhere to our Animal Welfare Policy

Impact Report Update:

• Every single wildlife experience across all brands' itineraries adheres to every point on the Animal Welfare Policy.

To read Trafalgar and its sister brands' full Impact Report and learn more about the progress made against its HWTR Sustainability Strategy, please visit: impact.ttc.com/progress.