The company won for promoting a destination-first approach to sustainable tourism.
Trafalgar bagged the Tour Operator of the Year - Singapore category at the TDM Travel Trade Excellence Awards 2025 - Asia, which underscored its exemplary efforts in redefining the way people explore the world through its destination-first tourism model.
For Trafalgar, sustainable travel is about ensuring that tourism benefits both people and the planet. The company promotes responsible travel and encourages exploration of lesser-known destinations to build a transparent, accountable, and regenerative tourism model.
Trafalgar’s approach centres on its Be My Guest Experiences, which invite travellers to share moments with locals around the world. This supports small-scale farmers, local artisans, and family-run businesses, and preserves cultural traditions and food heritage.
In Japan, guests enjoy lunch with a local farmer’s family on a traditional tea plantation in Nara. In Britain, travellers visit the Dyer family’s dairy farm, where they explore an ancient manor house and enjoy a homemade lunch featuring family recipes passed down through generations. These create meaningful memories whilst also supporting local livelihoods.
Amidst its target to reach net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, Trafalgar has already achieved significant progress after reducing Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 23% and Scope 3 emissions by 20% since its 2019 baseline.
Moreover, Trafalgar and its sister brands in 2024 contributed $353,307 to sustainability projects through TTC’s pioneering Carbon Fund, bringing the total investment to over $2.23m since 2023. The company also launched a Partner Sustainability Hub, which provides suppliers with the tools and resources to help decarbonise the travel industry.
Additionally, every Trafalgar trip includes at least one MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience, which is a hands-on activity that supports one or more United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs).
For instance, on the Best of Portugal tour, guests visit the award-winning organic vineyard Vale da Capucha that promotes responsible consumption and production. Meanwhile, in Iceland, travellers explore the Hellisheidi Geothermal Power Station to learn about renewable energy solutions that align with the UN goal of Affordable and Clean Energy.
Trafalgar has developed itineraries that spotlight secondary cities, small towns, and rural communities. This approach helps distribute the benefits of tourism more evenly. Trafalgar’s vision is that travel should enrich the lives of those who experience it and those who host it to shape a future where tourism thrives responsibly.
TDM Travel Trade Excellence Awards - Asia is a premier awards programme presented by Travel Daily Media. It seeks to honour the pinnacle of excellence in Asia's travel industry, covering the best hotels, airports, cruise lines, tour operators, travel agencies, booking platforms, and travel technology.
The TDM Travel Trade Excellence Awards 2025 - Asia is presented by Travel Daily Media Magazine. To view the full list of winners, click here. For more information on the awards programme, you may contact Danica Avila at (+65) 3158 1386 or danica@traveldailymedia.com.
