Global guided vacation company Trafalgar continues to lay the foundation for transparency and accountability within the travel industry by advocating for a balance of tourism that provides value and support for local communities.
The release of its 2024 Impact Report showcases the culmination of Trafalgar’s efforts against its five-year sustainability strategy, the achievement of seven of its goals, as well as a demonstration of its ongoing commitment to addressing overtourism, reaching net zero, responsible consumption and production, and diversity, equity and inclusion.
Sharon Guihan, chief sustainability officer for Trafalgar’s parent firm The Travel Corporation (TTC), said: “As travellers return in greater numbers, the conversation must shift from growth to balance, a change we have been advocating for at 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.”
Relevant findings
The brand’s continuous efforts to encourage responsible travel and mitigate pressure on overcrowded destinations have achieved the following, as reported in the 2024 Impact Report:
85 percent of itineraries include at least one local dining experience
By prioritizing local and organic dining experiences, Trafalgar supports sustainable agriculture, preserves local food systems, and promotes local businesses.
On many of Trafalgar’s itineraries, travellers will participate in a Be My Guest Experience and meet with locals to break bread while learning about traditional cuisine and gaining new perspectives.
On Classic Japan, guests have lunch with a local farmer and their family on a traditional tea plantation in the Nara area, to gain insights into their way of life.
On Best of France, guests meet with Alexandra and Beatrice at their 17th-century farm, Domaine de la Giraudere, and learn about how they produce some of the region’s famous goat cheese while they enjoy a traditional Tourangelle dinner.
Achieved emissions reductions while actively engaging the tourism supply chain in pursuit of its zero-emissions targets
As TTC’s largest brand, Trafalgar has led the way in the group's efforts to curb carbon emissions.
Specifically, TTC has reduced Scope 1 & 2 emissions by 23% and Scope 3 emissions by 20 percent from a 2019 baseline year.
Through its net zero roadmap, the business is prioritizing biofuels and actively engaging its supply chain to enable the sector to tackle tourism emissions through collaboration.
2024 saw Trafalgar and sister brands launch its Partner Sustainability Hub, showcasing guidance and tools designed to enable a more sustainable supply chain.
Further proof of the group’s commitment is its investment of $353,307 in decarbonization projects across its business via the industry-first Carbon Fund in 2024, for a total of over $2.23 million invested since the Carbon Fund began implementation in 2023.
98 percent of Trafalgar itineraries include at least one Make Travel Matter experience
These immersive and impactful experiences are selected for the positive social or environmental benefits they have for the people and places that Trafalgar takes its guests.
They’re identified for how they actively advance at least one of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs).
Examples of these experiences include visiting the award-winning organic vineyard Vale da Capucha and sampling its organic and biodynamic wines, which support the UN SDG of Responsible Consumption and Production, as featured on Best of Portugal.
On Best of Scotland, guests will meet with a conservation expert in the Scottish Highlands and learn about the powerful place of nature in Gaelic culture and the reintroduction of native tree species such as the Caledonian Pine at the Dundreggan Rewilding Centre.
Taking a destination-led approach
According to Guihan: “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 travellers in the first place.”
She added that the value that tourism can bring to communities when managed in partnership with key stakeholders, as, ultimately, tourism shouldn’t happen to a community; it should happen with them.
Guihan continued with: “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.”
