Responsible tourism for a sustainable future

Article published 27/02/2024

Providing positive experiences for visitors, locals, businesses and our climate

In an exciting new partnership, we’re working with The Travel Corporation (TTC) and the Travel Foundation, to host a free “Responsible Tourism for a Sustainable Future” webinar.

The one-hour webinar on Tuesday 19 March will offer Scottish tourism businesses an insight into what global tour operators are looking for when choosing a business to work with in Scotland and advice on futureproofing your products and services.

The session will include guest speakers, case studies, free tools available to help businesses with their climate action planning, as well as advice on creating bookable experiences for tour operators – a key booking channel for international visitors.

Book your place today

The Travel Corporation is a global operator whose brands include Contiki, Luxury Gold, Insight Vacations, Brendan Vacations and Trafalgar. As well as sharing the latest consumer trends, the Travel Corporation will also outline the opportunities to support its development of MAKE TRAVEL MATTER ® Experiences and its collective mission to reduce emissions in its tour programmes globally.

As part of our ongoing work to support the industry on its journey to low carbon, the “Responsible Tourism for a Sustainable Future” webinar will include information about the free tools and resources available to help Scottish tourism businesses meet their net zero targets including our Climate Action Planning guide.

What are visitors looking for?

VisitBritain’s research indicates that 64% of international travellers to Britain book all or part of their trip as a package.

Research shows that visitors are becoming increasingly aware of their impact on the world around them and are seeking out businesses and destinations who place an emphasis on sustainability.

Booking.com research found that 76% of travellers express a desire to travel more sustainably, creating an opportunity for tourism businesses to cater for a growing market of environmentally conscious consumers.

Businesses taking steps to reduce their carbon emissions and offering sustainable options for tour operators and travel advisors can help make it easier for visitors to make environmentally conscious travel decisions in a competitive global market.

Working together to support climate action

The webinar marks the start of our ground-breaking new partnership with leading international sustainable tourism organisation the Travel Foundation and global tour operator and leader in sustainable practices and climate action, The Travel Corporation, to inspire and support climate action within Scotland’s tourism industry.

Climate change is one of the biggest challenges facing our tourism and events sector, and this three-year partnership will help build the capacity of Scottish businesses to adapt and strengthen their resilience.

This work aims to enable Scotland to be a leader in 21st century tourism with a thriving, responsible visitor economy. It supports the ambitions of the national tourism strategy, “Scotland Outlook 2030: Responsible Tourism for a Sustainable Future”.

Our communities, along with our natural and cultural heritage, are what make Scotland so special. We all have a duty of care to protect and preserve them for the future.

We know that visitors want to make responsible choices and despite the challenges facing our tourism industry, many businesses recognise the importance of taking action, and the benefits – both ethically and economically – that can come with doing that. We know that transitioning to a low carbon economy is a challenge, and not something that we can do alone.

This free webinar is a great opportunity to hear from industry experts about how to take those vital next steps on their journey to low carbon.

Lyn Donnelly, Senior Responsible Tourism Manager, VisitScotland

Scottish businesses have a great opportunity to get on the front foot and make progress with their climate action. Join us to find out some simple steps you can take that will make all the difference to help you meet carbon reduction requirements and raise the quality of your experiences.

It’s also an opportunity to hear more about the longer-term project, which will help Scotland to lead the way and take a big-picture look at what is needed to ensure the future of Scottish tourism is compatible with a low-carbon world.

Rebecca Armstrong, Sustainable Tourism Specialist at the Travel Foundation

Our work with VisitScotland is genuinely exciting. It’s the first time we’ve had such support from a destination targeted at how to jointly support the decarbonisation of the supply chain. There’s a great deal of power in this partnership, in the form of paving the way to reduce barriers to success and offer guidance and learnings to our partners on the ground in Scotland.

This webinar will be the first of sharing insight and knowledge to date, and to learn the opportunities ahead for the Scottish tourism sector.

Shannon Guihan, Chief Sustainability Officer, The Travel Cooperation

We’re working with The Travel Corporation and the Travel Foundation, to host a free “Responsible Tourism for a Sustainable Future” webinar. Learn more about what global tour operators are looking for from Scottish businesses. As well as the latest consumer trends.

Providing positive experiences for visitors, locals, businesses and our climate

What are visitors looking for?

Working together to support climate action