Green Travel Transformation, Germany

An increasing number of people is aware of the ecological and social aspects of their travel decision. But often, sufficient information about how to realise this wish is missing. Travelers and travel agencies often lack the necessary knowledge about sustainable holiday offers or the offers are not visible, because they are not labeled.

Travel companies are challenged to classify sustainable trips and to integrate them into their information- and booking systems in such a way to make them visible for sales persons and travelers.

The about 10.000 German Travel Agencies are an essential sales channel for sustainable trips. In order to ensure an optimal consulting in the travel agencies the travel marketing has to be more sensitized about sustainable trips and the mentioned barriers have to be removed.

The project starts with three measures:

• Identification of fields of acitivity with an eye for sustainability and of the transformation potential in the travel industry
• Visualization of sustainable offers in the travel marketing
• Mediation of knowledge concerning sustainability to the travel industry in general and especially to the travel marketing

The touristic 'jungle' of eco- and sustainability labels counts about 180 different labels which are difficult to differentiate also for experts. Therefore, the projects aims at developing and implementing the methodological basis for the evaluation and hierarchy of current assessment systems for sustainable products and offers, in order to improve the transparence of sustainable labels.

Furthermore, coaching programs shall contribute to the sensitivation and long-term transformation of work and consulting routines. By communicating with the practice the project will develop several training courses.