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.

Project goals:

The main objective of the projects is the increasing sale of sustainable trips. In order to reach that goal trip offers should become more visible (marking) and bookable (via information and booking systems). It is urgently necessary that during consultation the topic sustainability is addressed. Therefore an industry standard for the continuous sustainability sensitivation should be established.

If travelers receive qualified information from the travel agents they will see the chances and benefits of sustainable tourism and will make more decision in favour of sustainable trip offers. In the long term the share of sustainable trips will increase.

News about this project

28/09/2017

An industry first: Consistent label for sustainable travel offer

Industry first: Travel agencies will prospectively be able to identify and book hotel offers with sustainability certifications in the consultation and offer comparison system ‘Bistro Portal’ on a large scale. Over the coming months, Futourists Lufthansa City Center and DER Touristik will test the new labelling during a pilot phase in their travel agencies and Futouris Thomas Cook will include the label in its travel brochures.

14/03/2017

Climate-Customer-Communication - Panel discussion about sustainability in travel sales on the ITB

Experts discussed on the ITB how to communicate and sell sustainable travel products in travel agencies at the point of sales.

20/04/2016

Green Travel Transformation: Multi-Stakeholderdialog in Berlin

Auf dem Weg zur Green Economy im Tourismus: Beim Projektmeeting "Green Travel Transformation" in Berlin diskutierten die Projekt- und Praxispartner Mitte April die entwickelten Konzepte für die Identifizierung und Sichtbarmachung nachhaltiger Reiseangebote in den Buchungssystemen.

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