TUI Group has launched its new sustainability strategy, ‘Better Holidays, Better World’. The ambitious 2020 strategy is built around three core pillars to help shape the future of sustainable tourism.
By 2020, TUI has pledged to cut the carbon intensity of its airline, cruise and ground operations by a further 10%, deliver 10 million ‘greener and fairer’ holidays per year and invest €10 million per year to enhance the positive impacts of tourism.
‘Better Holidays, Better World’ builds on the strong sustainability legacy of both TUI AG and TUI Travel PLC before their merger in late 2014. It demonstrates a step change in approach, with commitments to influence, innovate and invest in more sustainable tourism. The three pillars of the new strategy cover TUI’s operations, the value chain, customers, and the wider industry and beyond. To make ‘Better Holidays, Better World’ a reality, TUI will collaborate with stakeholders such as customers, suppliers, educational and training establishments, governments and UN organisations to effect change at scale.
Fritz Joussen, CEO, TUI Group said: ‘Our Better Holidays, Better World strategy is the next, exciting, chapter in TUI’s sustainability journey. I am proud to work for an industry that can stimulate so much employment and wider economic activity – both in the developed and developing world – in regions where social and economic stability is increasingly important. I am also mindful that in parallel to these benefits, tourism’s operations contribute to the depletion of natural resources. Our interest undoubtedly lies in stimulating systemic change to more sustainable tourism practices and policies, and in leading by example.’’
The three ‘Better Holidays, Better World’ ambitions are underpinned by nine commitments.
1. Step lightly
TUI aims to operate Europe’s most carbon efficient airlines and reduce the carbon intensity of its operations by 10% by 2020.
TUI is committed to reducing the environmental impacts of holidays. TUI’s airlines are the most carbon efficient in Europe, having reduced carbon emissions per passenger km by 10% over the last 6 years. TUI’s recent ecoDemonstrator partnership with Boeing tested innovative environmental technologies and its cruise ships are operating with cutting edge environmental technologies.
2. Make a difference
TUI aims to deliver 10 million greener and fairer holidays per year by 2020, enabling more local people to share in the benefits of tourism.
The group believes that sustainability is a key factor in enhancing the holiday experience for its customers, and wants to create positive change for both people and their communities. ‘Greener and fairer’ holidays are defined as those that include a hotel with a credible sustainability certification recognised by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC). TUI has also developed the ‘Collection’ excursions to optimise benefits to local people and protect the environment.
3. Lead the way
TUI will invest €10 million per year by 2020 to enhance the positive impacts of tourism, creating the TUI Care Foundation to support this work.
TUI aims to innovate, invest in youth, tourism skills and education, and collaborate with destinations to pioneer sustainable tourism across the world. TUI’s recent ground-breaking project with PwC and the Travel Foundation to measure the economic, tax, environmental and social impacts of tourism is an example of this work.
Jane Ashton, Director of Sustainability, TUI Group, said: ‘’As the world’s largest tourism business, we recognise our responsibility to pioneer and influence change for more sustainable tourism. We do not underestimate the sustainability challenges that lie ahead for us and for the wider industry as international tourist arrivals grow from 1.1 bn in 2014 to 1.8 billion in 2030. Better Holidays, Better World is our response to these challenges and we are delighted to see that tourism will also play an important role in the new UN Sustainable Development Goals. We believe that tourism is a force for good, and we can make it even better.’’
The group has been recognised over the years by experts such as CDP (formerly the Carbon Disclosure Project), Dow Jones Sustainability Index and FTSE4Good.
To find out more about sustainability at TUI Group, visit www.tui-sustainability.com.