TL;DR
- Over half of UK travellers now consider sustainability when booking trips – it’s moved from niche to mainstream
- Younger clients (Gen Z and Millennials) lead the charge, but transparency matters across all age groups
- Locally sourced food tops the priority list at 70% – it’s the perfect conversation starter
- Intrepid Travel just retired carbon offsets in favour of a $2M annual Climate Impact Fund
- Clients want proof, not promises – concrete details like solar panels and farm partnerships build trust
A decade ago, responsible travel was something for gap-year students and documentaries. Today, it’s a question clients ask before they even talk about budget.
Over half of UK travellers now consider sustainability when planning trips. Forty-six percent expect their tour provider to demonstrate eco-conscious choices. Seventy percent say locally sourced food matters to them. These aren’t fringe numbers anymore. This is the mainstream.
For travel agents, this change creates both pressure and opportunity. Clients want to know their holiday has a positive impact, or at least minimises harm. When you can speak to those concerns with confidence, you’ve got a conversation that builds trust before you even get to destinations.
The Sustainability Numbers
Sustainability doesn’t land the same way across age groups. Forty-seven percent of Gen Z travellers and 42% of Millennials say they’ve worried about the environmental impact of their travel.
Eighty-six percent of Millennials prefer sustainable travel options. Seventy-three percent say they’re willing to pay more for sustainable goods, including travel. And twenty-five percent of UK adults changed the way they travel in 2024 to make more sustainable choices.
The takeaway? Younger clients expect sustainability as standard. Older clients may not ask about it first, but they’re open to it when it’s part of the package. And across all ages, transparency matters. People want proof, not promises.
What Sustainability Actually Means to Travellers
Locally sourced food tops the list at 70% – the highest figure for any sustainability factor. This connects to authenticity, freshness, and reducing food miles all at once.
Energy-saving practices come in second (68%), followed by willingness to visit less-popular destinations to reduce overcrowding (64%). Food waste minimisation (54%), minimal plastic use (49%), and reduced water usage (46%) all feature prominently.
These aren’t abstract ideals. They’re specific, actionable features clients expect to see in itineraries.
Intrepid Travel Just Rewrote the Rulebook
In October 2025, Intrepid Travel made waves by retiring its carbon offset programme and stepping away from the Science Based Targets initiative. The company admitted that offsets weren’t working and that five years of tracking progress hadn’t led to sufficient emissions reductions.
Instead, Intrepid launched a Climate Impact Fund, redirecting $2 million USD annually toward tangible emissions reductions. The fund will transition vehicles to electric, invest in renewable energy for hotels and offices, and support suppliers to decarbonise.
The company also changed how it accounts for emissions. For the first time, Intrepid is including flights that customers take to reach trip starting points – emissions that represent over 75% of a trip’s total carbon footprint. Under global accounting protocols, tour operators haven’t had to count those flights. Intrepid’s decision to include them signals a change in how transparency gets measured.
When clients ask whether tour operators are serious about sustainability, there’s now a concrete example to point to. Intrepid’s fund translates to solar panels on homestays in Cambodia, electric vehicle conversions in India and Nepal, renewable energy for supplier hotels. That’s tangible. That’s credible.
Why Food Is Your Best Conversation Starter
Seventy percent of travellers say locally sourced food is important. Why does food resonate so strongly?
Because it connects sustainability to experience in a way clients can taste. Eating at a family-run restaurant that sources vegetables from nearby farms isn’t a sacrifice. It’s better food. It’s fresher. It tells a story about the place being visited. And it happens to reduce carbon emissions while supporting local livelihoods.
When describing an itinerary that includes a cooking class with a local chef, a visit to a farmers’ market, or meals at restaurants that source ingredients from nearby farms, you’re talking about authenticity, sustainability, and supporting communities – all in one.
How to Talk About It Without Sounding Preachy
For clients who ask directly about environmental impact, get specific. “This operator is B Corp certified and invests $2 million annually in renewable energy. They include flight emissions in their carbon accounting, which most operators don’t.”
For clients who don’t lead with sustainability, weave it in naturally. “This tour partners with family-run farms. Your meals support local suppliers, and the food is incredible.”
For clients comparing options, use it as a differentiator. “This operator has Green Key certification and uses solar power. The other one doesn’t have that transparency.”
And if a client expresses concern about flying, acknowledge it. “Flights are a big part of the footprint. This operator includes them in their carbon accounting and invests in real reductions, not just offsets.”
Practical Features to Highlight
When describing trips, concrete details matter. If the accommodation uses solar panels, say so. If they’ve eliminated single-use plastics, mention it. If meals include locally sourced ingredients, explain where the food comes from.
Highlight certifications like Green Key, EarthCheck, Travelife, and B Corp – these give clients confidence that claims are verified.
Off-peak travel, rail itineraries, cycling tours, and walking trips all appeal to clients who want low-emission options. Community-based tourism projects add depth and give clients a sense of purpose.
Seventy-three percent of Millennials say they’re willing to pay more for sustainable travel, but here’s the nuance: willingness to pay more doesn’t mean clients expect higher prices. It means they’re open to it if the value is clear. When you highlight that a hotel uses solar power or that a tour partners with local farmers, you’re adding perceived value without changing the price.
Worth Knowing
When sustainability becomes a booking filter, agents have an advantage. Clients need someone to sort through claims, verify credentials, and explain what terms like “carbon-neutral” (meaning emissions are measured and balanced through verified reduction measures) actually mean.
Clients feel conflicted about flying. They want to travel, but they don’t want to contribute to environmental damage. When you show them options that mitigate impact – off-peak travel, rail itineraries, eco-certified accommodations – you ease that conflict.
This isn’t about making clients feel guilty. It’s about showing them how to travel well. And clients who travel well come back, rebook, and recommend others.
Agent Advantage Insight:
When clients ask about sustainability, lead with locally sourced food – 70% of travellers prioritize it, and it connects environmental responsibility to authentic experience in a way that feels like a benefit, not a compromise.
