Calling it an industry first, TTC Tour Brands, the collection of tour brands from The Travel Corporation that includes Trafalgar, Contiki, Luxury Gold, Insight Vacations, Brendan Vacations and Costsaver, says it will no longer be ordering branded merchandise for gifting. In its place, the money that would have been spent will be repurposed to projects that fight climate change.
The move, coinciding with the introduction of donations to nature-based solutions projects, represents another step towards the company’s zero net goals.
“Learning how much carbon emissions are created from our branded ‘stuff’ was an eye opener for us. While we all love to represent our favourite travel brand with fun swag from t-shirts to tote bags, we know we can do more by using those resources to donate to sustainable projects we’re passionate about,” says Melissa DaSilva, President of TTC Tour Brands, North America. “It’s our responsibility to fully commit to practices that leave a positive impact on the places we visit and the people we meet along the way. As the first in industry to make this commitment, it is our hope that our fellow companies follow in our footsteps in the ongoing journey towards a more sustainable future.”
With a four-step Climate Action plan already in place that includes near-term, long-term, and net zero carbon emissions targets validated by the Science-based Targets Initiative (SBTi), TTC says it is continuing to put its mission to “Make Travel Matter” at the forefront of its daily DNA.
And after assessing the unnecessary carbon emissions emitted by the business, the company discovered that by saying no to “more stuff” they could prevent the equivalent carbon emissions of 6.5 million car-driven miles from entering the atmosphere annually.
Starting immediately, the portfolio is committing to no longer ordering branded merchandise for gifting, with more brands across The Travel Corporation to follow. In its place, TTC Tour Brands will repurpose the funds traditionally allocated to branded merchandise and introduce donations to nature-based solutions projects that will remove a further 1.5 million car-driven miles worth of carbon emissions from the atmosphere by December 2024.
The company will also donate to projects that are already supported by their not-for profit foundation TreadRight – GreenWave’s Kelp Climate Fund Project and Rainforest Rescue’s Daintree Project. Both nature-based solutions, these projects are initiatives that work for and with nature to address issues facing the environment, society, and biodiversity.
Donations to GreenWave’s Kelp Climate Fund Project will pay for the planting of kelp across regenerative ocean farms in North America. Kelp provides a powerful and scalable carbon drawdown solution that both captures and stores carbon as well as supports economies and global food systems.
Donations to Rainforest Rescue’s Daintree Project will protect and restore parts of Australia’s precious Daintree Rainforest (the world’s longest continually evolving rainforest). This will preserve biodiversity and remove carbon from the atmosphere through planting, maintenance and restoration programs executed in partnership with the traditional landowners, the Eastern Kuku Yalanji people.
With the latest reports emerging from COP 28 indicating that insufficient progress has been made toward arresting the speed of climate change, TTC Tour Brands says its guests, trade partners and team members can feel good about the positive impact they will now make every time a donation is made on their behalf. The brands’ ‘no more stuff’ commitment, collectively works toward keeping global warming below 1.5°C by mid-century.
As a final step, TTC says all its offices will ‘rehome’ any leftover or outdated merchandise either to local charities, who can best re-use the items or utilize for internal fundraisers where proceeds will provide further donation support to their nature-based solutions partners.