Intrepid Travel is encouraging agents to be a “change champion” when it comes to sustainability and has issued a new handbook – ‘How to be a champion of change: An agent’s guide to understanding sustainable travel’ – to help.

The free 12-page guide is designed to be a practical resource filled with tips to enable travel advisors to communicate and sell sustainable travel.

It contains facts, product case studies, easy-to-understand definitions and ideas to help agents demystify and talk about sustainability with their clients.

The downloadable handbook is the latest addition to the certified B Corp’s collection of open-source sustainability guides. Most recently, Intrepid published an open-source guide to develop carbon labels and calculate trip emissions, following a remodel of its office and trip emissions methodology in 2023.

“We created this handbook after hearing from travel agents that there’s a lack of resources available that break down what sustainable travel actually is and to empower them to then explain this to their customers,” says Dr. Susanne Etti, Intrepid’s Global Environmental Impact Manager, who authored the handbook.

“Agents truly have the power to influence their clients’ choices and we want to help them be the best that they can be and to make a difference.”

Intrepid cites a 2022 Skift study that says 90% of consumers look for sustainable options when travelling, but 70% feel overwhelmed by the process of becoming a more sustainable traveller.

“We hope that by providing this resource, we can inspire agents to add sustainability to their toolkit of skills, empower their clients and become champions of change,” says Etti.

Intrepid says it welcomes support from travel industry, who have underscored the value of the guide for travel advisors.

“With all the conversation surrounding sustainable travel, an agent’s work can become even more complex. However, armed with resources like this guide, we can inspire a new generation of travellers to make informed decisions and contribute to a brighter future for our industry,” Michelle Degenhardt, Global Sustainability Officer at Flight Centre said.

Intrepid has established a long legacy taking action on climate and committed to sharing its knowledge to galvanise cross-industry collaboration and progress.

“We want to share our insights and educate our industry. There’s no competitive advantage when it comes to sustainability,” Dr. Etti adds.

How to be a champion of change: An agent’s guide to understanding sustainable travel is available for download on the Intrepid Travel Newsroom and Agent Hub.