With hurricanes, heat and drought afflicting many regions of the world, Canadian travellers are increasingly taking the weather into account when planning their holidays, according to Virtuoso’s 2025 Luxe Report, which reveals that 44% of Canadian travel advisors surveyed say their clients are adjusting their plans to mitigate the effects of climate change.

Specifically, 80% report clients are opting for destinations with moderate, less extreme weather, and 74% indicate travellers are choosing off-peak times when temperatures are typically milder.

Further, sustainability is increasingly a greater factor in the choices travellers make, with 26% of advisors saying their clients are committed to reducing their carbon footprint by supporting carbon offsetting initiatives.

According to the 2024 Virtuoso Brand & Travel Tracker study, a proprietary survey of travellers across 17 countries conducted in collaboration with YouGov, the top information Canadian travellers seek in the planning process is weather/climate (80%), safety of the destination (79%) and ease of travel to the destination (64%).

Additionally, 38% of travellers are willing to pay more for companies that benefit local communities and the economy, 37% for those that preserve natural and cultural heritage, and 31% for businesses that adopt environmentally friendly philosophies and practices.

“As travellers become more conscious of the impact their choices have on the world, Virtuoso is here to help guide this positive shift,” said Virtuoso VP of Sustainability Javier Arredondo. “We have partners doing extraordinary things to serve the areas where they operate, ensuring that trips can benefit both travellers and the communities they visit…. Doing good and doing well are not mutually exclusive.”

Do-gooders

To that end, Virtuoso engages in an annual campaign within Canada to raise awareness of the unique ways that its partners are uplifting the travel space in line with Virtuoso’s sustainability mission. Among those in the spotlight are:

Protecting the Planet: These efforts involve protecting and preserving the environment and/or promoting sustainable practices in local communities or around the world.

• Big Five Tours & Expeditions are helping restore ecosystems by replanting red mangrove seedlings in South America and seagrass off the western coast of Sri Lanka. Red mangroves are believed to produce 10 times more oxygen than some trees and help protect the ecosystem, while seagrass acts as a natural filter, preventing sediment from entering the water and safeguarding marine life.
• PONANT has recently been selected to receive Innovation Fund (INNOVFUND) support for its Swap2Zero project, the world’s first transoceanic ship aimed at carbon neutrality. This milestone underscores PONANT’s leadership in advancing the cruise industry’s decarbonization efforts. A standout feature of the project is its sail power system and specially engineered hull, which will generate 50% of the ship’s propulsion energy from wind power. 

Celebrating & Honouring Cultures: These efforts transform communities, the travel industry and/or the world through the expansion of knowledge, beliefs, arts, customs or capabilities.

• Collette incorporates cultural experiences into nearly all its tours, with a particular focus on Indigenous cultures and traditions. Their journeys include visits to educational museums, traditional performances, heritage centers, art institutions and organizations such as Dreamtime Southern X, an Aboriginal-owned non-profit in Australia dedicated to creating employment and fostering economic opportunities in First Nations communities.
• Sea Cloud Cruises preserves cultural heritage by inviting local musicians onboard to provide authentic entertainment for guests. Passengers can also catch the culinary team shopping ashore at local markets or receiving fresh deliveries from vendors, emphasizing Sea Cloud’s commitment to supporting communities and ensuring guests enjoy fresh, exceptional meals that showcase culture through cuisine.

Supporting Local Economies: These efforts make a positive financial impact on communities, improving conditions, circumstances and livelihoods for local or global populations.

• AmaWaterways provides annual financial support to the villages along Namibia’s Chobe River, helping to improve infrastructure and quality of life. Their contributions have funded the construction of boreholes, ensuring safer and more reliable access to clean drinking water, and the installation of solar panels, bringing renewable energy to the villages.
• Micato Safaris is a key donor and supporter of Huru International, which provides support to Africa’s most vulnerable girls who do not have access to women’s health or reproductive education. In many impoverished communities, girls often miss school during their menstrual cycle, falling behind and frequently dropping out, which perpetuates cycles of poverty and gender inequality. Huru has distributed menstrual kits to nearly 400,000 girls across Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, enabling them to attend school without interruption. To date, 2,600,000 pads have been made and distributed.

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