Join us on our Sustainable Journey
Join us on our
Sustainable Journey
Answering customer demand, Charitable Travel has launched a tour operator that puts sustainable travel front and centre. To share with us what this means for your next holiday, we quizzed its CEO and founder, Melissa Tilling
This is a feature from Issue 20 of Charitable Traveller.
What is Sustainable Journeys?
We are a community-driven media company and tour operator seeking to offer incredible travel experiences for individuals, friends, couples, and families, while working hard to overcome the lack of clarity among most UK travellers about how to holiday more sustainably. Our goal is to curate and create itineraries for a growing array of destinations, researched by us. We want to increase the opportunity to travel, stay, and experience in ways that are environmentally, socially, and economically sustainable, maximising positive outcomes and minimising the negative effects of tourism. Our ethos is guided by the United Nations World Tourism Organization’s definition of sustainable tourism.
Where did the inspiration come from?
We are a new key part of Charitable Travel. As a social enterprise travel company our DNA has always been to drive community benefit from the holidays we offer customers. Since we launched in early 2020 our mission has been to promote #travelforgood and better the outcome of holidays sold, to the benefit of good causes – where our customers donate 5% of their holiday price to the charity of their choice. Through our magazine Charitable Traveller and the holidays we offer we have increased the range of sustainable travel available but, as a travel agent, we were hindered by the lack of tour operators focused on creating these holidays with a sustainable focus. We conducted a large consumer survey last year and found that 62% of those polled wanted to be more sustainable, but only 17% of the respondents said they knew where to find holidays made sustainably. The need and opportunity to make a sustainable difference is our inspiration.
How is Sustainable Journeys different to other tour operators?
We are not driven just by the places we offer as journeys; we are driven by the opportunity to create and offer fantastic holidays wherever they may be, where sustainability is ‘baked in’. For us sustainability is not an afterthought, it is central to our being and ethos. We are pragmatic and honest when we offer our journeys; if elements are not sustainable we will say that, and why. For example, there might be a tremendous social and economic sustainable tourism benefit for the people of a particular place but reaching that place might involve a diesel truck. We will share that dichotomy and let our customers make an informed decision. Our customer has the ultimate choice.
What are the benefits to consumers booking with Sustainable Journeys
We offer customers our expertise in both the destinations and the sustainability of the journeys we share. We give the assurance of careful curation, so that what we’re offering is conscious of being sustainable, and why. In addition to our ethos, any customer booking a package with us has the protection of the ATOL scheme, ensuring monies paid are safe and secure. We also operate a trust account, meaning money paid to us is out of our reach until all the partners have been paid, and offer ABTA protection for land and rail-inclusive packages too.
Is flying off-limits if customers book with Sustainable Journeys?
We hand-pick our local partners in the destinations we offer. Our criteria, aside from a high level of customer care, professionalism, and competitiveness, is unsurprisingly a great understanding and focus on sustainable tourism in the destination; we work with partners who are actually being sustainable, not just saying they are. The proof is in the journeys we create.
We offer customers our expertise in both the destinations and the sustainability of the journeys we share, and we offer the assurance of careful consideration
Who are you working with to fulfil Sustainable Journeys’ holidays?
We hand-pick our local partners in the destinations we offer. Our criteria, aside from a high level of customer care, professionalism, and competitiveness, is unsurprisingly a great understanding and focus on sustainable tourism in the destination; we work with partners who are actually being sustainable, not just saying they are. The proof is in the journeys we create.
If a customer has additional needs, what do you offer to accomodate them?
We like to think our journeys are perfect but respect that our customers may want to further tailor their holiday plans. This is absolutely fine and we will work with our customers and local partners, within the bounds of our sustainable tourism ethos, to create the right itinerary. If our customer has any needs in terms of vulnerability, accessibility, or specific requirements we will sensitively plan accordingly. Sustainable tourism is centred on making travel right for both the visitor and the people of the destination, and this is core to our focus.
As a new business what challenges are you facing?
Our biggest challenge is creating customer awareness of what we are doing. Only 17% of UK consumers in the survey I mentioned earlier knew where to find a sustainable holiday. Our goal is to close the gap between the desire to be sustainable and the action taken to actually book travel in a sustainable way. The easier we can make being sustainable the more people will take those incremental steps on the journey to a day when all holidays will be made the way we make them.
Lastly, where's on your wishlist for 2024?
We want to add at least ten more places to our growing list of journeys to provide even more ways to holiday sustainably. So far we have The Baltics, West Sweden, Finland, Switzerland, Spain, New York State with more in the pipeline. The more we add the more impactful we will become.
The Baltics By Electric Car
Giving a taster of what a Sustainable Journey can be, here’s an itinerary for a 12-day adventure through Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania.
The Baltic region, comprising Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, offers a rich tapestry of culture, nature, history, and unique experiences for travellers seeking a distinctive European adventure, the Baltics have something to offer everyone and truly is a unique and captivating destination with several compelling reasons to visit.
On this Journey, we will bring you the sights and sounds of the pristine landscapes, the beautiful Baltic Sea coastline and wonderful medieval Old Towns. Get ready to explore the region’s influences from various empires, such as the Hanseatic League, Teutonic Knights, and the Soviet Union, making it a fascinating melting pot of cultures and traditions.
Embark on this 12-day Sustainable Journey through the Baltics to discover lesser-known destinations and support local communities along the way. Begin in Vilnius, Lithuania (pictured above), with an electric car rental, discovering the city’s rich history and architecture. Travel through Aukstaitija National Park, visiting Kernavė, Dubingiai, Labanoras, and Palūšė, staying in locally-owned accommodations. Explore Gauja National Park in Latvia, with stops in Cēsis and Valmiera. Cross the border into Estonia, discovering the Setooma Ethnic Region, Tartu, and the Onion Route. Experience Lahemaa National Park before concluding the journey in Tallinn. This sustainable tour includes eco-friendly accommodations, locally-sourced food, and promotes responsible tourism practices.
What's Included?
- 11 nights in three- to four-star accommodation with breakfast in small locally owned hotels and guesthouses
- Ethnocosmology museum visit and guided tour
- Ancient beekeeping museum visit and honey tasting
- Riga farmers market visit and food tasting
- Brewery tour and tasting in Valmiera
- In Setomaa cultural education about Seto national costume
- Onion farm visit
- Electric car rental
- National Park fees
- Car rental one-way fee (pick up in Vilnius, drop off in Tallinn)
Read the full itinerary, discover its sustainable credentials, and book this trip on sustainablejourneys.co.uk
This is a feature from Issue 20 of Charitable Traveller.
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