The key barriers to adopting sustainable travel practices
Should we be worried about technology taking over our travel experience?
As experts in corporate travel, we’re aware that businesses are up against some big challenges when it comes to adopting sustainable travel and commuting practices.
This is supported by a recent government-backed study from Thinks Insights & Strategy, which sought to uncover the biggest barriers to sustainable travel practices in a corporate setting.
Interestingly, cost and time were identified as the biggest barriers, largely because of the current economic climate.
Businesses in the survey emphasised that the projected expenses and time it would take to roll out sustainable initiatives hinder their ability to do so. Some of the other challenges businesses are up against include:
Awareness of sustainable travel and commuting initiatives
Understanding the benefits of these initiatives
Administrative and logistical concerns
Employee buy-in and engagement
Organisational culture
Geographical/infrastructural constraints
How are businesses attempting to tackle these challenges?
Some businesses have already introduced commuting and domestic business travel initiatives and are still trying to do more.
Among those who have taken steps towards sustainability, many have been encouraging employees to host virtual meetings to save time and money on travel, as well as being more sustainable.
This is something that happened more naturally after the pandemic when people were unable to meet in person. However, this is not the ideal solution for other corporate needs, such as incentive trips, ceremonies or other events that can’t take place online.
Similarly, other businesses have introduced gamification and incentive schemes for employees who make smart travel decisions. Others select greener hotels and choose the most environmentally friendly routes, such as selecting direct flights wherever possible.
The benefits of sustainable travel
The reason that more and more businesses are trying to introduce sustainable initiatives despite the time and cost, is because they are recognising the benefits.
The study revealed that companies that implement sustainable policies have experienced a range of benefits, including enhanced corporate reputation, improved employee recruitment and retention, and, of course, a positive environmental impact.
This underscores the importance of framing sustainable travel as an important long-term investment for business success.
What does this have to do with Meon Travel?
At Meon Travel, this topic is close to our hearts as it is our mission to deliver cost-effective and environmentally conscious travel solutions to all our clients.
We want to enable professionals to travel for work, no matter the occasion.
But we also want to create a more climate-positive future for all, which is why we partner with Trees4Travel. We offer a simple and effective solution whereby the emissions relating to any travel we book can be captured, reported and then compensated through reforestation projects.
We are fully committed to mitigating our environmental impact (and the travel industry as a whole), and we have been carbon neutral since Christmas 2022. Now, we’re committed to becoming net zero by 2030 by following the GHG Protocol Corporate Accounting and Reporting Standard.
So, if you want to enhance your commitment to sustainable travel, speak to Meon; let’s work together to turn barriers into opportunities and shape a more sustainable future for corporate travel.
