EasyJet holidays is bidding to make sustainable trips mainstream by outlining a commitment to the environment via its first impact report.
The ‘Making Sustainable Holidays Mainstream’ document highlights three key elements of its ‘holiday better’ environmental, social and governance (ESG) strategy with an aim to make more sustainable travel affordable and accessible.
The budget airline’s in-house tour operator has set out the core goals of creating better holiday choices, keeping holidays special and transforming travel for everyone.
Examples include introducing electric vehicles transfers in Rhodes which have handled more than 5,200 passengers over 152,000km, saving the equivalent of 27 tonnes of CO2.
The company has also joined forces with the Global Sustainable Tourism Council to offer a dedicated sustainable tourism course for hotels in Spain, Greece and Turkey.
More than 300 have signed up for sustainability training and more than a third (37%) of the operator’s best-selling properties are have been certified.
Food waste reduction AI technology in Costa Adeje has led to an estimated saving of €100,000 in one year.
The operator is also attempting to offer holidaymakers experiences away urban tourist hotspots, while providing a range of socio-economic benefits to local economies including employment in destinations.
The company said: “By embedding sustainability into business decision and behaviours, easyJet holidays is looking to drive meaningful change within the industry, prioritising working towards solutions to the biggest issues and asking better of themselves and partners in the supply chain.”
Key partnerships have been forged with Abta, UN Tourism and a not-for-profit responsible tourism training body.
EasyJet holidays chief operating officer Matt Callaghan said: “Our first Impact Report marks a significant milestone for us on our journey to support our customers to Holiday Better, and whilst we’re proud of what we’ve achieved so far, in collaboration with our partners, it’s clear that now is the time to deliver progress in order to meet both short and long term targets, and that’s why we believe in the need for pace over perfection.
“We’re focusing on solutions and partnerships to make our holidays more sustainable, and we’re using rapid implementation to trial projects and share our results with the industry”
