As the CEO of Insight Vacations and Luxury Gold I am so pleased to announce that we have created the position of Sustainability Officer. This is a big step for us and goes to solidify our commitment to our HWTR strategy implementation over the coming years. I am so proud of the work that has already been done. Travel can and should be a force for good and as such we are formalising the role of Sustainability Officer to spearhead our efforts.

Valerie Furphy – Sustainability Officer Insight Vacations and Luxury Gold 

I started out my career as a nurse because fundamentally I am a carer. Through my work post-Masters in Public Policy with development agencies, it became clear that to raise populations out of poverty and develop in-country capacity sustainably, one had to think more broadly than focusing solely on humans.

This questioning sparked a passion for sustainability in me and it is one that I try and live by daily. I am delighted to be the Sustainability Officer for Insight Vacations and Luxury Gold because I am 100% supported in implementing our How We Tread Right Strategy (HWTR) by our CEO Ulla Hefel Böhler. I remember some years ago, I suggested that we swap the materials we use for our on-trip collateral to recycled materials, and where that wasn’t yet possible we offset the carbon used in production. Not only did Ulla say yes, but she didn’t need much convincing!

At Insight Vacations and Luxury Gold we understand that the Travel and Tourism sector is a powerhouse of global economy and a crucial part of community development and success. We are deeply committed to advancing the United Nations SDGs through our MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experiences because we believe travel can – and must – be a force for good. We have been in business over 100 years and it is our mission to continue that legacy. The only way we can continue to take guests on vacations that delight and inspire is to protect the people, places, and wildlife we visit.

Two years ago, we were the first brands at The Travel Corporation (TTC) to launch a ‘Global Volunteering Day’, a day when as many of our global team as possible come together to give back to the communities where we live and travel. On our inaugural Global Volunteering Day, we logged over 1,000 volunteer hours, supported grassroots organisations and connected with each other and our communities. It was a resounding success that we were ready to surpass in 2020, but unfortunately the Covid 19 pandemic had other plans for us. That said, I think the ongoing constraints of the pandemic highlight that our journey is a marathon and not a sprint. This year we’ve adapted our efforts and have logged many hours of volunteering under challenging circumstances in support of our HWTR Goal #10, to complete 30,000 volunteer hours by 2025 across all TTC brands.

Our commitment to our HWTR strategy is profound and its implementation will take dedication, perseverance, and innovation. Our culture of continuous improvement is the ideal environment in which to grow. I’m excited for what is ahead!

By Céline Cousteau

World Ocean’s Day is celebrated on 8 June 2021. Our oceans are integral to life on earth, and this is a time to acknowledge that and advocate for our waters. As the ‘Planet’ Ambassador for the TreadRight Foundation, the non-profit organization founded by the Travel Corporation (TTC), the ocean is not just a critical resource to me, but a crucial source of hope for our future.

The ocean is home to some of the world’s most incredible species, which provides endless fascination to me as an environmentalist and as a mother, whose little boy is in awe of it. As an explorer, I find inspiration and adventure in its depths. Now, we’re discovering that it could be key in taking action against climate change.

Protect our Waters for the Future

It’s true that our oceans are under threat. However, rather than scaring readers with doom and gloom scenarios, I prefer to instil hope. Our oceans have the potential to undo some of the dreadful damage that we have inflicted on the environment over the past 100 years or more.

Humanity’s wellbeing fully relies on the welfare of our planet. Although the challenges we collectively face can seem endless, the potential solutions are also mounting. The answers may lie in our waters, if we protect them.

Prevention is paramount for protection of our oceans. We need to prevent eight million pieces of plastic ending up in our waters every single day. Ocean restoration can provide a natural means to decrease our huge carbon footprint and empower climate action.

According to the “Let Nature Help” report by the Wildlife Trust, climate solution could provide more than a third of the CO2 mitigation required until 2030. Our oceans can absorb 20-35% of human-made CO2 emissions every year, which is a huge help in terms of combating climate change. Recently, this has been recognized by the USA and Canada, who have committed to nature-based solutions to fight climate change. The UK have introduced measures to restore nature on the path to carbon removal.

Helping Nature Lead the Way

Each of us can be significant in bringing about a solution. We have big, bold ideas of how nature can heal supported by scientific research. Over the past decade with the TreadRight Foundation, my role has been to highlight the sustainable travel initiatives worldwide that happen with the Travel Corporation’s support.

Luxury Gold recognizes that climate change needs urgent attention. This is why the company is implementing the Travel Corporation’s Climate Action Plan. This five-point plan includes measurable goals as part of a commitment to reach net-zero emissions by 2030.

As part of fulfilling these commitments, TreadRight has partnered with two marine based carbon removal solutions. The first is GreenWave, a regenerative ocean farming organization and the other is Project Vesta, who are exploring the natural capacity of the ocean as a carbon sink.

Natural Solutions

GreenWave are TreadRight’s first carbon removal partner, and members of its organization study how kelp can be added to soil, increasing its carbon storage potential while decreasing harmful nitrous oxide emissions on regenerative land farms. Research has discovered that kelp minimizes the need for fertilizer and also reduces nitrous oxide emissions from the soil. Nitrous oxide emissions are 300 times more potent than carbon dioxide emissions so if GreenWave’s pilot project proves that kelp is effective, this will have a tremendous effect on the fight for climate change. It will also provide the opportunity for regenerative ocean and land farms to work together for the good of our planet.

Bren cranking up the kelp line.

Project Vesta’s plan is to utilize the natural power of the ocean and remove a trillion tonnes of excess carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. On pilot beaches in the Caribbean, they have taken a naturally occurring rock, olivine, crushed it and redistributed it to coastal areas where it can be naturally weathered by the waves. As it breaks down, carbon dioxide is removed from the air, eventually ending up as limestone on the ocean floor. This both reduces the carbon in the air and the level of acidity in the ocean. Recent research proves that the chemistry works and as olivine can be found in abundance, it suggests that we have highly affordable, scalable solution for our seas.

Olivine Weathering Reaction

Olivine has the potential to capture one gigaton (GT) of carbon dioxide per year if placed on just 0.25% of global shelf seas, which is roughly equal to the amount of carbon that 16 billion trees growing for ten years could remove from the air. Project Vesta currently has pilot beaches in the Caribbean and is studying a natural olivine sand beach in Hawaii. Project Vesta aims to establish the validity of the process, while ensuring that it is ecologically sound before it can be replicated worldwide.

MAKE TRAVEL MATTER®

These projects are harnessing the remarkable power of the ocean to benefit humanity and the future of our planet. It’s incredible that nature is providing us the solutions to a problem we have created.

I would ask that the next time you see the ocean, consider the great hope it represents to our climate and future. I invite you to join me and Luxury Gold in taking the pledge to MAKE TRAVEL MATTER®. Wherever you go, travel with purpose.

Travel is a wonderful gift that people have enjoyed for hundreds of years, but with all the adventure and education it brings, there is also a responsibility to the people and places we visit. The events over the past 18 months have given us a chance to take a breath and reassess. Sustainability has been moving to the forefront over the past few years, but now taking care of the planet matters more than ever.

The Travel Corporation, parent company to Luxury Gold, have sought to MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® since the company began. While other luxury travel companies may only be discovering sustainability, it has always been part of our ethos. Luxury Gold actively seeks to give back, which is why we helped found the TreadRight Foundation .

The TreadRight Foundation was created 12 years ago as a joint initiative between The Travel Corporation’s (TTC) family of brands. It supports sustainable travel organizations and initiatives across the world so that we can MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® for our planet, people and wildlife. TreadRight also partners with projects in the places that TTC brands visit so our guests can engage on a deeper level with the destination, while knowing their travel money is being invested wisely.

Among the TTC brands, we have developed a five-step Climate Action Plan to achieve carbon neutrality by 2030, or sooner.

We include MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experiences on our journeys, which are conscious travel experiences that have a positive environmental or social impact on the communities we visit. Through our five-year sustainability strategy, How We Tread Right, we are committed to integrating at least one Make Travel Matter® Experience on 50% of our trips by 2025. This helps guests seeking a more sustainable luxury guided tour to discover carefully chosen conscious experiences that enrich their vacation.

Cities Going Carbon Neutral

Fortunately, governments around the world have woken up to the idea of carbon neutral and some are pursuing inspiring climate action plans.

If you’re considering more sustainable travel, Luxury Gold can help. These top 5 sustainable cities feature on our itineraries, so choose your favorite or perhaps add them all to your travel bucket list?

Stockholm Sweden

Guests traveling on the luxury tour Timeless Scandinavia spend two nights in one of Europe’s most environmentally friendly cities, Stockholm. Not only does it have the harbour front, idyllic islands and a well-preserved old town, but it is a role model for other cities around the world in terms of its sustainable vision.

Stockholm’s history of sustainability stretches further back than many other global conurbations. In the 1960s it launched legislation around protecting the environment. Building on that, in the late 1990s, plans for new urban sustainable districts came to the fore. The most famous of is Hammarby Sjöstad; a delightful regeneration of a former industrial area, now blooming with life.

Eco-conscious guests can appreciate Stockholm as a green travel destination when they see the many attractive outdoor spaces in the city. Parks such as Djurgarden, where you can picnic and watch the boats go by, or Tantolunden, with its array of plants and trees, are perfect to take some time out.  Plenty of the lakes in Stockholm are clean enough to swim in, so guests can refresh with a dip.

The public transport in Stockholm is second to none, with boats connecting the islands and the t-bana metro system connecting the whole city. The city has a pro-cycling approach with a huge number of cycle lanes and measures to protect cyclists. It’s very easy to rent a bike to explore.

For those interested in sustainable dining, Stockholm has a surprising number of eco-eateries. Visitors can discover the freshest local produce and enjoy fine dining with the lowest carbon footprint.

Montreal, Canada

Surrounded by snow-capped mountains and glorious open spaces, it’s no wonder Montreal wants to protect the environment. Travelers on Luxury Gold’s Vibrant Quebec and New England tour can experience the extraordinary beauty of this first hand.

The city was one of the first in North America to ban the use of plastic bags, so if you plan on bringing home some of the incredible produce from the area, be sure to pack a tote bag. Green energy is also high on the agenda, with 97% of electricity supplied from renewable sources.

Greenery is evident here – even the convention center, Palais des congres de Montréal has a verdant rooftop garden. The New Montreal Park is the largest urban park in Canada and is part of the city’s climate action plan. At eight times the size of New York’s Central Park, it has plenty to keep visitors occupied for a whole day out and the protected wetlands are home to many animals and birds.

Restaurants across Montreal offer sustainably sourced options with most dishes created with food grown or caught in the surrounding region. Visitors can also try the highly palatable organic and biodynamic wines at fine dining restaurants.

Montreal is also a great place to tour by bike. It has an inexpensive bike rental program, plenty of cycling lanes and many convenient pick up and drop off points. Just be sure to bring a helmet.

Cape Town, South Africa

Cape Town was acknowledged for its sustainable development program as far back as 2004. It began purchasing from a wind farm in 2008, planning ahead to ensure that at least 10% of the city’s energy comes from renewable sources.  This stunning destination is seventh on the list of the world’s most sustainable cities, which is a remarkable feat for a city that is home to 6.5 million residents.

The city is a global leader in green building with a variety of projects that redefine the relationship between industry and resources. The vibrant V&A Waterfront district is a great example of this – a mixed use sustainable development that makes use of innovative design to minimize demand on water and energy. Many of the buildings have installed solar panels, to take advantage of the frequent hours of sunshine the city receives each year.

Cycling has become more widespread with the introduction of safe-cycle routes and the bus service allows passengers to bring a bike on for free. Much focus has been placed on embracing the outdoor lifestyle, and with the magnificent sights around the city, there’s few places in the world more beautiful to spend time outside.

Join the Spectacular South Africa tour with Luxury Gold and you’ll spend five days basking in the wonders of this modern city. Your accommodation in Cape Town is the 12 Apostles Hotel & Spa, which is also committed to sustainability, having reduced water waste by 42% and on track to remove all single use plastics by 2022.

Sydney, Australia

Long before other countries adopted climate action plans, Australia was making sustainable choices, opting to go plastic free first. In a country surrounded by water, with a vast desert at its center, it makes sense that many Australians wish to protect the abundant resources they’ve been given.

Sydney has made history by becoming the first city on the planet to be wholly powered by renewable energy. This vision was laid out in 2008, and achieved last year with the aid of the wind and solar farms that surround the city. Sydney aims to further bolster its sustainability by reducing CO2 emissions by 70% in 2030. It went carbon neutral in 2007.

It’s easy to go eco in Sydney. It’s a very walkable city with great temperatures practically all year round and a reasonably mild winter. The beaches are one of the main reasons people visit and with well over 100 to choose from, you can easily find your own little slice of paradise for the day.

If you’re feeling adventurous, south Sydney is great for mountain biking and bushwalking with Heathcote National Park being very accessible from the city. Berowra Valley National Park, just north of Sydney, is lovely for boating and has great vantage points for capturing wonderful holiday photos.

Eco-conscious guests can truly experience green luxury travel on the Inspiring Australia tour, which arrives in Sydney on Day Eight, with further time to explore on Days 11 and 12. There is also a day trip to the protected Blue Mountains, known for their dramatic beauty.

Copenhagen, Denmark

If you’re looking for one of the most eco-friendly cities in Europe, then Copenhagen is top of the list. The city has been described as a “transport pioneer” by the European Commission, which is partly thanks to its double cycle lanes and green transport initiatives. Its green credentials have made it one of the most cutting-edge places to visit.

Copenhagen is on a quest to go carbon neutral by 2025 and it has created some innovative initiatives to do so. One of these is Copenhill, a facility that turns waste into energy to power homes and businesses and is also one of the longest outdoor ski slopes in the world.

Although cycling is widespread, should you wish to hop on a bus, it’s easy to find an electric one, as they are all in the process of changing from diesel. If you’d prefer, you can get a solar-powered boat to explore the canals. Even recycling is essential here – you’ll find vending machines to return your can or cup dotted around the city.

Copenhagen is a haven for foodies. It is home to Geranium, the only totally organic restaurant in the world that has garnered three Michelin stars, but even on street corners, visitors will be shocked at the quality and variety of home-grown and sustainable produce. Wander around the Reffen street food market and you’ll see that all the packaging is compostable and food sourced from farms nearby.

If you’d like to spend some time in eco-friendly Copenhagen, join Luxury Gold on the Timeless Scandinavia tour. Your journey begins in the city where you will spend two nights, with leisure time to let you discover its picturesque waterways and eco-conscious vibe.

Take the Pledge to MAKE TRAVEL MATTER®

At Luxury Gold, sustainability is at the heart of everything we do. That’s why every member of our team does their best to MAKE TRAVEL MATTER®. We invite our guests to join us in more sustainable travel and sign the Make Travel Matter pledge to protect the planet, people and wildlife.