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Tour Operator’s Top 10:
Integrating Greenhouse Gas Offsets into Your Daily Operations
1. Energy Audit / Calculate your Emissions
Typically, the starting point for becoming carbon neutral is to undertake an energy audit and determine your businesses’ carbon footprint – the annual amount of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions generated from your business and tour operations. The most accurate way of collecting this data is by documenting and calculating your overall emissions using a nationally or internationally accepted GHG calculator or protocol. Though calculators exist that provide a simple means of measuring your emission levels, the process can be complicated. For example, Climate Neutral Network's GHG Accounting Worksheet covers many different aspects of a business, so you may not need to fill out every category. Other calculators – like Sustainable Travel International’s (STI) carbon calculator – are much more user friendly but none of the calculators that are currently available on-line, including STI’s, are designed specifically to assess tour operator’s carbon footprints.
Alternatively, you can hire an independent auditor or consultant to perform the energy audit for your business, which could cost thousands of dollars. If taking this approach isn't feasible, the best option is to work with a non-profit organization like STI that offers GHG offset programs as well as emission calculations and energy audits. Though rough estimates cost little to nothing, STI typically charges less than $1000 for small to medium-sized companies who cater to 1000-5000 passengers per year. In some cases, these fees can be classified as charitable donations since they're in line with STI's mandate to educate the travel and tourism industry about sustainability. Pricing, however, varies according to the complexity of your business e.g., on the number of different tours and types of vehicles utilized in company operations.
As an incentive to help you manage associated expenses, STI will calculate your businesses emissions and undertaken a comprehensive energy audit for as little as $300 for companies that become Premium Partner members of STI, resulting in a savings of $200 for small to medium-sized companies. By taking this approach, your company will also receive numerous attractive membership benefits, including being listed in STI's popular Eco-Directory, receiving a link from our "Sponsors" page directly to your website, and much more.
2. Choose Investment Level and Offset Options
After calculating your total GHG emissions, you should then review your investment options for becoming carbon neutral and determine the extent to which you want to offset your total emissions. For example, do you simply wish to offset your office related energy consumption, or do you want to take a holistic approach and also offset all the emissions associated with your business (i.e., the waste generated by your company, staff and client hotel stays, staff and client air and land travel, and supplier-related emissions)?
Your decision should be made within the context of your overall emissions impact, offset options, and associated costs. The highest level of commitment includes a complete offset paid for by the tour operator for its emissions from all business related activity, and providing clients with an opportunity to voluntarily offset their own air travel-related emissions. Other options include incorporating the cost of the offset into your tour packages, offering a matching program or partial offsets then donating up to 50% of the total offset to attract new clients, and encouraging clients to offset their own air travel, personal auto travel, and even home-related emissions through the integration of a custom GHG emissions calculator into your website.
Most businesses support the investment in GHG emissions through their marketing or corporate responsibility budget or through philanthropic funds.
3. Customized GHG Calculators for Your Website
For businesses who wish to offer their clients with an option to voluntarily offset their emissions, STI can create and help you integrate a customized GHG calculator onto your website.
- Option 1 (Complimentary). Link to STI’s
carbon calculator.
- Option 2 (US$99). This co-branded calculator features your logo
and has the same content as STI’s calculator. Since it would be
hosted on the STI website, customer transactions would go through
the STI website, and STI would track the total amount of carbon
offset.
- Option 3 (US$299). Identical to Option 2 except STI works with
your web designers to customize each calculator web page to look
like your website. You can also choose between our all-inclusive
calculator option (flights, driving, home electricity, etc.), or a
flight only calculator option.
- Option 4 (US$999). Hosted on STI’s website or on your website, this calculator computes the carbon emissions associated with each of your individual services and includes the features detailed in Options 2 and 3. This option requires is fully customized and is based on STI auditing your business-related carbon emissions.
4. Website Home Page
Actively educating your clients about the importance of taking steps to address their impacts on global climate change is paramount to the success of your offsets program. This is why we suggest that you promote the program and your commitment to address global warming in prominent locations like your website home page, as well as through your marketing and media outlets.
5. Trip Itineraries
We strongly suggest that you list the GHG emissions associated with each tour in its respective detailed itinerary and in related pre-departure materials (see below). You should also include some educational information on what offsets are and why your clients should care about supporting your offset initiative. This information and related website content is available from STI.
If your itineraries are on-line and you're providing your clients with opportunities to voluntarily offset their own emissions, be sure to provide links to your GHG calculator page. This will make it easier for them to support your program. STI can provide examples and implementation support.
6. Catalog Content and Inserts
Catalog content and inserts devoted to your efforts to address global warming will help differentiate your company from competitors. Your approach could be purely educational in nature, or you could integrate options for purchasing offsets into your catalog. STI can provide examples and implementation support.
7. Sales - Reservation Process
In order to create a successful offset program, it must be integrated it into your sales and booking process and systems. Integrate the option to add-on an offset into sales processes and related systems. Also, develop educational materials and train your staff about offsetting and how to pitch the opportunity to clients.
If you've covered the cost of the offset in the tour price (typically $1-$5 per guest per day), consider including it in the client’s invoice as a voluntary add-in, or better yet mention the "value add" during the sales process: "Your tour is 'global warming impact' neutral. We've offset associated GHG emissions."
8. On-line Booking Function
If you're offering a voluntary offset program, integrate a simple check box with automated calculations into your on-line booking systems. Offer clients opportunities to offset different percentages of their GHG impacts (i.e., 100%, 50%, etc.). The easier it is for your clients to support your offset program, the more successful it will be.
9. Pre and Post-trip Materials
As we all know, communications with clients don't end when we hang up the phone. Correspondence related to offsetting is the same. Some tour operators choose to place a higher emphasis on offsetting into pre- and even post-trip client correspondence versus pushing the opportunity during the sales process. STI can provide examples and implementation support.
10. Marketing and Public Relations
Getting the word out and promoting your efforts can help differentiate your business, broaden your marketing reach and increase customer loyalty. Targeted advertising and press releases as well as client outreach efforts such as e-Newsletters can all play a vital role. STI can help with specific suggestions, and we will promote any carbon neutral tour operators through our global marketing and media outlets.
Credibility and Transparency
STI is regarded for its due diligence in offering the 'best of the best' offset projects. Our projects are in operation and are inspected, verified and certified by independent third parties. All of our domestic Green Tag projects are certified by Green-e. And, our international carbon offset projects are developed in accordance with the CDM Gold Standard of the Kyoto protocol. Best of all, we guarantee that a minimum of 85% of your investment goes directly to our projects with the balance covering our overhead.
For More Information
STI provides educational service package designed to help tour operators and other travel-related businesses integrate any combination of these recommendations into your business operations. Please contact us for more information.
Sustainable Travel International
Address: 2060 Floral Drive • Boulder, CO, 80304
Phone: 303-448-0967
Web: www.sustainabletravel.com
Email:
Leave the World a Better Place™