TTC ditches branded merchandise giving in move to go green(er)

Edited by Travel Weekly

This week, The Travel Corporation’s Tour Brands (Luxury Gold, Insight Vacations, Trafalgar, Costsaver and Contiki), AAT Kings and Inspiring Journeys announced that they are bidding farewell to all branded merchandise they give away and instead repurposing global funds to projects that fight climate change on behalf of their guests, trade partners and internal team members.

With a four step Climate Action plan already in place, TTC Tour Brands, AAT Kings and Inspiring Journeys continue to put their mission to “MAKE TRAVEL MATTER” at the fore. After assessing the unnecessary carbon emissions emitted by the business, they discovered that by saying no to “more stuff” they could prevent the equivalent carbon emissions of 6.5 million car-driven miles from entering the atmosphere annually.

As a result, from today, the brands commit to no longer ordering branded merchandise for gifting, with more brands across The Travel Corporation to follow. In its place, TTC Tour Brands, AAT Kings and Inspiring Journeys will repurpose the funds traditionally allocated to branded merchandise and introduce donations to nature-based solutions projects that will remove a further 1.5 million car-driven miles worth of carbon emissions from the atmosphere by December 2024.

“No one needs “more stuff” yet everyone needs to take responsibility for the future of our planet. Our industry as a whole is no exception, and we believe the gift of travel should be preserved for generations to come”, TTC Tour Brands managing director, Toni Ambler, said.

“We continue to do what we can to make a positive impact in line with our How We Tread Right five-year sustainability strategy; and our commitment to NetZero by 2050. In Australia we have been trade conferences. Instead, we have been asking travel agents to provide their pledges for a more sustainable future for our planet while at our booths. This small step at these recent events has initiated important conversations with travel agents regarding protecting our planet through travel and we are committed to ensuring we engage our industry further with sustainability practises.”

The brands’ ‘no more stuff’ commitment, collectively works toward keeping global warming below 1.5°C by mid-century.

TTC Tour Brands, AAT Kings and Inspiring Journeys will donate to projects that are already supported by their not -for profit foundation TreadRight – Rainforest Rescue’s Daintree Project and GreenWave’s Kelp Climate Fund Project. Both nature-based solutions, these projects are initiatives that work for and with nature to address issues facing the environment, society and biodiversity.

Donations to Rainforest Rescue’s Daintree Project will protect and restore parts of Australia’s precious Daintree Rainforest (the world’s longest continually evolving rainforest). This will preserve biodiversity and remove carbon from the atmosphere through planting, maintenance and restoration programs executed in partnership with the traditional landowners, the Eastern Kuku Yalanji people.

In North America, donations to GreenWave’s Kelp Climate Fund Project will pay for the planting of kelp across regenerative ocean farms. Kelp provides a powerful and scalable carbon drawdown solution that both captures and stores carbon as well as supports economies and global food systems.

As a final step, all TTC Tour Brand and AAT Kings offices will rehome any leftover or outdated merchandise after Q1 in 2024 either to local charities who can best re-use the items or utilise for internal fundraisers where proceeds will provide further donation support to their nature-based solutions partners.

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