Neil Rodgers, Managing Director of Adventure World, recently spoke at a trade and media event about the growing concept of brands that are ‘green-hushing’ their sustainability efforts. Karryon’s Karina Holden asked Neil to share more with our readers on this important subject.
What exactly is the phenomenon of ‘green-hushing’ in the tourism space?
Green-hushing refers to the phenomenon where businesses deliberately downplay or keep quiet about their sustainability efforts, even if they’re doing good things. It’s like the opposite of green-washing, where companies exaggerate their green credentials.
Why do you think the problem exists and how widespread do you believe it to be?
There is a genuine fear of green-washing accusations. Businesses worry that even genuine attempts at sustainability could be seen as green-washing if not communicated perfectly. This fear can lead them to silence altogether. Alternatively, some businesses might prioritise highlighting other features like price, location, or amenities, believing that sustainability isn’t a key decision factor for their customers.
Some businesses might be taking small steps towards sustainability but not be ready to shout about them until they’ve achieved more. Adventure World, a division of The Travel Corporation [TTC] and our philanthropic non-profit Tread Right Foundation is a classic case in point. For the first decade of the Foundation’s existence [2008-2018] there was no promotion of the incredible work and charitable projects TreadRight was supporting. It was very important to the TTC Tollman family that the foundation had credibility with an undisputed proven background of achievements before any communications commenced.
What are the implications then on tourism and travel when companies, genuinely doing good, get caught up in green-hushing and stay silent on their efforts?
The consequences of green-hushing can be negative for both businesses and the environment. The most obvious being that consumers who value sustainability won’t know about the business’s efforts and might choose competitors who openly communicate their green practices. Additionally, if businesses don’t share their successes and challenges, it hinders the overall progress of the tourism industry towards sustainable practices.
What is Adventure World’s approach when it comes to sharing their initiatives and activities in this space?
Our philosophy at Adventure World is one of “Teach don’t Preach”. We inherently believe that people want to do the right thing when travelling, they simply may not be aware that a particular product or experience could cause a negative impact.
We take a considered approach when integrating our sustainability narrative, associated projects, and supported causes. Our primary focus is to showcase the incredible and unique experiences of our trips and not to overwhelm the traveller on the topic of sustainability. All our supported initiatives across the pillars of People, Planet and Wildlife have the most inspiring backgrounds and stories of achievement providing a rich storytelling that can be interwoven in our communications. We believe this less authoritative approach allows us to connect with more people on a deeper level.
What are the responsible and sustainable tourism initiatives that Adventure World is focused on for 2024 that you personally feel very strongly about?
Our ‘Travel with Purpose’ product charter, adherence to The TreadRight Foundations ‘How we Tread Right’ 5-year sustainability strategy, endorsement from World Animal Protection [WAP] on our Wildlife Policy, and published Impact Reports, gives credibility to how we operate as a business.
Our focus for 2024 is to better showcase our ‘Travel with Purpose’ ethos, create a series of platforms to fully display our diverse array of unique ethical travel experiences, and to empower our agents with the knowledge to be ‘Champions of Change’.
We recently launched a new website with an enhanced user experience and detailed product information.
On International Women’s Day we were the lead partner at the ‘Force for Good’ industry events in both Sydney and Auckland.
March also saw us commence our ‘Natural World Showcase’ of nationwide events joined by our partners the Animals Asia Foundation, World Animal Protection, and Lindblad Expeditions – National Geographic for a series of informative and educational panel discussions.
As customers are looking at their travel options, what advice would you give travel advisors to help guide or inform them to make the most informed choices?
A good place to start would be to understanding your customer and the importance they place on travelling sustainably. Include a question about sustainable travel during your initial client consultation, for example, “How much do you care about knowing your travel experience is going to be leaving the place you’re visiting better than when you found it.”
This will help in determining your client’s aptitude towards environmental topics and empower you to choose an operator that aligns with their values.
I would recommend that advisors set aside research time to become familiar with travel brands championing sustainability practices throughout their business.
And what about customers who have given no consideration to responsible travel choices… what simple advice or guidance can an agent give?
In this situation it comes down to the personal ethics of the travel advisor. For example, if a client asked to include an elephant back ride at Amber Fort, Rajasthan, India, would the agent advise against or process the booking regardless?
Professional travel advisors are a brand in themselves – their vast knowledge and experience gives them a position of authority when recommending travel options.
I would like to think that they each share our commitment to ‘Travel with Purpose’ and if the incorporation of sustainable travel became standard practice during the consultation process, it could create a groundswell of positive change.
For more information, visit adventureworld.com
