Charging customers extra for sustainable projects results in more sales. That’s the experience of many Not Just Travel consultants who have found that adding £5 per person to a holiday booking to fund Mossy Earth rewilding projects improves customer engagement, satisfaction and ultimately boosts sales.
Steve Witt, Co-Founder of Not Just Travel says: “With COP26 and the effects of climate change bringing sustainability to the fore, corporations large and small are eager to promote their green credentials, with mixed efficacy. Yet, our travel consultants show that when done correctly, it can bring like-minded customers and businesses together, as well as being a powerful sales tool.”
Not Just Travel has become one of rewilding expert Mossy Earth’s biggest corporate partners. Its customers can opt-in to pay a minimum of £5 for each traveller over the age of two years. Some travel consultants are seeing some customers making even bigger contributions, with £100 contributions on a single booking is not unusual.
So far over £13,000 has been raised to fund various projects including:
- The conservation and reintroduction of termite mounds to slow desertification – West Africa – termite mounds hold vital moisture stores and more importantly they build tunnels. These allow moisture to permeate the ground easily and so vegetation flourishes, locking in life-giving water in arid areas.
- Protecting sea otters – California – sea otters are a keystone species, whose position in the food chain is crucial. By preying on sea urchins, who graze on kelp, they ensure the health of kelp forests and protect the many other species that thrive there. Along the California coast, marine recreation is growing and this is having significant behavioural and physiological negative consequences for the Southern Sea otter.
- Building British ponds – Shropshire – most ponds have been lost in the UK due to urbanisation and agriculture. They also provide critical drinking water for wildlife and can even help to prevent floods. Ponds lock in on average 149g of carbon per sq. metre, compared to fields and woodlands which lock in 2-5g of carbon per sq. m.
- Restoring seagrass meadows & kelp forests – Portugal – Seagrasses & kelp forests can take and lock in carbon at a rate that is approximately 30 times that of tree forests. They also improve water quality and provide crucial nursing grounds for fish and benefit dolphins and seahorses.
- Restoring the Caledonian forest in the Scottish Highlands – Historically, much of the Scottish Highlands were covered in a forest of majestic Scots pine and colourful broadleaf trees, home to a diversity of plants and animals. Today, the landscape is largely devoid of these woodlands. So far Not Just Travel has planted over 500 trees.
Travel consultant Annika Nickson says: “When I first heard about adding more money onto bookings, I was initially concerned that customers wouldn’t like it. However, people have told me it’s a fantastic initiative and another reason to book with me. The seagrass and kelp project can lock up to 30 times more carbon than planting trees and so it all makes so much sense. It takes two minutes to add onto a booking and makes a significant impact.”
Travel consultant Theresa Kelly: “Climate Heroes will totally transform our business and give us opportunities we hadn’t previously thought of. It demonstrates we care about our clients as well as the environment. It shows that travel can be procured differently these days. The fact that we’re now giving project updates from Mossy Earth makes customers feel good. One customer liked the scheme so much that she shared it with a sustainability group and so I have access to new potential customers who I get to promote my business to once a week.”
Travel consultant Julie MacDonald says: “Pretty much every customer has opted into the initiative. Like-minded people want to book with you. We’ll get more business through this scheme and chances are people will tell others and come back. It’s a true first and a leading initiative in the industry. It’s future-proofing my business as well as future-proofing the planet.”
