TUI wins green award

TUI UK and Ireland’s commitment to sustainable tourism was recognised at the World Responsible Tourism Awards today as it received the gold award for in the Best for Communicating Responsible Tourism category.

The accolade acknowledges a communications campaign devised and delivered by TUI UK and Ireland’s sustainability team to raise consumer awareness and promote better understanding and advocacy for responsible tourism issues.

The ‘Better Holidays, Better World’ campaign ran across all TUI UK-owned marketing channels over the last year, reaching 4.5 million holidaymakers, and created a frame-work for on-going communications, which is now also being used in TUI’s other main European markets.

TUI group director of sustainable development Jane Ashton said: "We are delighted to receive this prestigious award. We take promoting responsible tourism very seriously and~believe that while we’re helping customers have their perfect holiday, we can also help build a more sustainable future for everyone by engaging customers on such an important topic."

As well as touching customers directly via a broad spectrum of media channels from blogs to social media and in-flight magazines, the campaign also sought to engage TUI staff and create enhanced appreciation and support across the business.

E-learning modules were created, ‘lunch and learn’ sessions held, and a system for regular company-wide updates established. In addition, marketing guidelines were developed to ensure all marketing and customer experience teams executed clear plans for their channels, aided by the sustainability team.

"Customers expect the companies they book their holidays with to demonstrate responsibility towards the destinations they operate in," said Ashton.

"Our recent customer research shows that 67% of holidaymakers like to buy from companies which make positive change in the world, and that figure’s only set to increase.

"They also want companies to show them exactly what they are doing to support such change. This Better World, Better Holidays’ campaign did just that – showcasing how we use tourism as a force for good, whilst promoting the overall importance of responsible travel.

"It also enabled us to harness support internally and create a way of communicating for the long term. Our work in sustainability is now an integrated part of our marketing strategy. Responsible tourism is no longer ‘niche’ and the way we communicate about it should also be part of the mainstream."

The judges were impressed by TUI’s focused approach and commitment to integrate responsible tourism into the core marketing strategy.

They said: "TUI UK & Ireland have given the same marketing weight to TUI’s ‘Better holidays, better world’ as their other five key messages.

"They have embedded better business’ storytelling and experiences into the core brand and by doing so, have put responsible tourism at the heart of their offer."

TUI launched its’ Better World, Better Holidays strategy in 2015 outlining ambitions and commitments in sustainability.

The business claims to have delivered more than 20 million ‘greener and fairer’ holidays in the past three years, accomplished a 5.5% reduction in CO2 emissions per passenger night in cruise operations, and TUI UK Airlines is now the world’s most carbon efficient airline, according to independent data2.

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