How we support Travel Counsellors to sell travel more responsibly

When you’ve spent years building a career in travel, the conversations you’re having with customers don’t stand still.

Increasingly, they’re not just asking where to go, but how their trip will impact the places they visit.

According to the World Travel & Tourism Council, around 70% of travellers are now actively seeking more sustainable travel options.

The shift is clear. The challenge is knowing how to respond to it in a way that feels informed, natural and relevant.

Turning complexity into clarity

Responsible travel can feel complex. There’s more to consider, more questions to answer, and not always a clear place to start.

At Travel Counsellors, that complexity is simplified.

Before making a recommendation, Travel Counsellors are supported with the information needed to make more considered choices. That includes clear visibility of which hotels hold recognised sustainability certifications, helping them identify options that align with what customers are looking for.

Alongside this, there’s a growing community of Travel Counsellors who are actively interested in sustainability within their own businesses. Through shared insight, ideas and recommended products, they help make it easier to navigate what can otherwise feel like a complex area. Making better choices easier

Selling responsibly doesn’t require a complete shift in how you work. It starts with small, informed choices.

That might mean recommending a hotel that actively reduces its environmental impact, supports local employment, or works closely with the surrounding community. Or suggesting experiences that are designed to protect wildlife rather than exploit it — such as guided excursions led by local experts who prioritise conservation and education.

To support this, simple, practical tools are built into the model — including the Green Leaf system, which highlights hotels and experiences that meet recognised sustainability standards.

Rather than adding complexity, it provides a clear way to identify better options quickly and naturally.

Support that fits into everyday conversations

Responsible travel doesn’t need to feel like a separate discussion.

Travel Counsellors are supported with training, guidance and access to trusted supplier partners, making it easier to introduce these considerations as part of a normal booking conversation. That might be as simple as explaining why one option is a better fit than another, or helping a customer understand how small decisions can shape the overall impact of their trip.

That support is ongoing. A recent series of webinars with an external responsible travel marketing expert gave Travel Counsellors practical ways to approach these conversations, while regular masterclasses — shaped by the community — continue to explore topics such as rail travel and expedition cruising.

It’s not about having all the answers immediately. It’s about having the right support behind you to guide customers in a way that feels informed and relevant. Over time, that becomes second nature — supported by a community that shares insight, experience and practical advice.

Building a business that reflects what matters

Responsible travel isn’t something that has to sit separately from the way you run your business. With the right support, it can become a more natural part of how you work over time.

Through the selection of products available, access to sustainability-focused training, and marketing support that helps communicate these choices clearly, Travel Counsellors are able to integrate responsible travel in a way that feels relevant to them and their customers. With the right structure in place, selling responsibly becomes a natural extension of how you already work.

It allows you to have more meaningful conversations, offer better recommendations, and build a business that reflects both customer expectations and your own values.

What’s possible with the right support

This isn’t something you have to build from scratch — it’s part of how Travel Counsellors supports you from the start.

That support comes from a combination of technology, community and a business model designed to help you succeed on your own terms.

If you’re considering what your next step in travel could look like, it’s worth understanding how that support shapes not just what you sell, but how you build your business over time. If you’re ready to explore it further, join us at one of our Discovery Days to hear more about how Travel Counsellors can support you in building your own travel business.

Because the way people travel is changing — and the businesses that adapt with it are the ones that continue to grow.