1. Start by measuring your carbon footprint
Avant de définir un plan d’action, encore faut-il savoir d’où viennent les émissions. Un bilan carbone permet de distinguer celles liées au fonctionnement de l’entreprise de celles générées par les voyages vendus à ses clients.
For Jean-Christophe Guérin, who started reflecting on the topic after the Covid crisis, the first step is to establish a baseline. « When you step on the scale, it means that at some moment you take a snapshot and you need a number », he explains.
Inutile pour autant d’attendre de disposer de données parfaites pour commencer. « S’il n’y a pas de chiffre en face, ça ne marche pas. On peut se raconter ce qu’on veut », insiste le président d’ATR.
List the main emission sources, gather the available data, and identify areas of uncertainty. For a small organization, an initial estimate may be enough to start the process, with the possibility to refine it later. The aim is to understand where the most significant emissions lie.
For Jean-Christophe Guérin, who started reflecting on the topic after the Covid crisis, the first step is to establish a baseline. « When you step on the scale, it means that at some moment you take a snapshot and you need a number », he explains.
Inutile pour autant d’attendre de disposer de données parfaites pour commencer. « S’il n’y a pas de chiffre en face, ça ne marche pas. On peut se raconter ce qu’on veut », insiste le président d’ATR.
List the main emission sources, gather the available data, and identify areas of uncertainty. For a small organization, an initial estimate may be enough to start the process, with the possibility to refine it later. The aim is to understand where the most significant emissions lie.
2. Set concrete goals and track progress
<img src=”https://www.tourmag.com/my/tourmag/site/version2020/regie-video/pixel.png” width=”1″ height=”1″ style=”border:0px” id=”debloquage_article_abonnement”>Once the balance is established, it’s essential to prioritize. Trying to tackle every issue at once risks dispersing efforts. The company can begin with the highest-emitting areas, then set measurable objectives and a timeline.
Jean-Christophe Guérin thus worked from a reference year to track the evolution of his company’s emissions. He recommends watching the results over time and comparing them to economic activity.
« We need to give ourselves a zone for progress », he explains. For him, this approach should not be limited to a theoretical reduction of emissions: it should also help think about how the company will continue to create value.
Choose a few indicators to monitor regularly: emissions tied to the marketed trips, business travel, energy consumption, or the volume of printed materials. Define a reference year and set realistic targets for different milestones. A simple dashboard, regularly updated, is preferable to commitments that are hard to track.
Jean-Christophe Guérin thus worked from a reference year to track the evolution of his company’s emissions. He recommends watching the results over time and comparing them to economic activity.
« We need to give ourselves a zone for progress », he explains. For him, this approach should not be limited to a theoretical reduction of emissions: it should also help think about how the company will continue to create value.
Choose a few indicators to monitor regularly: emissions tied to the marketed trips, business travel, energy consumption, or the volume of printed materials. Define a reference year and set realistic targets for different milestones. A simple dashboard, regularly updated, is preferable to commitments that are hard to track.
3. Rethink trips, not just offices
For a professional who designs or sells travel experiences, the main lever isn’t necessarily inside their offices. It can also lie in how itineraries are built, how activities are selected, and how clients are advised.
Jean-Christophe Guérin cites the example of safaris in Africa sold under his Wild Life brand. The daily cost of parks often prompts travelers to limit their stay to a few days. His approach is to enrich the program with other experiences: local immersion, wildlife and flora discoveries outside the parks, meetings with NGOs, or cycling activities.
The objective is notably to encourage clients to extend their stay and to better discover the territory. « We look at the average length of stays by destination, and we target selling more days », he explains.
The rationale is also economic: having already flown long-haul, extending the stay can generate more value on site without adding a new international flight. The total impact, however, depends on transport, accommodation, and additional activities.
Practical advice: review catalog itineraries. Can unnecessary travel be limited, back-and-forth trips avoided, longer stops favored, or activities added that don’t require extra transport? The aim is to offer coherent stays, rather than adding experiences merely to show a responsible approach.
Jean-Christophe Guérin cites the example of safaris in Africa sold under his Wild Life brand. The daily cost of parks often prompts travelers to limit their stay to a few days. His approach is to enrich the program with other experiences: local immersion, wildlife and flora discoveries outside the parks, meetings with NGOs, or cycling activities.
The objective is notably to encourage clients to extend their stay and to better discover the territory. « We look at the average length of stays by destination, and we target selling more days », he explains.
The rationale is also economic: having already flown long-haul, extending the stay can generate more value on site without adding a new international flight. The total impact, however, depends on transport, accommodation, and additional activities.
Practical advice: review catalog itineraries. Can unnecessary travel be limited, back-and-forth trips avoided, longer stops favored, or activities added that don’t require extra transport? The aim is to offer coherent stays, rather than adding experiences merely to show a responsible approach.
4. Change the travel habits of teams
Reconnaissance trips, business meetings, and commercial travels are part of the sector’s daily life. But their frequency and organization deserve scrutiny.
In his company, Jean-Christophe Guérin has notably revised the rules for reconnaissance trips. « I require that everyone can do one reconnaissance per year », he explains. He is also quite reserved about multi-day familiarization tours: « I don’t learn anything in four days. »
Conversely, when an employee is already traveling to a destination, prolonging their stay to work remotely can sometimes avoid a new trip later. The leader cites the case of a colleague who went on reconnaissance to Botswana, whom he prefers to keep longer on site to work remotely and enjoy the destination more.
In his company, Jean-Christophe Guérin has notably revised the rules for reconnaissance trips. « I require that everyone can do one reconnaissance per year », he explains. He is also quite reserved about multi-day familiarization tours: « I don’t learn anything in four days. »
Conversely, when an employee is already traveling to a destination, prolonging their stay to work remotely can sometimes avoid a new trip later. The leader cites the case of a colleague who went on reconnaissance to Botswana, whom he prefers to keep longer on site to work remotely and enjoy the destination more.
6. Involve the teams in the process
7. Integrate the transition into the commercial strategy
Reducing your carbon footprint isn’t limited to a list of internal measures. For tour operators, agencies, and other travel professionals, the approach also questions the business model and the products offered in the medium term.
Jean-Christophe Guérin invites companies to project themselves five to ten years ahead. « Change isn’t for 2027 », he cautions, referring to 2035 and 2050 milestones. He believes it’s necessary to anticipate sector changes, especially those related to energy and fuel costs.
This reflection can also lead to gradually evolving the offer. Rather than sharply opposing two travel models, the company can test lower-emission itineraries, develop stays in France and Europe, or facilitate train travel when connections permit.
The ATR president also notes that professionals should not exclude travelers’ emissions from their consideration. « The question of a client’s plane ticket upon arrival at a destination must be included. Otherwise, we are looking the other way », he stresses regarding the carbon footprint of receptive operators.
A credible approach relies on concrete choices and tracked results, not just marketing arguments. Professionals who wish to embark on this path can reach out to ATR, which offers its members a carbon journey including a training webinar, a carbon assessment, and a reflection on emission reductions.
Jean-Christophe Guérin invites companies to project themselves five to ten years ahead. « Change isn’t for 2027 », he cautions, referring to 2035 and 2050 milestones. He believes it’s necessary to anticipate sector changes, especially those related to energy and fuel costs.
This reflection can also lead to gradually evolving the offer. Rather than sharply opposing two travel models, the company can test lower-emission itineraries, develop stays in France and Europe, or facilitate train travel when connections permit.
The ATR president also notes that professionals should not exclude travelers’ emissions from their consideration. « The question of a client’s plane ticket upon arrival at a destination must be included. Otherwise, we are looking the other way », he stresses regarding the carbon footprint of receptive operators.
A credible approach relies on concrete choices and tracked results, not just marketing arguments. Professionals who wish to embark on this path can reach out to ATR, which offers its members a carbon journey including a training webinar, a carbon assessment, and a reflection on emission reductions.
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Published by Caroline Lelievre Journalist – TourMaG.com See all articles by Caroline Lelievre
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