Hotelplan UK: Building a people, planet, and future focused approach to sustainable travel
Hotelplan UK – part of Hotelplan Group - is the parent company of five well-established, specialist tour operators including Explore Worldwide, Inghams and Inntravel, known particularly for adventure travel, ski and walking holidays. Hotelplan UK believes in the need to create a future that benefits all, through equitable economic growth, social justice and environmental stability. The group is working hard to ingrain sustainability across its own business operations and the products it offers to passengers. Since November 2022, Hotelplan UK and Klimate have collaborated to support and scale carbon removal solutions – an important element of the brand’s ongoing commitment to climate action.
Employees
Main location
Farnborough, United Kingdom
Industry
Travel
climate Strategy
Investing in permanent methods
Why carbon removal
Carbon removal is just one element of the company’s holistic approach
It is important to Hotelplan UK that its carbon removal investment is more than a one- dimensional transaction; so Klimate has helped the business compile a portfolio that delivers co-benefits across pillars including climate, biodiversity and community.
Hotelplan UK has made climate action a responsibility shared by its entire team, from the board which aligns strategy, through to sustainability champions who act as stewards for executing change within every department. This requires team members having a base understanding of mitigation through carbon removal, something else provided by our partnership.
“Our climate action plan begins with us as an organisation measuring our emissions and setting pathways and targets for carbon reduction, because it’s our responsibility to be as light-footed as possible. Then, we have the mitigation stage focused on removal and restoration, which is where Klimate comes in. We need that trust - in the projects you are sourcing, the due diligence you go through - and rely on Klimate to then educate us. We get these insights into projects we’d never have heard about, stories we’d never have been able to uncover. That’s all critical.”
Prue Stone, Director of Sustainability at Hotelplan UK
A collaboration based on trust and transparency
Hotelplan UK and Klimate were introduced by a mutual partner, an excellent jumping off-point for a relationship built on trust. Together, we worked to build the right strategy, staying true to their ambition and ability. Hotelplan UK gathers finance for climate mitigation in line with its goals to invest alongside making internal reduction efforts. Each small contribution from its customers can help build big waves through strategic investment in carbon removal projects.
Carbon removal strategy
Insights into Hotelplan UK’s Climate Action Plan
- Measure: Conduct a yearly carbon accounting process, or carbon audit, benchmarking Hotelplan UK’s progress and roadblocks.
- Reduce: Identify where each brand can take steps to reduce its carbon intensity whilst always delivering exceptional experiences for customers.
- Remove and Restore: Focused partnerships – principally with Klimate - to support the invaluable need for scaling carbon removal globally, whilst also working to restore biodiversity and wilderness.
- Communicate and Collaborate: Only through trusted partnerships and honest, transparent conversation can we all move towards a more socially just and healthy future.
Hotelplan UK’s Carbon Removal Investment Strategy: Carbon Contribution
The investment Hotelplan UK makes in carbon removal comes from a contribution for every customer that travels. The company discloses figures every quarter and Klimate then creates and delivers a diverse and hand-picked portfolio of carbon removal projects in its name.This strategy, centred around pooling funds to support climate mitigation efforts, presents a reputable alternative to conventional offsetting approaches, as it promotes the creation of impacts that extend beyond the typical value chain.
Moving forward
- Hotelplan UK plans to invest over £700,000 in carbon removals in 2024, in parallel to taking steps to reducing its carbon footprint and supporting the restoration of biodiversity.
- Following this mindset to continually improve their strategy, HPUK will invest in a greater share of highly permanent methods in their 2024 portfolio, in line with the guidance of the Oxford Offsetting Principles.
- Also pursuing a dual target, they are working towards reducing 90% of operational emissions (what they consider to be Scopes 1 & 2) and 50% of Scope 3 by 2030.
About
Tour operators known particularly for adventure travel, ski and walking holidays
Hoteplan UK are passionate about the holidays they create, priding themselves on top quality experience and excellent service. Sustainability and responsible tourism are at the heart of everything they do.
Hotelplan UK includes Explore Worldwide, Inghams, Inntravel and Santa’s Lapland. Along with our UK and Europe-based teams, we have growing operations in Australia and North America.
Hotelplan UK is a subsidiary of Hotelplan Group, a large pan-European travel group headquartered in Switzerland.
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