The issue of sustainable travel is becoming increasingly important, especially among business travellers and service providers in this industry. The debate on sustainable travel involves everyone in the field, from hotels to airlines, from car rentals to auxiliary service providers. Is it possible to make business travel sustainable? Which destinations should be chosen to reduce its environmental impact? If your business travel plans involve Italy as a destination, check out our sustainability tips!
The most sustainable destinations in Italy
Choosing the destination for a business trip is not like picking a holiday destination. There is much more at stake: what is the purpose of your journey? Are you meeting a potential client or a business partner? Are you travelling to attend an event or a meeting? Who organised the event and who planned the journey? The sustainability of business travel does not depend entirely on the traveller, nor does it rest entirely on the organiser. It is rather a shared responsibility, depending on multiple factors. The answer to the initial question, therefore, can vary considerably. The good news is that more or less all Italian regions offer sustainable travel options.
The most sustainable journey begins by… staying home
It seems incredible to talk about it in this context, and yet the recent crisis has taught us that this is the case. The threat of considerable health risks has brought all of our travel choices into question. Nowadays it is almost unthinkable to travel by plane to meet two or three people, when such a meeting can be easily managed online, saving considerable amounts of time and resources. This has allowed us to go back to valuing travel as a truly significant experience, which must be planned carefully. Before choosing a destination, therefore, we must ask ourselves who is travelling and why. If, for instance, we want to organise a kickoff meeting or conference between professionals of a certain industry, the destination should be chosen with a view to minimising the length of each individual journey. If, on the other hand, the destination is fixed (for instance, when inspecting a factory or production site, or celebrating a company’s anniversary), the most important decisions are those concerning means of transport and accommodation.
The “green” accommodation revolution
When it comes to sustainable hospitality options, Italy has plenty to offer, with eco-friendly facilities thriving in all regions and tour operators committed to reducing their carbon footprint and minimising non-recyclable waste. Most of these facilities are located outside the main urban centres and are closely connected to the local communities, taking an active part in the preservation of the natural resources in each area. More often than not, they will work with small local producers to encourage the consumption of locally-grown food and wine.
Every little helps
These are just a few basic tips that can help you improve the sustainability of your business travel. There are many other small steps that each of us can take. They range from travelling lighter, which reduces the carbon footprint of air travel, to using your mobile phone to access your boarding pass instead of printing it out. With the resumption of business travel, travellers, airlines, hotels, and other travel service providers are called upon to play an important role in protecting the environment.