It's more about the people more than ever. We want to see companies doing right by employees and customers; technology has not only enhanced our desire to be part of communities but we expect more from companies especially after handing over rich data. On a wider, and I think more important scale, the feelings of despair and concern we feel from terrorist incidents or political upheaval coupled with higher exposure via social media has meant we are increasingly aware of not only what is happening around the world but what is going on at a very local level.
On top of this there are more open discussions about diversity and inclusion. This growing collective consciousness means people are thinking carefully about who they work for, the companies they use and also what is going back into society. At the end of 2016 there had been six years of consecutive growth in charitable donations (according to Adobe Digital Insights). Incidents from the devastation left by last year's Hurricane Irma in the Caribbean and US and the Grenfell Tower fire in London are still seeing continuous support.
Aligning to company goals
Corporate social responsibility (CSR) has been embedded across organisations for some time but it's stepping up now there is a more caring and aware (or 'woke') workforce. "Companies are more focused on the impact now and expect to see tangible results [of their donations]. There's a shame element if the charity or NGO (non-governmental organisation) isn't doing things right", says Christian Moller-Holst, founder of Danish 'hybrid hotel booking platform and TMC' Goodwings, which puts its hotel commission into charities instead of spending it on advertising.
Travellers don't just want to be looked after personally, but want to know that the environment and fellow Earth inhabitants are too. Travel is one of the most destructive industries to the environment but also generates opportunities, whether via jobs, carbon off-setting or charitable means. Working collaboratively, and perhaps trying out new suppliers, could change the traveller's view of a travel programme.
With the growing focus on the traveller in travel programmes, many travel managers are already working more in tune with other departments such as HR, procurement, finance and IT. There are not only internal procedures to consider but company culture and public brand perception, which all feed into policies and supplier selection.
Fashion website Refinery29 uses reward-focused tool Rocketrip to support charities that match its desire to help women live a more stylish and creative life. Several employees choose to donate the travel savings they have made instead of keep the money themselves; with donations going to the Lower East Side Girls Club of NY, Girls Who Code and The UN Refugee Agency.
Rocketrip tells me: "We've seen that donations to charity spike toward the end of the year in November and December. We have clients that are donating a portion of their total company savings (some are donating all of their savings) to charity as well matching their employees' donations."
Moller-Holst finds SMEs are increasingly looking for ways to increase their positive impact. Goodwings works hard to vet the charities it works with to ensure the money is going to the right people, and embeds the UN's 17 sustainable development goals into every project.
Traveller-driven policies; what do they care about?
People are wary of buying from companies that are not seen to be "doing the right thing". Back in February 2017 I wrote about how boycotts of particular suppliers could impact policy, which continues the theme of traveller-driven travel programmes. They may feel admiration for a company that goes out of its way during a crisis or choose a hotel brand that ethically supports its supply chain; it's not just about donations.
A few examples
- When it changed its hotel product UK TMC Key Travel launched the Beds 4 Beds campaign. For every two nights booked the company paid for one homeless person to stay in a shelter with a bed, evening meal and shower. The campaign was popular with clients, who are charity and academic based so naturally emotive
- 35 commercial and charter airlines are part of the Airlink network that offers relief during crises and humanitarian aid whether flying supplies to countries or donating frequent flier miles to book flights for relief workers quickly
- GDS and airlines are involved in anti-human trafficking initiatives
Travellers probably often forget how lucky they are to travel in the first place. It can take a sudden lightbulb moment or story that causes an action, like frequent business traveller Tom Nightingale, who formed Upgrade Soldiers after witnessing this sobering incident on a domestic US flight.
"I travelled a lot in my old job and often complained about not getting upgraded…but I did once and it felt good," he told me. "This time everything was ready and the plane hadn't left; I saw a flashing light on the taxiway and it was an ambulance, fire truck and police. I watched as they brought out a casket of a fallen soldier. It puts things into perspective and I thought I was so spoilt for complaining about not being in first class when this person had fought for our country and come home in a box. So I resolved to give any of my upgrades to military."
Nightingale wrote a blog for his employer at the time and has since built a network of more than 300 people that pass on their upgrades on a regular basis (usually those given by the airline based on loyalty, not corporate rates where the traveller may be expected to work).
"It doesn't matter how rough a trip is, it makes me feel in a better place for helping," Nightingale says.
Choose socially-conscious suppliers
As demonstrated by those I've already quoted, there are traditional and new entrants that are doing their bit to ease the effect of travel on the planet or simply help those in need.
Speaking of the Beds 4 Beds campaign Key Travel's hotel product manager Jo Cowling says "the reputation and non-financial impact is just as good — it sticks in people's minds and is good for us."
Choosing the right suppliers goes hand in hand with policy, as your travellers may be making choices based on a company's association to other organisations and projects. Think about the company executives that left Donald Trump's business advisory council after his comments on the Charlottesville riots, or the backlash that fashion retailers face for labour conditions in factories. In travel the treatment of United Airlines passenger David Dao could affect a traveller's choice.
Decide what's more important
Cost and security remain key priorities for travel managers and Goodwing's Moller-Holst acknowledges that savings can get in the way of sustainability and charitable work. "The tricky part is to do it in a way that doesn't increase cost. Businesses might pay a little more for something more sustainable but if it gets too expensive with fees etc then the willingness disappears," he says. Yet his charity-driven model has already generated tens of thousands of euros for charity projects from 200 mid-sized business clients —so there is demand.
Cowling agrees that "people don't turn down being charitable if it's free".
Yet traveller centricity and choice are mixing up what travel programmes entail.
When it comes to areas like sustainability and social responsibility Moller-Holst believes the industry can be a "force for good" but big travel companies are not doing enough to offset the "high cost of low price" travel ie lots of pollution and the threat to human rights. Perhaps the answer lies as a collective, but it requires a shift in priorities.