Destinations

When managed well, tourism supports conservation and preserves natural heritage. The tourism value chain – accommodation, catering, retail, excursions, transfer and airport services – provides employment and training opportunities and stimulates local enterprise to the extent that, in 2008, tourism accounted for 30% of the world’s exports of services (UNWTO World Tourism Barometer).

Our sustainability impact in destinations is largely indirect, particularly through our accommodation suppliers, and we assume a level of responsibility for encouraging them to improve in this area. 77%* of TUI Travel businesses are actively engaging with suppliers on environmental issues. In addition, TUI Travel is involved in hundreds of projects designed to improve the livelihoods of local people in destinations. For further information on how we have embedded sustainability into our accommodation practices. See Suppliers.

*Weighted by employee numbers.

This year, we have also developed Groupwide policies on animal welfare in excursion locations and the protection of children in tourist areas. We also initiated a project to gain a better understanding of the socio-economic impacts of our operations in developing destinations, particularly in relation to the growing all-inclusive holiday market.