Virtuoso Study: Canadian Advisors Say Climate Change Impacting ... - TravelPulse Canada

According to a new study of travel advisors by luxury and experiential network Virtuoso, the majority of Canadian travel advisors – 54 percent – report their clients are increasingly taking climate change into account when planning their upcoming trips.

Virtuoso says the impact of climate change on travel planning was among the most compelling findings in its 2024 Luxe Report, a survey of over 2,000 industry-leading travel advisors from more than 50 countries.

With extreme weather on the rise, Virtuoso advisors say their clients are travelling differently or changing travel plans to offset the effects of climate change seen across the globe.

Specifically, 86% of advisors say Canadians are visiting destinations during off-peak times when weather conditions are typically better, 74% said they are selecting destinations where weather conditions are less extreme and 32% said they are travelling more sustainably to reduce their carbon footprint.

Virtuoso held two in-person events in Toronto recently, welcoming 92 advisors and 61 partners. (Photo Credit: Virtuoso)

While travellers are becoming more aware of how their tourism dollars can support sustainability efforts, Virtuoso says it is proud to have supported and promoted responsible tourism for over 12 years.

With practices based on the three pillars of sustainability – Protecting the Planet, Celebrating & Honouring Cultures and Supporting Local Economies – Virtuoso, together with hundreds of its preferred partners across the globe, is committed to furthering travel as a force for good and helping propel the travel industry toward a more sustainable future.

"Virtuoso has long been a proud advocate of sustainable tourism. From our Sustainability Council and Community to awards and dedicated editorials in every issue of Virtuoso, The Magazine, we support the efforts of our partners and seek to educate our advisors on sustainable travel," said Virtuoso's Vice President, Sustainability Javier Arredondo.

"With a goal of making sustainability a greater factor in consumer choice, it's inspiring to see more clients taking it into account, thanks in large part to our travel advisors who are creating a dialogue on selecting destinations, hotels, cruise lines, tour operators and other partners that share the same commitment." 

Virtuoso has launched a campaign to shine a light on the unique and exciting ways that the network's preferred partners are uplifting the travel space in line with Virtuoso's three pillars of sustainability.

Among the partner efforts are:

Toronto's Fairmont Royal York (Photo Credit: IGLTA)

·      As of November 15, Fairmont Royal York became the first heritage hotel in North America to earn a Zero Carbon Building – Performance Standard certification from the Canada Green Building Council. The large-scale retrofit was achieved by converting heating and domestic hot water from steam to electric heat pumps that use heat recovery from Enwave's district energy network, and by converting cooling from electrical chillers to Enwave's Deep Lake Water Cooling system.

·      A collaboration between Windstar Cruises and Coral Gardeners, a Moorea-based organization determined to revolutionize ocean conservation, will expand the small ship cruise line's coral reef adoption program for guests, as well as provide new educational shore excursions in Tahiti and an on-board informative speaker series on coral reef preservation.

·      Air Canada has announced an investment in electric regional aircraft with a purchase agreement for 30 ES-30 electric-hybrid aircraft under development by Heart Aerospace of Sweden. The revolutionary aircraft will generate zero emissions flying on battery power and is projected to have an all-electric range of up to 800 kilometres.

A rendering of the first AmaWaterways ship to sail on Colombia's Magdalena River. (Photo Credit: AmaWaterways)

·      AmaWaterways is currently building two new ships in Colombia and working with local architects, designers and suppliers to properly incorporate and honour the natural resources and culture of the destination. This partnership aims at enhancing the lives of local residents along the Magdalena River, as many of these communities will be opening up to international visitors for the first time.

·      Lindblad Expeditions supports the first farm-to-table program in the Galápagos Islands. Working with dozens of family farms to source tons of organic produce for the ships benefits the people in this remote island community, reduces the carbon footprint of shipping and creates a market for locally grown food.

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