2020 will be the
year of purpose beyond profit. TMCs will face decisions about how to grow their
businesses while addressing sustainability in its widest sense. They’ll be
challenging themselves to look hard at the social impact their businesses have,
not just on the environment but also on their employees and the communities in
which they operate.
As travel management
companies we should be leading in both environmental and corporate
responsibility. Customers need business partners that genuinely promote social
values, including an equal and supportive working environment for their staff.
This could be by paying the living wage, promoting staff wellbeing or widening
access through inclusive education opportunities for lower socioeconomic
households. Companies need to be able to
demonstrate that they are giving something back to their community.
There is no easy
answer when it comes to tackling the environmental concerns regarding business
travel. But TMCs, their clients, travel managers and business travellers
themselves all need to consider this difficult issue. Clients need to see real
opportunity for change, and TMCs should be looking to reduce waste through
sustainable consumption, shrinking their own carbon footprints and
incorporating sustainable practices into everyday operations. Just as potential
clients out to tender will be reviewing how green each TMC promises to be, each
TMC should push their own supply chain toward sustainability.
Purpose before
profit is likely to come at a cost. Strategic clarity will be critical to
guiding short-terms investments that yield long-term benefits for society. The
key to success will be transparency.
Most travel
companies are guilty of being vague about their CSR plans. Having a clear
strategy in place to achieve a positive impact on the local community is
essential both to build consumer trust and to improve the reputation of the
industry. At Click Travel we have established a 1 percent strategy—donating 1
percent of our time, profits and product to charities chosen by our staff.
It’s also important
to look more broadly at CSR. I’ve aligned Click Travel's business strategy with
the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals. We have also introduced a number of
wellbeing provisions, including mental health first aiders, drop-in sessions
and 24/7 staff assistance, all helping to ensure that as the business grows, we
are bringing our employees with us. Being a living-wage employer that provides
mentoring and apprenticeships for lower socioeconomic groups is also very
important. Our target is to grow the support we can provide for the local
community, creating a virtuous circle of sustainable development.
It will be exciting
to see how our industry can rise to the challenge in the next 12 months. I
think the landscape of TMC accountability will look very different in 2021.