Community over checklist: How sustainable travel brands can change the narrative

Reynolds Boateng (Host): Founder and CEO at Boateng Travel | Sarah Vidal (Guest Speaker): Founder and Brand Consultant at Cultured Creative

Community over checklist: How sustainable travel brands can change the narrative

Reynolds Boateng (Host): Founder and CEO at Boateng Travel | Sarah Vidal (Guest Speaker): Founder and Brand Consultant at Cultured...

Jan 19 2026

✕ HIDE

Subscribe to The Community over checklist: How sustainable travel brands can change the narrative Podcast

Keep up to date by subscribing to this podcast

✕ HIDE

Share this Podcast

✕ HIDE

Episode Description

Reynolds Boateng (Host): Founder and CEO at Boateng Travel | Sarah Vidal (Guest Speaker): Founder and Brand Consultant at Cultured Creative

• Subscribe
• Share
• Like 0
• Dislike 0
• View 188

Podcast takes.

Lack of travel organisations visibility

The cause of travel organisation invisibility is due to lack of branding position. Thus, when a travel brand defines it position more accurately it enables visibility. Because good branding position allow a brand to stand out differently from the rest based on what they do not just what they offer. For example, budget airlines are travel and tour operators brand focusing on just cost reduction not luxury.  

Sustainable travel term is not enough.

When a travel organisation uses the term ‘sustainable travel’ to define its brand position, it’s always a sign that such company is trying to define who they really are. Sustainable travel must be an accreditation not a unique selling point. In other words, let others refer to your business as a sustainable travel company based on what you do not you trying to use the term to attract customers. Lots of green noise effects are attributed to sustainable travel to make the term too unrealistic. For example, using green energies or reducing carbon emission doesn’t just make you sustainable company, you are basically following the trend to change your travel assets to label yourself green travel company. Do this, define your travel brand position explicitly accompanied by (a) sustainable approach to become a different travel organisation.

Sustainable checklist approach is obsolete. 

Changing the narrative of sustainable travel also means the things we used to do will become obsolete. Taking a step back on business life, it’s good to impress board of directors but keep in mind that the existence of board of directors depends on customers satisfaction. In other words, if a travel organisation uses a check list approach to measure success of its green travel effects and lacks customers satisfaction or value creation for both internal and external people, such organisation is becoming obsolete. Sustainability isn’t about ticking boxes of electric vehicles to reduce carbon emission to impress board of directors for example, rather giving what your stakeholders needs especially your customers and employees.

But also, as a travel business maintaining the dignity and adoring the wellbeing of local people at your destination is essential to your sustainable check list approach. This is why regenerative tourism is also another key element to improve your travel sustainability approach.

Is regenerative tourism a baseline of a business unique selling point?

As a travel organisation giving back to local people at your destination shouldn’t really be your business USP to be used for promotional purposes. However firstly ask if your if practising regenerative tourism can impact or benefit your business as well.

Storytelling and its impacts on sustainability 

‘’Storytelling is a tool that makes sustainability feels human’’. Relating your sustainability approach to your experiences and using stories to unpack them gives clarity about assumptions, build trust, and spreads your brand name more in a positive way to people. For example, telling a story about why building a health care facility at a village in Sao Paulo to take care of local people and your customers, is more human related story about your sustainability approach rather than just using the vague term: ‘’we are sustainable travel company’’.

Tips to change the narrative about responsible or sustainable travel as an SME.

Firstly, understand that sustainability or responsible travel isn’t just a term to enhance sales margins or business profitability, however it’s a daily lifestyle and principle we live by. To go on the direction of sustainability, think about this principle first before even marketing yourself. Because your understanding about sustainability will enable you to recruit the right people or partner with the right organisations at your destinations, (listen to audio for more tips).

Traveller’s expectations in a long run

Through over tourism protests and burn out from work, travellers are currently becoming more cautious and aligning values with emotions to choose specific destination for their holiday before booking. For example, during the process of holiday booking, travellers are now asking questions like why that destination and the other.

Closing remark

Communication is very important and what you communicate to customers must align with your operations. Don’t preach something you don’t practice rather practise what you preach.