Custom travel specialist Audley Travel has released its annual sustainability report, highlighting progress made against its Environmental Social Governance (ESG) Framework during 2024. The company met 89% of its 36 annual targets across five key areas aligned with the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals: environment, workplace, communities, marketplace and governance.
The report details several notable achievements throughout the year. Audley expanded its Responsible Choice collection, adding 200 new experiences and stays for a total of 498 options globally. This collection, launched in 2023, identifies products that contribute to local communities and environmental protection.
Employee volunteering reached significant levels, with over 55% of staff using at least half a day to volunteer in local communities across Boston, London and Oxfordshire. This effort, which included participation from several Executive Board members, resulted in more than 5,300 hours of community service.
Audley’s career development initiatives saw substantial growth in 2024. The company reached 2,376 students through career fairs and school volunteering programs in both the U.K. and USA. Additional efforts included nine Insight sessions designed to introduce young people from diverse ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds to travel industry careers, week-long work experience placements for 46 students and 12-month placements for four undergraduates.
Audley also focused on supplier engagement, conducting capacity-building workshops that shared tools and resources for identifying energy-saving opportunities and improving data collection. Working with carbon consultant eCollective, the company continues seeking ways to reduce carbon footprints, such as implementing electric car transfers and offering alternative travel options. To enhance data precision, Audley surveyed its top 450 hotel partners, representing 80% of client stays, to better understand each property's environmental impact.
"Responsible travel has long been at the heart of what we do and our ambition and commitment to being as sustainable a business as we can remains," said Sabrina Parker, global sustainability manager at Audley Travel. "As we look ahead to 2025 and beyond, we'll continue to challenge our ambitions in this area, as part of our journey as an organization that aims to benefit people, communities and the planet for years to come."
Editor’s Note: This article was generated by AI, based on a press release distributed by Audley Travel. It has been fact-checked and reviewed by a TravelAge West editor.
