A Sustainable Journey with Classic Travel – a FIRST in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka’s Leading Travel Agency to provide its passengers an option to fight to save the planet through offsetting their travel related carbon emissions
For many years at the forefront of the travel industry in Sri Lanka, Classic Travel has taken a revolutionary step towards achieving more sustainable travel by introducing a greener travel option to its customers. A first for Sri Lanka’s travel industry, this initiative aims to create environmental awareness, fulfil the company’s corporate social responsibility, and meet the growing demand for sustainable travel experiences. The company will offer its customers the option to directly offset their flight’s carbon emissions through internationally recognised carbon credits, so that they can enjoy guilt free travel.
The company achieved this through system integration and innovation in their booking processes. As customers book their air tickets, Co2 emissions based on the air miles travelled are calculated on the booking platform. This information is updated on the Passenger Name Record (PNR) system, enabling Classic Travel to provide accurate carbon emission data to customers, who then can make informed decisions about offsetting their carbon footprint. Once customers select carbon credits as an add-on service during the booking process, Classic Travel will send customers a certificate of confirmation of carbon retirement which is a testament to their commitment to sustainability and provides essential information, including the customer’s name and the amount of CO2 emissions mitigated through their ticket purchase.
By opting for greener travel, customers become more environmentally conscious and educated, actively participating in climate change mitigation efforts. “We are excited to commence this initiative as we have long-term plans in terms of sustainability through which, we aim to mitigate carbon emissions, drive environmental conservation, and strengthen community development through multiple initiatives that we plan to launch.” added Zafrana Nafees, Head of Marketing and CSR at Classic Travel. “In the future, we are hoping to provide continuous updates and progress about these projects.”.
Classic Travel engaged The Climate & Conservation Consortium (CCC) the country’s leading sustainability advisory to oversee the technical aspects of the programme as well as to source and retire the carbon credits. Speaking on the occasion, Director & CEO of CCC Sanith de S. Wijeyeratne stated, “Sustainable Tourism and Travel is very much a current topic being debated in the global marketplace. WIth many organisations setting Net Zero goals, the search for interim solutions in travel and tourism is underway. Travelers want to know that they are doing their part to mitigate the carbon emissions and other climate change impacts that their travel will create, and the option of offsetting their carbon emission goes a very long way towards doing doing that. I want to congratulate Classic Travel for having the courage and conviction in its corporate responsibility to take this much needed sustainability initiative.”
Once customers choose to offset their carbon emissions as an add-on service during the booking process, Classic Travel will send customers a certificate in ‘confirmation of retirement’ which is a testament to their commitment to sustainability and provides essential information, including the customer’s name and the amount of CO2 emissions sequestered along with their ticket purchase. The verification and certification of their offsets is carried out by an independent 3rd party verification company – The Sustainable Future Group (SFG ).
As an overall sustainability approach, Classic Travel takes a comprehensive approach to reduce its own carbon footprint by minimising its energy consumption, reducing paper usage, implementing waste management strategies, and providing staff education and training on sustainable practices. Further it aims to adapt a procurement policy that ensures it partners with suppliers that adopt sustainable and environment-friendly business practices. Moreover, by adapting to changing industry norms and meeting global demands, Classic Travel demonstrates its industry leadership by showcasing its dedication to customers and the planet. By embarking on a sustainable journey with Classic Travel, customers can explore the world while actively contributing to sustainability and making a real difference in the fight against climate change.
