Sustainability

Understanding the Environmental Impact of School Trips Abroad

At IBT Travel, we are committed to minimising our environmental impact while continuing to champion the significant educational value of school trips abroad. We firmly believe that international travel plays an important role in helping young people develop a broader understanding of the world, its cultures, and the global challenges it faces—most notably climate change.

We also recognise, however, that travel has an environmental footprint that cannot be ignored. As a responsible group tour operator, we are committed to reducing the environmental impact of our school trips wherever possible and to working collaboratively with our customers and suppliers to support more sustainable travel practices.

 

Our Current Approach

We have already begun the long-term process of embedding sustainability across our operations and trip delivery. Our actions include:

  • Providing schools with guidance on more environmentally responsible travel choices, including promoting coach travel as a lower-emissions alternative to air travel where feasible.
  • Encouraging the use of our digital trip management app, Vamoos, to reduce paper usage while groups are travelling.
  • Operating a hybrid home-and-office working model, enabling our staff to reduce commuting-related carbon emissions.
  • Using FSC-certified paper stock for all printed marketing materials.

 

Is This Enough?

We acknowledge that the measures we can directly control—both within our office operations and on our trips—are modest when compared to the environmental impact of air travel. For this reason, we are actively exploring options to offset emissions that cannot currently be reduced, with the longer-term ambition of offering carbon-neutral trips. This includes partnering with likeminded travel and transport providers.

We are realistic about the limitations of carbon offsetting and recognise that it is a short-term solution to a much broader systemic challenge. Nevertheless, until the aviation industry can deliver low-carbon alternative fuels at scale and at a viable cost, offsetting remains one of the few practical options available. We will continue to monitor developments closely and adapt our approach as new solutions emerge.

 

Working with Responsible Partners

Many of our key partners are already committed to robust sustainability strategies or are actively developing them. Examples include:

British Airways, the first airline to commit to achieving carbon neutrality by 2050. This includes significant investment in newer aircraft that are up to 40% more fuel-efficient, alongside initiatives supporting sustainable aviation fuels, hydrogen-powered aircraft, and carbon capture technology.

EasyJet, which joined the UN-backed Race to Zero campaign in November 2021, also committing to net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.

Salzburger Sportwelt (Austria), part of the Ski Amadé region, which operates a comprehensive and evolving sustainability programme focused on environmental protection, energy efficiency, and responsible tourism. The Salzburger Sportwelt policy can be found here: https://greenmountain.snow-space.com/en/

Val di Fiemme (Italy), located in the Trentino region, which has operated a sustainable forestry management model since 1111. The resort is part of the wider Dolomiti Superski area, which has a structured and transparent sustainability programme covering environmental, social, and economic responsibility. You can view the Dolomiti Superski policy here: https://www.dolomitisuperski.com/en/experience-the-dolomites/sustainability

Obertauern and other alpine resorts, which have implemented sustainability policies centred on renewable energy use, waste reduction, sustainable transport, efficient snowmaking technologies, and the protection of alpine ecosystems. Many local hotels are also encouraged to adopt energy-efficient practices and prioritise regional and organic food sourcing.

 

Our Commitment Going Forward

We believe that education is one of the most powerful tools for positive environmental change—and education is at the heart of everything we do.

While we cannot dictate the pace of change within the aviation industry or compel all stakeholders to adopt sustainable practices immediately, we can play an active role in raising awareness and encouraging responsible choices. Our commitment is to continually educate ourselves, our customers, and our suppliers on how school travel can be delivered more sustainably.

By doing so, we aim to ensure that young people can continue to benefit from enriching international experiences, while working collectively to reduce their environmental impact and support a more sustainable future for travel.

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