Organisations & Operators,

As an airport operator, Brussels Airport aims to eliminate CO2 emissions completely by 2030. The airport is investing in more green energy, including solar energy. The newest buildings in the western section of the cargo zone are currently being fitted with a large number of solar panels, covering a total surface area of 65,000 m². Half of the solar power will be used by Brussels Airport, increasing its own energy supply through solar energy from 4% to 9%. The other half is to be used by partners in this zone.
The installation work fitting the newest buildings in the cargo zone with solar panels started at the end of January. This concerns the buildings where Kuehne+Nagel, Worldwide Flight Services, Expeditors, Swissport and Herfurth are housed. Some 65,000 m² in solar panels is to be installed, accounting for a total of 7,300 megawatt hour in green power. This is equivalent to the consumption of some 2,100 households.
“This new solar panel project is a major step in our ambition to achieve net zero carbon emissions. It doubles the solar energy for our own use as an airport operator and also allows us to provide locally generated green power to our cargo partners. Thereby enabling them too to further reduce their own carbon emissions.”, explains Brussels Airport Company CEO Arnaud Feist.
At present, the current solar farms at the airport provide 4% of the power consumed by Brussels Airport. These additional solar panels will substantially ramp up this share to 9% of the energy supply, with Brussels Airport using just half of what these new solar panels will be generating. The other half will be available to the cargo partners, so that they too will have opportunity to use the solar energy generated at the cargo zone.
Brussels Airport Company has been carbon neutral for its own emissions as an airport operator since 2018. Last year, it was decided to drastically accelerate the airport’s ambition to achieve net zero carbon, from 2050 to 2030. Solar energy is an important element in achieving this ambition and this is a first concrete realisation to achieve that goal. Other potential locations for additional solar panels are still being explored. This first new installation should be ready by late May, so this green energy will be available come June. The ambition is to achieve 27 MWp, which yields about 24,000 megawatt hours per year, by 2027.ADVERTISEMENT

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Reports suggest that the Abu Dhabi sovereign wealth fund is considering an investment in London’s Heathrow Airport, potentially joining forces with Saudi and Qatari investors.The potential deal, as reported by Bloomberg, could see the UAE’s Mubadala Investment Company partnering with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund and Qatar’s Investment Authority to acquire stakes in the West London Hub.
According to Bloomberg’s sources, Mubadala has been approached by Ardian, a France-based firm, to explore investment opportunities in Heathrow Airport. Talks are said to be ongoing, with no final decision reached by Mubadala regarding its participation in the deal.
Last year, Spanish firm Ferrovial SE sold its 25% stake in Heathrow to PIF and Ardian for nearly £2.4 billion. However, other shareholders holding more than a third of the airport are reportedly part of a “tag-along” agreement, which necessitates their participation for the deal’s completion.
If successful, this investment would mark the third Middle Eastern investor in Heathrow Airport, raising concerns about Gulf influence over critical UK infrastructure. While discussions continue, the outcome of these talks could significantly impact the ownership structure of one of the world’s busiest airports.
As stakeholders navigate negotiations and potential partnerships, the evolving landscape of Heathrow’s ownership underscores the importance of balancing foreign investment interests with national security and strategic concerns. Further developments in these talks are awaited as stakeholders assess the potential implications of this proposed investment arrangement.Source: https://bmmagazine.co.uk/ADVERTISEMENT

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Swissport Expands Network in Saudi Arabia, Adds Al-Ula Airport

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Swissport International AG has added Al-Ula to its growing network of airports in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, underlining the company’s ambitious and successful growth strategy in the Kingdom. Al-Ula, a rising international tourism hotspot, is already the sixth airport at which Swissport operates in Saudi Arabia.
Swissport has added Prince Abdul Majeed bin Abdulaziz International Airport at Al-Ula (ULH) to its growing network in Saudi Arabia. The first flight serviced by Swissport was a Royal Jordanian flight arriving from Queen Alia International Airport in Amman, Jordan. Swissport, the global leader in airport ground services and air cargo handling, will provide Royal Jordanian with passenger services and ramp handling at Al-Ula. Initially, Swissport will handle two weekly flights to and from Amman. The company expects flight volumes in Saudi Arabia to grow significantly as more airlines add destinations or increase frequencies in the thriving Kingdom.
“We are delighted to be able to offer our high-quality aviation services at Al-Ula and are honored by the trust our launching customer Royal Jordanian places in us,” says Chris Browne, CEO of Swissport Saudi Arabia.
Al-Ula is Swissport’s sixth airport in Saudi Arabia and further strengthens its position as the go-to service provider for airlines seeking a reliable long-term partner across the Arabian Peninsula and beyond. The start of operations at Al-Ula underlines Swissport’s strategic commitment to Saudi Arabia.
“Jointly with ASYAD Holding, our Saudi joint-venture partner, we have ambitious plans and are committed to contributing towards the Saudi Vision 2030, which will place the Kingdom’s aviation sector in the ivy-league of global aviation,“ says Dirk Goovaerts, Swissport’s CEO for Continental Europe, Middle East, and Africa.ADVERTISEMENTAl-Ula is an ancient Arabian oasis and market town on the historic Incense Route that connected India and the Persian Gulf with the Levant and Europe. Today, it is one of the growing tourism destinations in Saudi Arabia, known for its landscape of cliffs, gorges and wadis and the contrast between this arid environment and the palm-covered oases. In 2023, Al-Ula airport welcomed more than two million passengers.
STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP WITH ASYAD HOLDING
Swissport has been present in Saudi Arabia since 2016 when it started its operations in Riyadh, Jeddah, and Dammam. The company has since continuously expanded its business and turned its presence from a greenfield start-up into an established business with a broad customer base of regional and international carriers.
Swissport and ASYAD Holding, a diversified, family-owned Saudi holding group with significant business activities in and outside Saudi Arabia across multiple sectors including aviation and infrastructure, recently joined forces to unlock the full growth potential in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The new strategic partnership underlines Swissport’s commitment to Saudi Arabia and is aimed at further accelerating the company’s growth in the largest economy in the Middle East. Swissport plans to further expand its Saudi presence in air cargo handling, airport ground services and in the lounge hospitality business, in particular also with Saudi carriers.
In 2023, Swissport in Saudi Arabia served 7.7m passengers (+49 per cent vs. 2022) and handled some 28,000 flights (+39 per cent vs. 2022). Currently, Swissport provides passenger services and ramp handling at six airports in Saudi Arabia: King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh (RUH), King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah (JED), King Fahd International Airport in Dammam (DMM), Prince Mohammad Bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Medina (MED), Prince Naif bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Al-Qassim (ELQ), and Prince Abdul Majeed bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Al-Ula (ULH).

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The new, attractively designed terminal area will provide a high-quality experience for travellers at the airport.  In this way, Vienna Airport will join the ranks of the top airports in the world. New, modern shopping and restaurant offerings will be created on an area of 70,000 m² featuring Austrian and international premium brands, spacious leisure areas and new, exclusive lounges. 18 new bus gates and a state-of-the-art security checkpoint will also be added.
Passengers await a diversified shopping and restaurant offering with 30 new retail and food and beverage outlets spanning an area of 10,000 m² and renowned, high-quality Austrian and international premium brands. Accordingly, the airport will expand its shopping and restaurant space by 50% to more than 30,000 m² and thus a significantly expanded offering for travellers.In particular, Vienna Airport will rely on its acquired, high level of competence in leveraging digitalisation and Building Information Modelling (BIM) in planning and project management, thus ensuring a high degree of certainty in adhering to the timeline and budgeted costs. Very complex construction management is involved because work will be carried out against the backdrop of ongoing airport and terminal operations. The “ARGE Porr/Elin/Ortner” consortium won the tender and will now carry out the construction work.The Vienna Airport construction operations were completely reorganised in 2012. Since then, it has successfully implemented numerous large projects (e.g., Office Park 4, Austria’s largest photovoltaic plant, Terminal 2 modernisation and others).Project budget of € 420 million will be completely financed from the expected cash flows.Preparation work on the “Southern Terminal Expansion” construction project has been underway since July 2023. Now the airport is really getting things going. Johanna Mikl-Leitner, Governor of Lower Austria, Michael Ludwig, Mayor and Governor of Vienna along with Julian Jäger and Günther Ofner, the two members of the Management Board of the airport operating company Flughafen Wien AG, launched the intensive construction phase of the terminal extension with a budget of € 420 million.
“Our airport is growing, passenger volume is increasing, and we are continuously among the best globally in terms of our service quality. Now we are also upgrading our terminal infrastructure to be top-notch internationally! Thanks to the new Southern Expansion project, we are laying the groundwork for Vienna Airport to join the ranks of the top airports and achieve 5-Star status. In the future, our passengers will experience a substantial improvement of the quality of their stay in a new terminal environment thanks to a considerable enlargement of the shopping and restaurant offering featuring renowned Austrian and international premium brands. There will be new and exclusive lounges, large and comfortable leisure areas, new centralised and state-of-the-art security controls, and better transfer connections for transfer passengers between all terminal areas. And all of this will take place in an exclusive and high-quality terminal environment making Austrian and Viennese elegance perceptible and palpable in a charming way. The Southern Expansion enables us to set new benchmarks in quality and ensure a comfortable stay. This project is yet another airport development milestone following the record results achieved in 2019 and the second highest passenger volume in the airport’s history in 2023,” states Julian Jäger, joint Member of the Management Board of Flughafen Wien AG.
“The Southern Expansion is a key project within the context of our quality and investment drive over the coming years. After extensive preparation work, the intensive construction phase for the € 420 million project will now begin. It will be fully financed from our future cash flows, without the need for any loans. Our construction management was completely reorganised in 2012. Since then, it has successfully demonstrated its construction competence within the context of numerous large projects, all of which were finished on time and on budget. When it comes to planning and project management, we rely on our high level of competence in leveraging digitalisation and Building Information Modelling (BIM). In this way we can not only monitor the construction process on a daily basis, but also ensure adherence to costs and the planned timetable. Completion is scheduled for 2027,” says Günther Ofner, joint Member of the Management Board of Flughafen Wien AG, the board member responsible for overseeing construction.
“Vienna International Airport is on a growth path. With this project, it is taking important steps to ensure the future development of the airport hub and the entire region. The airport is not only a crucial transport hub for Austria but also the largest employer in the Eastern Region and an essential flagship company for the entire federal state of Lower Austria. Thanks to investments in its terminal infrastructure, Vienna International Airport in Schwechat is strengthening its role as the gateway to the world for the Lower Austrian business, tourism and cultural landscape,” explains Johanna Mikl-Leitner, Governor of Lower Austria.ADVERTISEMENT“Vienna is one of the most popular tourism destinations in the world, and 2023 turned out to be the second-best year for tourism with new record revenues from overnight stays. Many of our guests come by plane, and thus Vienna Airport is an important calling card for the city. For this reason, I welcome the further development and expansion of the terminal infrastructure. I am pleased to see that stylistic elements of our beautiful city along with its tradition and culture will be integrated into the future terminal design,” says Michael Ludwig, Mayor and Governor of Vienna.
Southern terminal expansion will serve as the basis for Vienna Airport’s 5-Star ranking and entry into the top league of international airportsVienna Airport, which was already awarded the Skytrax 4-Star Airport Rating, will take a major leap into the top ranks of international airports and will be put on track for a Skytrax 5-Star Airport Rating. In the future, travellers will experience an enhanced quality of their airport stay – in a league of its own. New shopping and restaurant space will arise spanning 70,000 m² or an area of ten football fields, along with large and exclusive lounges covering 6,000 m², spacious and comfortable areas, convenient transfer connections between the F, G, C and D gates as well as 18 new bus gates. All of this will be accessible via a new and large, centralised security checkpoint, equipped with the state-of-the-art technologies.
30 new shopping and restaurant outlets with national and international brandsThe new shopping and restaurant offering in the Southern Expansion will be particularly attractive for travellers. More than 30 new outlets covering an area of 10,000 m² of floor space featuring renowned, top Austrian brands and international premium brands will create an extensive and diversified retail, food and beverage offering for passengers. Tenant acquisition efforts are already in full swing and are being implemented with digital support. In a virtual 3D tour, interested parties can explore the building’s interior areas and possible commercial space, take a closer look at passenger flows and leisure areas, and thus get a realistic impression of the entire terminal environment. On balance, Vienna Airport’s Southern Expansion will enlarge its shopping and retail space by 50% to a total of 30,000 m² and thus significantly enhance its offering for the benefit of its passengers.
Relaxed stay in an elegant atmosphere: 6,000 m² of new and exclusive loungesThe Southern Expansion will make new and exclusive lounges available to passengers for a relaxed stay in an elegant atmosphere. Alongside the new Austrian Airlines Lounge with 4,000 m², a new Vienna Airport lounge featuring an additional 2,000 m² will be created, mainly oriented to the interior design of the very popular “Vienna Lounge”. The already identifiable design world characterised by elements, colours and textures of the Viennese Art Nouveau and the flair of Austrian and Viennese elegance will also be perceptible and palpable in the new airport lounge and the entire Southern Expansion. Accordingly, local and international passengers will not be confronted with a sterile terminal building but a modern, high-quality and exclusive terminal environment with charm and a local flavour linking passengers to the destination of Vienna.
New and improved transfer routes for transfer passengers between the F, G, C and D gatesIn the future, access for passengers to the new terminal building will be available after leaving the check-in area of Terminal 3. The new building will also create a convenient transfer connection for transfer passengers between the F, G, C and D gates. Furthermore, 18 new bus gates will be added to the Southern Expansion, namely ten for Schengen departures and eight bus gates for non-Schengen departures.
Implementing the southern extension of the terminal: Intensive construction phase is now commencingPreparation work for the construction project has been underway since July 2023. The construction site was cleared, the outer facade of Terminal 3 in the connection area was demolished, cable trays were laid, and shaft structures were built. Now the intensive construction phase is beginning. At present civil engineering work is in full swing using more than 900 bored piles and the foundation is being built. Subsequently construction of the six-storey building will commence, followed by the interior fittings and installation of the building technology system.
Digital twin: the Southern Expansion is already completely virtually accessibleConstruction of the new terminal building will take place in accordance with the most modern standards and based on the use of digital technologies. The entire building has been fully digitally recorded and virtually mapped out in the Building Information Modelling (BIM) system to reflect construction plans. There is, so to speak, a “digital twin.” The entire building can be virtually entered. With just a click of the mouse, it is possible to wander through all rooms, floors and areas of the future terminal building. Not only are the walls, stairways, elevator shafts and other structural aspects presented, but also all the wiring and connections required in the future for the energy supply, building services and IT in the building. The advantage is that the actual state of construction work will be recorded in real time. Thus, all fittings and installations will also be available to the operational management.
Sustainability is a top priority, also for the new Southern ExpansionSustainability is also playing an important role in the new Southern Expansion project. State-of-the-art building technology solutions will be integrated alongside optimised thermal insulation and a highly insulating façade. The intelligent building control system will also include highly efficient ventilation facilities with free cooling. Vienna Airport has already gained experience in constructing climate-friendly buildings. Office Park 4 with its geothermal heating/cooling supply, wind-optimised façade and sustainable construction has been seen as one of Austria’s most environmentally compatible office buildings up until today. The electricity supply will be partly derived from the airport’s own photovoltaic facilities, which will provide about 50 million kilowatt hours of electricity annually starting in 2024.

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Discovery tours of Namibia, great value beach breaks in Mauritius and glamping experiences in Thailand are all in demand for the year ahead according to the latest forecast from Kuoni.
The report is based on a data from Kuoni’s peak January and February sales period so far and reflects places around the world which are enticing people to book.
Even for premium travel, value for money is still a conversation many of Kuoni’s travel experts have been having with clients.  The Kuoni sales team has seen higher volumes of holiday bookings to Thailand, South Africa and India than last year, which all offer immersive travel experiences but favourable exchange rates which are amplifying the pounds’ worth.   
Whilst iconic “bucket list” travel is still popular, Kuoni is seeing people asking about experiences beyond the well-trodden tourist trails.  The destination experts at Kuoni have created more travel options to many lesser-known regions, national parks and states, an example being a new itinerary in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, an often overlooked area that’s home to historic battlefields, mountain vistas and rich zulu cultures.
Destinations appearing in Kuoni’s trending destinations list for 2024 include Mauritius, Thailand, Greece, Namibia, Sri Lanka, Portugal, South Africa, Canada, Grenada and India.ADVERTISEMENTThe island of Grenada, with a blend of beach plus rainforest, has climbed Kuoni’s destination chart and is becoming one of the stars of the Caribbean.  The hotel sector is evolving this year too, with Spice Island Resort making a stellar come-back after a substantial spruce-up and the much-anticipated debut of Six Senses La Lagesse in Spring set to turn heads.
Nature and cool landscapes are a big draw for the year ahead, and Canada is enjoying an upturn in sales with independent self-drive trips and rail and sail holidays including the little-known Skeena Train which captures the beauty of British Columbia.
Portugal and Greece are the stand-out places for premium short-haul travel.  In tune with the experiential travel wave, the volcanic archipelago of the Azores and self-drive tours in the Douro Valley and city breaks in Lisbon and Porto are drawing people to Portugal.  And in Greece, Kuoni is selling more island-hopping combinations like Santorini and Mykonos. Family bookings to Greece have risen with Ikos Resorts high on the wish list this summer.
Sri Lanka sales are also on the rise again and it is reclaiming its place as one of the best-selling long-haul destinations for Kuoni. Looking ahead to this year, the focus is on sustainable growth and attractions like the Pekoe Trail, a new long-distance hiking route from the Hanthana Mountains to Nuwara Eliya’s hill stations.
Thailand is also back on the map this year with rising sales.  The next series of White Lotus is creating a buzz along with a rising curiosity for more offbeat journeys.  The Bush Camp Chiang Mai, sister property to the award-winning Elephant Hills, is a top choice for seeing elephants in their natural habitat and this is being combined with glamping experiences at Raya Heritage.
Marco Rocha, product and commercial director at Kuoni, said: “There’s a huge thirst for immersive travel this year and we’ve seen a huge diversity in terms of what people are booking so far, but with some clear trends emerging.
We anticipated that value for money was going to be front of mind for all our customers this year, whether honeymooners, families, singles or older couples. We have been focussed on broadening our range and developing our commercial approach so we’re as competitive on price and service as we’ve ever been.
Mauritius is winning out for Indian Ocean luxury at attractive prices. For those big trips, like South Africa and India, they are also proving great value and spending money on the ground goes a long way.  It’s great to see places like Namibia taking off as it’s something of a well-kept secret in Africa often overshadowed by the safari giants like Kenya and Tanzania. 
We’ve had a strong start to the year, but anticipate that we’ll also see demand come through later this year as well as people assess their travel plans and budgets. But all evidence shows that travel is very much on the priority list for the year ahead.”

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If you are looking for the best bear watch tours in Alaska then check out Bear Viewing in Alaska because they have now introduced some new bear watch tour packages in theory portfolio for a mindful bear watching in Alaska. All their tours come with an itinerary that offers everything from bear watching to delicious food and a friendly stay.
bear viewing alaska
Why Visit Alaska for Bear Watching?Alaska has been home to a different scope of untamed life. From Bald Eagles to otters to remarkable types of bears, there’s no lack of entrancing untamed life seen here. A bear-seeing tour is no doubt the most special experience you have during your outing to the Last Wilderness.
If you’re keen on bear watching, make the most of our Creeks Falls Bear tours. Every bear watching tour offered by Bear Viewing in Alaska is driven by a specialist Alaskan Naturalist Guide who can ensure you’ll see bears, making it one of the most mind-blowing open doors for bear seeing in The Frozen North. Peruse on to become familiar with this stand-out experience!
Keen on adding a bear seeing visit to your Alaska schedule? Book our Streams Falls Bear tour by Bear Viewing in Alaska. We can hardly hold on to assist you with arranging the outing that could only be described as epic!ADVERTISEMENTAll that You Want to Realize About the Creeks Falls Bear Watch Tour
AccessibilityThe Streams Falls Bear Survey Visit is accessible from Anchorage. This tour incorporates airplane transportation to and from Streams Falls as well as three hours at the Falls’ bear seeing region.
If you can’t make it during these dates, just relax! You can book another of our bear watch tours at Katmai Public Park or Lake Clark. These choices are accessible from mid-May to early September and begin at $695 per individual including airplane transportation.
Bear Tour ScheduleThe Creeks Falls Bear Survey Visit permits you to get an inside take a gander at brown beachfront bears (peninsular mountain bears), wild bears, and more right at home.
For more information visit https://bearviewinginalaska.com/

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Roger Blackburn, oneworld VP Europe, Middle East and Africa (second from the left) collects the Gold award in the Best Alliance category in the Business Traveller ‘Cellars in the Sky Awards’, awarded for the 13th year in row , surrounded by colleagues from fellow oneworld members airlines.
For the 13th year in a row the oneworld® alliance has been named the world’s Best Airline Alliance for wines served by member airlines onboard in an annual international tasting competition.
The Gold award in the Best Alliance category came from the Business Traveller’s Cellars in the Sky Awards 2023 now its its 38th year.
The Cellars in the Sky Awards has been running since 1985 and celebrates the best business and first class wines served by airlines on their flights.
Judging this year’s inflight wines were winemaker John Worontschak, Masters of Wine Sam Caporn and Peter McCombie, and head judge Charles Metcalfe, founder of the International Wine Challenge.
oneworld’s VP Europe, Middle East and Africa, Roger Blackburn, picked up the award at a ceremony in London this week following a blind tasting by judges who sampled more than 280 wines submitted by 30 airlines for consideration.ADVERTISEMENTRoger Blackburn, said: “We are delighted to raise a glass to all oneworld carriers who took part in this year’s Cellars in Sky Awards which helped to secure the alliance’s premiere position and once again recognised our member airlines for offering the best wines in-flight.”
2024 saw oneworld member Qantas win a record thirteen medals in a total of nine categories, including Best Business Class White, Best Business Class Red, Best Business Class Cellar, Best First Class Sparkling, Best First Class White, Best First Class Red, Best First Class Fortified / Dessert Wine, Best First Class Cellar and Best Overall Cellar.

Several oneworld member airlines also received medals in the Cellars in the Sky Awards:

American Airlines received a Silver in a First Class Rosé awardsBritish Airways took home a Silver in the First Class Red awards, a Silver in First Class Sparkling, and a Bronze in First Class Rosé awardsJapan Airlines was awarded with a Bronze in the First Class White awards and a Bronze in the First Class Best Wine List awards   Malaysia Airlines received a Gold in the First Class White awards and a Bronze in First Class Sparkling, a Silver in the First Class Cellar awardsQatar Airways received a Gold in First Class Rosé awards, a Silver in Business Class Red, a Bronze in First Class Fortified / Dessert Wine, a Bronze in the Business Class White, a Silver in the Business Class Cellar and an Overall Cellar awardsAirlines can compete for awards in any category, so long as they serve wine in business or first class on mid- or long-haul routes and are able to enter two red and white wines, a rosé, a sparkling wine, as well as a fortified or dessert wine from each cabin.

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Active Travel Group (‘ATG’) has published its first annual sustainability report as it outlines ambitious plans to accelerate action on climate change, working towards a 50% reduction in carbon emissions across the Group by 2030.The ATG approach to sustainability focuses action in three key strategic areas: Climate, Conservation and Community.
ATG brands which include the Wilderness Group, Ski Solutions and Cycling for Softies were founding signatories to the Glasgow Declaration, announced at COP26 in Scotland. Building a baseline understanding of the Group’s Scope 1, 2 & 3 carbon emissions has been a key climate priority over the last two years, and the Group publishes the results of this audit within the report, alongside reduction targets for 2024 and beyond.
The report reveals that Wilderness’ Scope 1 & 2 carbon emissions reduced by 16% over the period, supported by the introduction of a pilot fleet of electric vehicles to support tours from its Aviemore base in Scotland.
ATG’s sustainability report also highlights efforts the company is making to support conservation and community campaigns relevant to each of the Group brands. At the heart of these efforts is the Wilderness Conservation and Community Fund (WCCF). Founded in 2010 by The Wilderness Group, this initiative allows travellers to give back to those environments and communities at the heart of the travel experience.
Since its launch in 2010, The Wilderness Group has raised over £100,000 for grass roots environmental and community organisations dedicated to making the world a better place. In addition, the Wilderness staff team has the goal of committing 800+ hours of volunteering time per annum to those projects, supported as part of their “Big 100” volunteer programme in 2024.ADVERTISEMENTATG Chief Sustainability Officer, Paul Easto who authored the report said:
“By taking the significant step of publishing The Active Travel Group’s first annual sustainability report, we are making an ongoing commitment to providing greater insight and transparency on our sustainability performance, sharing progress against the goals and targets we have set.”
Commenting on the report, Group CEO Craig Burton said:
“Our ambition at ATG is to provide industry leadership and action across our key sustainability focus areas.  Whilst we recognise the scale of the challenge the industry is facing and the need to intensify our own efforts, all of our teams across the UK and Ireland can be rightly proud of their achievements in recent years.”
Championing Lower Carbon Holiday Choices
Cycling for Softies has been promoting low-impact travel for over 35 years. Having measured the brand’s carbon footprint in 2022-23, the data revealed that the average Cycling for Softies holiday has a footprint of 126kg CO2e per trip, or 18kg CO2e per day.
With over 30% of guests now choosing to travel by train to their destination (on average 30kg CO2e return), Cycling for Softies offers one of the lowest carbon holiday options for exploring Europe. A seven-day bike tour in Provence staying in 4-star hotels and including return train travel from London would be 157kg CO2e which equates to a 75% reduction in emissions compared to taking the same trip by plane. Cycling for Softies publishes CO2e data on its website alongside tour details allowing customers to make an informed choice.
Supporting Grass Roots Conservation Projects
For nearly two decades, The Wilderness Group has supported the conservation charity, the John Muir Trust in their work to protect and preserve the wild places of Scotland.
Over the next three years, Wilderness will be supporting the John Muir Trust on a Mountain Woodland project on the slopes of the iconic Perthshire mountain of Schiehallion. The project aims to create a varied habitat linking low-level woodland to the alpine zone bringing biodiversity, aesthetic, and carbon benefits.
Financial support delivered via the Wilderness Conservation & Community Fund (WCCF) will be bolstered by regular volunteer work groups from the Wilderness team to provide resources to undertake groundwork and assist with tree planting.

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