Road Scholar, a not-for-profit leader in educational travel for adults, has embarked on an ambitious journey to embed sustainability across its operations and itineraries. To support this transformation, Road Scholar partnered with Sustainable Travel International to implement a customized sustainable travel training program for staff and providers that aligns with its broader efforts to measure and improve its impact, as well as a carbon offset initiative. Together, these efforts lay the groundwork for Road Scholar to preserve the world’s cultural and natural heritage as an inspiring and irreplaceable classroom for future generations of learners.
The Challenge
Embedding Holistic Sustainability Across Road Scholar’s Global Itineraries
Road Scholar is committed to fostering lifelong learning through immersive exploration. Its programs encourage travelers to experience the world rather than simply observe it – by meeting new people, delving into diverse cultures, and exploring remarkable landscapes alongside renowned experts. This experiential nature of Road Scholar’s programs naturally promotes sustainability principles like cultural sensitivity and inclusion, fostering transformative travel experiences that deepen travelers’ understanding of the world.
Similarly, Road Scholar views sustainability as a continuous learning and growth process, striving to better understand its impact and identify opportunities to catalyze positive change. To deepen its commitment, Road Scholar is working to enhance the sustainability of its programs, guided by five holistic principles: respecting and preserving local cultures, conserving natural environments, minimizing waste and pollution, protecting wildlife, and making a difference in the communities they visit.
“At Road Scholar, we view the world as our classroom, and just as any educator would protect their learning environment, we feel a deep responsibility to safeguard our planet, ensuring future generations can continue to explore and learn from the world without compromising its health.”
To assess current practices and identify areas for improvement, Road Scholar planned a comprehensive audit of all its offerings. This effort spans a complex network of suppliers who play essential roles in delivering Road Scholar’s programs, from accommodations to meals to transportation. With 700+ itineraries spanning more than 100 countries, this audit is no small task. Recognizing the scale of this undertaking, Road Scholar chose to make it a collaborative effort and engage its staff in evaluating the programs.
While these long-term efforts take shape, Road Scholar also continues addressing its environmental footprint through its carbon offset program, ensuring immediate action complements its broader sustainability strategy. To ensure success, Road Scholar sought a partner to educate its team on the importance of sustainability and how to implement it while also identifying impactful carbon offset projects aligned with its mission.
Solution
From Knowledge to Action: Laying the Groundwork for Sustainable Progress
In seeking a partner to support its sustainability efforts, Road Scholar chose Sustainable Travel International for our recognized leadership and comprehensive solutions. Sustainable Travel International’s ability to provide both educational support and high-quality carbon offset projects made us an ideal partner for advancing their sustainability goals.
“We were impressed by Sustainable Travel International’s reputation as a trusted leader in sustainable tourism, and their projects align closely with the destinations and values that are central to Road Scholar. What particularly stood out to us was their holistic approach, offering support that goes beyond carbon offsets.”
Sustainable Travel International designed a training course consisting of bite-sized video modules to educate Road Scholar’s staff and suppliers on essential topics such as waste reduction, climate action, community empowerment, and wildlife protection. The program was customized to include examples from Road Scholar’s itineraries, ensuring immediate relevance. The course was supplemented with a training guide, which provides practical tips for implementing the sustainability practices discussed.
Simultaneously, Road Scholar partnered with Sustainable Travel International to strengthen its carbon offset efforts, supporting a portfolio of high-impact projects such as wind energy, biochar, and forest protection. These projects are continuously vetted to ensure they deliver real, positive changes that reduce carbon and deliver broader environmental and community benefits. These offsets allow Road Scholar to actively mitigate its environmental footprint as the company works to audit its emissions sources and develop long-term decarbonization strategies.
Impact
The sustainability training program has been distributed to all of Road Scholar’s staff and providers. This practical training equips staff with the tools and knowledge needed to make sustainability-conscious decisions and evaluate suppliers’ environmental and socio-cultural practices. “We hope our staff sees the importance of understanding our vendors and asking critical questions when looking for new accommodations, transportation, meal and activity options,” said Bryn Geddes, Program Sustainability Manager at Road Scholar.
By educating providers in addition to staff, Road Scholar aims to ensure its sustainability values are carried forward down its supply chain. This education serves as the foundation for creating clear policies and guidelines that will create a ripple effect of impact throughout Road Scholar’s supplier network. “The tourism supply chain is really complex. You’re working with someone who is working with someone who is working with someone,” explained Meghan Flynn, Associate Vice President of Program Strategy at Road Scholar, “It’s passing down that education and having clear policies and guidelines and making sure that everybody understands how important it is that we’re being mindful of the people and places we visit.”
By supporting the carbon offset projects, Road Scholar is not only taking responsibility for its environmental footprint but also contributing to global climate goals, biodiversity protection, and community development. For instance, the Keo Seima project helps protect vital wildlife habitats in Cambodia, including those of endangered gibbons and Asian elephants, while supporting the indigenous communities that depend on the forest. The Larimar Wind farm project in the Dominican Republic is helping to green the country’s energy systems and contribute to long-term energy sustainability in a tourism hotspot.
The response to these initiatives has been overwhelmingly positive, reinforcing Road Scholar’s belief that its commitment to sustainability resonates strongly with its community and adds value to its offerings. This partnership with Sustainable Travel International demonstrates how education, collaboration, and a step-by-step approach can create lasting benefits for the communities and environments the tourism industry engages with.
150
People trained on sustainable tourism best practices.
Over 70%
Of Road Scholar’s travelers believe the company genuinely cares about the environment.
16,480,815
Miles of economy class flights offset through carbon reduction and removal projects.
Company
Road Scholar
Company Type
Tour Operator
Partnership Dates
2024 - Present
Solutions Used
Contribute to the Climate
Employee Training
Membership
