Less Carbon,
Double the Fun.

Every company can make a big change.

Welcome to making your tourism and travel business low carbon. This toolkit gives you the CHANGE-DESIGN-SELL process and tools from measuring your first emissions all the way to designing low-carbon experiences your customers will actually choose - and communicating them without greenwashing.

Three ways to use the toolkit - pick one, or combine them:

Read this site as a self-study and apply the tools and templates.
Use the AI prompts in each section with your preferred tool.
Talk to the Custom GPT for conversational guidance.

Enjoy the journey of making travel less carbon,
and double the fun.

01 CHANGE

Identify and reduce emissions in your operations.

Pick a calculator. Map. Measure. Find your hot spots. Implement reduction

+ PROVE:

Ensuring data reliability when measuring and implementing action.

02 DESIGN

Build a low-carbon business customers want to choose.

Concept the experience. Test before you scale. Make low-carbon the more attractive option.

+ PROVE:

Using evidence when concepting a new business model for a service.

03 SELL

Reach the right customers. Communicate without greenwashing.

Use communication and nudges that actually work for your customers.

+ PROVE:

Having the data to back up every claim.

Anchor 1

Choose a carbon calculator that fits your business

A tool that fits your size, sector and ambition is worth far more than a comprehensive one you abandon after the first attempt. Eight questions narrow the choice down quickly. Answer these before comparing tools. Use our guide to to choosing a carbon calculator or the check list below.

Three things to check:

01 TECHNICAL QUALITY

Does it cover at least Scope 1 and 2, and preferably Scope 3?
Is the data updated regularly and relevant for your country and the tourism sector?
Does the tool show where its emission factors and methods come from?

02 EASE OF USE & ACCESS

Can you use it in a browser without installations?
Is the interface simple enough for a non-expert to use a few times per year?
Is the price reasonable for a small tourism business - or even free?

03 EXTRA FEATURES & SUPPORT

Can you track results over several years and see trends?
Do you get clear charts you can share with staff and funders?
Is there help available — guides, help desk, training — if you get stuck?

AI PROMPTS:

Use these prompts to identify and understand your emissions with your chosen AI tool.

Compare carbon calculators available in my country on transparency of factors, full scope coverage, ease of use and price.
What's the simplest free calculator for a beginner in the tourism sector?
Help me draft a one-week pilot plan to trial a carbon calculator with my real business data.
What scopes are essential for my business model — and which can I add in year two?
Generate a list of red flags that suggest a calculator is not transparent enough.

A four steps overview from emission hotspots to action

1.Identify your emission hotspots

Use your calculator results. Focus on the top 2–3 emission sources. These are typically the biggest opportunities for change.

Avoid picking only what feels easy or familiar. Look at where your company's own choices most influence the outcome.

Step 2: Explore tactics and new ideas

For each hotspot, generate three ideas to reduce it. Change menus. Optimise routes. Share equipment with partners. Borrow what already works elsewhere - most tourism SMEs do not need to invent new tactics, only adapt them.

Step 3: Evaluate the business case

Score each shortlisted idea against four simple criteria:

One-time cost - what to install or set up
Ongoing cost change
Revenue / payback
CO₂ + other benefits

Some ideas will have quick payback. Others will bring longer-term advantages. And some will not yield enough benefits to justify the cost - that is also a useful finding.

Step 4: Plan the reduction implementation

Even the best idea can lose momentum once daily work takes over. Map the five enablers for your top idea:

Timeline - when can the change realistically be implemented?
Skills & capacity - what expertise do you already have, what training is needed, where will you need extra hands?
Partners - local suppliers, consultants, authorities, associations, other SMEs.
Infrastructure & tools - physical goods, digital systems, energy solutions, data tracking.
Policy & regulations - permits, EU regulations, subsidies, certifications.

AI PROMPTS:

Use these prompts to move from calculator output to a costed plan you can actually run.

1.Help me identify my top 2–3 emission hotspots from the calculator results I'll paste here.

2.Generate three practical reduction tactics for each of my hotspots — and rank them by effort vs CO₂ impact.

3.Build a business case score for these ideas using one-time cost, ongoing cost, payback, and CO₂ benefit

4. Draft a six-month implementation plan with phases, named owners, partners and dependencies.5

.What funding or subsidy programs in my country could support these actions?

Five questions that turn an idea into a service

01 · WHO IS THIS SERVICE FOR?

What kind of person would actively want this — what do they value, prioritise, care about when choosing experiences?
What are they willing to trade off — paying more for exclusivity, accepting slower travel for a better journey, choosing depth over convenience?
What signals make them feel "this is for me" — tone, social context, format, setting?
For inspiration, see our guide to customer archetypes

02 · WHAT MAKES THIS SERVICE LOW-CARBON?

Which 1–3 key elements of this service or business make it low-carbon?
Are the low-carbon elements built in by default — or does the customer need to opt in?
What are the 1–2 things that make the biggest emissions difference?
To see what can make the whole business low carbon. consult our business plan template

03 · WHAT MAKES THIS SERVICE AN EXPERIENCE?

What is the central idea or story - the thing that makes it coherent and memorable rather than just a list of activities?
What will the visitor feel, remember, or tell others about after it is over?
Does the low-carbon dimension add extra value to the experience, or does it just not constrain it?
For help in concepting a low carbon experience, use the guide to service concepting and design to make your experience stand out.

04 · COMMERCIAL VIABILITY

What must be true commercially for this to work - price premium, minimum occupancy, minimum partner participation?
What are the biggest commercial risks - too niche, too expensive, operationally complex, cannibalises existing sales?
For doing the math behind the service, use our handy business case calculator.

05 · CORE SERVICE PROMISE

Can you describe this service in one clear sentence a customer would immediately understand?
What is the main personal benefit - not the environmental one, but the experience, feeling, status, convenience, value?
What makes this different from what a competitor could offer tomorrow?

AI PROMPTS:
Use these prompts to take a concept from idea to testable pilot

Help me fill out the Concept Template for my service - who it's for, what makes it low-carbon, what makes it an experience.
Draft a one-sentence core service promise for this concept - without using the words 'sustainable' or 'eco-friendly.'
Suggest three low-cost, low-risk ways to test this concept before full launch.
For a destination or travel agency, map the ecosystem partners needed - and where the weak links might be.
Identify the biggest commercial risks of this low-carbon concept — too niche, too expensive, operationally complex?

Vague is out. Specific and fun wins.

Generic words - "sustainable", "eco-friendly", "green", "climate-neutral" — no longer cut through. Self-made labels are losing trust; third-party certification is the new baseline. Future-tense claims ("what we will do") read as evasion, not ambition. Even before regulation lands, the consumer has moved.

For a comprehensive look at how to market and communicate your business and service without greenwashing but still interesting, consult our Marcom Guide.

Spot the Difference:

Same business, two ways of saying it

BEFORE — vague & risky

Escape to our eco-friendly lakeside retreat — a truly sustainable holiday in harmony with nature."

Problems: "eco-friendly" vague · "sustainable" vague · "harmony with nature" meaningless · no proof of anything.

AFTER — specific & interesting

"A lakeside weekend that runs on solar and homegrown veggies. The sauna is hot. The fish is local and you can even catch your own. The carbon? Our footprint is 70% lower than 3 years ago — see our calculation."

Why it works: specific (solar, homegrown, 70%) · comparative (vs own footprint) ·sensory (sauna, fish) · proof one click away.

AI PROMPTS:
Use these prompts to make compliant communication interesting — and interesting communication compliant.

Audit my website hero copy for vague sustainability claims - and rewrite each with claim + number + scope + source.
Apply the 'Less Carbon, Double the Fun' tone of voice to this draft, leading with the sensory hook and proof underneath.
Pick the right creative angle (Sensory Upgrade, Proof Story, Quiet Achievement, Better Default, Honest Limit) for my customer mix.
Build a backup file checklist for every claim - measurement, scope, time period, verifier, last/next audit date.
Help me draft a response to a customer accusing us of greenwashing - calm, specific, with proof.

How to make sure you have reliable proof for every claim

01 CHANGE: USE RELIABLE TOOLS AND DATA SOURCES FOR MEASUREMENT

Pick a transparent calculator. Document scope, time period and method. Keep the original measurement file, not a summary.

02 DESIGN: USE DATA AND EVIDENCE WHEN BUIDLING A NEW BUSINESS MDOEL OR SERVICE

Carbon data is like any other business data. Use it at every step - just like money- to make decisions and document its use.

03 ·SELL: ENGAGE WITH EVIDENCE

Every claim: claim + number + scope + source. Backup file ready when somebody asks.

Pro tip: What to have when somebody asks

(and they will)

The original measurement or audit report - PDF or email confirmation. Not a summary, the source document.
The scope statement - what is included, what is excluded, why.
The time period covered - year, quarter, or measurement window.
The name and contact of the verifier - auditor, certifying body, or independent measurement source.
The dates - last verification and next planned. When was it audited; when is the next audit scheduled?

AI PROMPTS:
Use these prompts to keep every claim trustworthy

Audit the claims on my website and rewrite each one to meet the claim + number + scope + source test.
Generate a backup-file checklist template I can fill in for every public sustainability claim.
Help me write a scope statement for my CO₂e per guest-night figure — what's included, what's excluded, and why.
Draft a one-page "how we measure" explainer that I can link from every claim on my website.
Help me prepare for a journalist or auditor questioning my biggest sustainability claim — what should I have ready?

Anchor 3

Anchor 2

Resources & Tools

No one has to start from scratch.

Practical templates and examples save time, reduce errors, and give confidence. Use what you need, in the order that suits you.

Low Carbon Business Plan

Business Case Calculation

Low Carbon Prompt Library

Choosing a Carbon Calculator

Summary Guide ro Less Carbon Double The Fun

Marcom Guide to Less Carbon Double the Fun

Customer Archetypes and Nudging

AI PROMPTS:

Use these prompts to find ready-made templates and examples with your chosen AI tool.

List all data collection templates available for my business type.
Find me a supplier email template for requesting carbon data.
Give me a simple measurement boundary guide for beginners.
Where can I connect with other businesses to share experiences?
Recommend further reading or case studies for my team.

CHANGE

Less Carbon, Double the Fun.

Every company can make a big change.

Read this site as a self-study and apply the tools and templates.

Use the AI prompts in each section with your preferred tool.

Talk to the Custom GPT for conversational guidance.

​ Enjoy the journey of making travel less carbon, and double the fun.

Choose a carbon calculator that fits your business

AI PROMPTS:

Use these prompts to identify and understand your emissions with your chosen AI tool.

Step 2: Explore tactics and new ideas

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Step 3: Evaluate the business case

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Step 4: Plan the reduction implementation

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Resources & Tools

AI PROMPTS:

Use these prompts to find ready-made templates and examples with your chosen AI tool.

Less Carbon,
Double the Fun.

Enjoy the journey of making travel less carbon,
and double the fun.