We all know ‘luxury’ means different things to different people – one client’s indulgence is another’s must-have. But when a customer throws the word ‘sustainable’ into the mix, where does the search begin? Do luxury sustainable holidays exist and is it possible to make money from selling them?
One agent at the forefront of what she says is a growing movement of sustainable luxury travel is Julie Breckon, who runs North Yorkshire-based Earthwise Travel, which neatly captures its ethos in its tagline: ‘Indulgent Journeys, Mindfully Designed.’
Julie’s been an agent for 12 years and set up Earthwise Travel in November 2023 to focus specifically on sustainable travel. Over the past year, the business has evolved into sustainable luxury travel, in response to growing demand from clients who want ‘exceptional experiences that also align with their values’.
“Sustainability has always been a huge part of my life,” she explains. “I’ve always believed this world is on loan to us – we should enjoy it but also enhance it for the next generation.”
She says she’d been thinking about moving into selling sustainable travel for a long time but ‘wanted to do it properly’.
“That meant investing time in training, research and really understanding what genuine sustainable travel looks like, not just what’s marketed as such.
“By 2023, the time felt right. Demand was growing, and clients were asking different questions.”
So, what is sustainable luxury travel?
“It’s about combining exceptional experiences with responsible choices,” says Julie. “It’s not about compromising on comfort or quality. In fact, in many cases, sustainable travel enhances the luxury experience because it tends to be more authentic, more personal, and more meaningful.
“I define sustainable luxury travel as travel that delivers outstanding experiences while also considering environmental impact, supporting local communities, and protecting culture and wildlife.
“That might mean staying in eco-certified luxury lodges powered by renewable energy; choosing a smaller, locally owned boutique hotel that supports marine conservation; experiencing wildlife in the wild, in ways that support conservation or opting for slow travel – rail journeys or longer stays instead of multiple flights.
“Luxury today is also changing. Increasingly, my clients see luxury as space, privacy, time, and meaningful experiences rather than simply marble bathrooms and gold taps.”
Who’s booking and what do they want?
Julie says many of her clients are ‘successful, time-poor professionals who want someone they trust to design something thoughtful and seamless’. “They’re looking for something different –something more meaningful.”
Others, she says, ‘want to travel more responsibly but don’t know where to start’. “There’s so much information out there, and it and it can be difficult to know what is genuinely sustainable and what is simply clever marketing. That’s why they come to me.
“My role is to cut through the noise, researching properties, checking sustainability credentials, and building itineraries that align with their values.”
Can luxury really be sustainable?
Yes, says Julie. What’s more, she believes: “It’s no longer a niche. It’s becoming the future.
“It opens doors to more authentic, personal and unique experiences – things clients might never have discovered otherwise. Importantly, perfection isn’t the goal. It’s about making better, more mindful choices. Travel has enormous power to be a force for good, such as supporting local economies, protecting wildlife, preserving cultures.
“A sustainable luxury holiday is thoughtfully designed from start to finish, from where you stay, to how you travel, to who benefits locally.”
To ensure clients are travelling sustainably, Julie does meticulous research – vetting eco-lodges, analysing certifications, and working with trusted operators. She’s currently studying for the GSTC Sustainable Tourism Certificate and already holds Green Tourism Silver status.
“I don’t package holidays,” she adds. “I design bespoke itineraries and work with specialist partners to bring them to life, ensuring clients get both financial protection and expert support.”
Since she started selling sustainable luxury holidays, Julie says her income has stayed the same.
“There isn’t much difference in the price,” she says. “It’s usually within £100 or so and generally not enough to make anyone not want a sustainable hotel.
“I do get people who don’t specify a sustainable holiday and might ask for a hotel that is not sustainable. I then get a price for it, but also get a price for a nearby sustainable hotel that’s a similar cost and standard to what they asked for. I explain how their money is being much better spent on the sustainable hotel. In every case, they have opted for the sustainable accommodation.”
Recent bookings
A recent enquiry involved a couple celebrating a milestone anniversary who wanted something unique and more immersive than a typical beach resort. Julie suggested a slow travel itinerary through Switzerland, combining scenic rail journeys with boutique sustainable hotels such as CERVO Mountain Resort in Zermatt, located in a car-free Alpine village, and Whitepod Eco-Luxury Hotel in Valais, where accommodation is in high-end, low-impact eco pods.
“The focus for this client was slowing down, enjoying the journey, and experiencing the destination more authentically,” Julie explains.
In another recent enquiry, a client asked for a luxury safari that genuinely supported conservation, with a potential beach extension.
Julie suggested conservation-led properties such as &Beyond Phinda Private Game Reserve in South Africa (pictured), which is well known for its wildlife conservation work, then extending the trip with a stay at a sustainably minded resort such as Six Senses Zil Pasyon in the Seychelles.
“For this client, luxury meant space, expert guiding, exclusivity, and knowing their holiday was contributing positively to the destination. These types of enquiries highlight how sustainable luxury travel isn’t about limiting choice.
“In many cases, it opens the door to more unique and meaningful experiences that clients may not otherwise discover.”
Is it time-consuming?
“If someone wanted a simple fly and flop, staying in one hotel, I can turn that around in a few hours and it would be around the same price as a non-sustainable hotel,” Julie explains.
“I’m obviously checking credentials, so that’s the bit that can be time consuming, as I’m reading through sustainability policies, evidence from their websites and reviews. Sometimes I will call the hotel to clarify something too.
“The more complex the itinerary, the longer that then takes, as I might have to also check out domestic transport, tour companies and attractions. It could easily take a week or two on a complex itinerary.”
Her most complex itinerary was a round-the-world tour for a couple, one of whom had a medical diagnosis ‘meaning this was their final fling’.
“As well as checking out the sustainability side of things, I was also checking whether certain medications could be taken into some countries. There were a lot of locally guided tours and attractions involved and a total of 17 countries, some with more than one destination,” she says.
“It was around five months of travelling. I never divulge what anyone spends, but it was well into the tens of thousands of pounds. It took around two and a half weeks to put together initially, then we had a few weeks back and forth, amending the itinerary until they got it as they wanted it.”
Travel as a force for good
“Ultimately, my role is to make sustainable luxury travel simple, seamless, and inspiring. Clients can enjoy exceptional comfort and service, while also knowing their holiday has been thoughtfully designed with people, places, and the planet in mind,” says Julie.
“I have the ability to use travel as a force for good, to bring about positive changes for people, wildlife and the planet, and therefore I see it as my duty and a privilege to be able to do so.”
How to do it
Here are Julie’s tips on selling sustainable travel:
Start by looking at making the day-to-day running of their business more sustainable. When you live out what you are expecting others to do, it becomes much easier to explain to others why they should take a sustainable holiday.
Give customers advice on being more sustainable on holiday. Take a reusable water bottle and tote bags for shopping. Don’t buy products made on the mass market, go for local handmade items. Eat locally. Explore off the beaten track, rather than following the crowds. Don’t engage in any wildlife attractions that include physical contact with the animals, flash photography around the animals, or that make the animals perform in any way.
Look out for courses that will deepen your understanding, such as carbon literacy and certifications from professional sustainable organisations.
There are free courses if you spend time searching, but I opted for the paid courses, as they are more in-depth. It’s a lot of hard work. I’ve spent years doing training and certifications, most of which have required lots of evidence to back up what I’m doing, and examinations to test understanding before issuing certificates.
Doing anything is better than doing nothing. Even if an agent picked one positive change and focused on that, it’s one step in the right direction and helps people/planet. The more they do, the better the impact, and that’s where travel truly becomes a force for good.
