Ellen Mutimer

ESG Executive

Sustainable travel policy guide

Five things every good travel policy should help people do.

Let’s be honest, travel policies don’t always get people excited. For a long time, they were seen as a document that answered practical questions. Which flights can I book? Which hotel should I stay in? Can I claim back my coffee and pastry? And of course, how do we keep travel spend under control?

Those things still matter and they always will. A good travel policy should provide clarity, consistency and help organisations manage costs effectively.

But I think they’re capable of so much more.

Today, travel policies have the potential to shape the way organisations travel. They influence the decisions we make before we’ve even packed a suitcase, supporting employee wellbeing, strengthening duty of care and encouraging more responsible supplier choices. More importantly, they have the power to make sustainability the default, not an afterthought.

The best travel policies don’t just tell people what they can and can’t do. They make it easier to make good decisions.

Sustainability shouldn’t feel like an extra step or another box to tick. It should become the default. The option that’s considered without a second thought. Just as we naturally think about the cost of a journey, we should also be thinking about its wider impact, on the environment, on the traveller and on the communities we visit.

After all, every business trip has an impact. A well-designed travel policy can help make sure it’s a positive one. So, if I were reviewing a travel policy today, these are the five things I’d want it to help people do.

  1. Make sustainable travel the easiest choice

A travel policy shouldn’t just mention sustainability; it should make it part of the booking process. Consider including guidance on:

  • When rail should be the preferred option over air. For example, where the rail journey is under four hours (or another timeframe that works for your organisation), rail could be the default unless there’s a clear business reason to fly.
  • Choosing hotels with recognised sustainability certifications. Look out for certifications such as Green Key, Green Tourism or ECOsmart. At Inntel, we make this easy by highlighting hotels with recognised ESG credentials on our online booking platform.
  • Encouraging direct routes where possible. While it might seem counterintuitive, a direct flight is often more carbon efficient than multiple shorter flights due to the additional emissions generated during take-off and landing.
  • Setting clear expectations around traveller behaviour. This doesn’t need to be prescriptive but it could include simple principles such as considering public transport over taxis where practical, avoiding unnecessary overnight stays, or encouraging travellers to combine multiple meetings into one trip where possible.

Ask yourself: If a traveller wanted to make the more sustainable choice today, would your travel policy make that easy?

  1. Encourage purposeful travel

Business travel creates real value. It brings people together, strengthens relationships and often sparks the conversations that simply wouldn’t happen over a screen. But that doesn’t mean every meeting needs to involve a journey.

A good travel policy should encourage employees to think about the purpose behind each trip, helping ensure that every journey delivers value for both the individual and the organisation. Consider including guidance on:

  • Combining multiple meetings into one trip. Where possible, encourage travellers to maximise the value of each journey by scheduling several meetings or site visits during the same trip, reducing the need for multiple journeys.
  • When a virtual meeting may be the better option. Face-to-face meetings remain incredibly important, but some conversations can be just as effective online. Your policy should empower employees to make the right choice based on the purpose of the meeting, rather than defaulting to travel.
  • The value the journey is expected to deliver. Encourage employees to consider the outcome they’re hoping to achieve. Is the trip essential for building relationships, collaborating, winning new business or solving a complex challenge? If so, the value of travelling may outweigh the environmental impact.

A good travel policy isn’t about travelling less at all costs, it’s about travelling with purpose, ensuring every journey has a clear reason and creates meaningful value.

  1. Put traveller wellbeing first

When we talk about ESG, it’s easy to focus on carbon emissions and environmental impact. But the ‘S’ in ESG matters just as much.

A modern travel policy should help employees travel safely, comfortably and confidently. After all, business travel should enable people to do their best work, not leave them exhausted before they even arrive. Consider including guidance on:

  • Reasonable travel schedules. Avoid unnecessarily early departures, late night arrivals or back-to-back travel where possible. Allowing time for rest can improve both wellbeing and productivity.
  • Accessibility requirements. Ensure your policy recognises that not every traveller has the same needs. Providing flexibility and making reasonable adjustments where required helps create a more inclusive travel programme.
  • Safe, suitable accommodation. Consider setting minimum accommodation standards that prioritise traveller safety, comfort and convenience, rather than cost alone. Encourage travellers to book hotels that balance price with factors such as safe, well-connected locations, proximity to the meeting venue to reduce unnecessary travel, a 24-hour reception and recognised sustainability credentials.
  • Flexible travel options where appropriate. Delays happen and plans change. Giving travellers some flexibility, where appropriate, can reduce stress and help them manage unexpected disruption more effectively.
  • Duty of care responsibilities. Clearly outline how your organisation supports employees before, during and after their trip, including emergency contacts, travel tracking and processes for managing disruptions or incidents.

Looking after your people shouldn’t be viewed as separate from sustainability. It should be built into every journey.

  1. Think beyond cost when choosing suppliers

Cost will always be an important factor, but it shouldn’t be the only one. The suppliers you choose play a significant role in the overall impact of your travel programme, so your policy should encourage employees to look beyond price alone. Consider guidance on:

  • Choosing suppliers with recognised sustainability credentials. Look for hotels, venues and travel providers that hold recognised certifications or can demonstrate a clear commitment to sustainability. For meetings and events, programmes like Inntel’s Sustainable Venue Programme (SVP) make this easier by highlighting venues that are embedding sustainable practices into their operations.
  • Working with suppliers who provide meaningful reporting. Access to carbon emissions data and sustainability reporting helps organisations better understand and manage the impact of their business travel.
  • Considering environmental and social impact. From waste reduction initiatives to community engagement, your policy can encourage travellers to support suppliers whose values align with your own.

The organisations you choose to spend with can have just as much impact as the journeys themselves.

  1. Review it regularly

A travel policy shouldn’t be a document that’s written once, approved and then forgotten about.

Business travel is constantly evolving. New technology, changing traveller expectations, emerging sustainability standards and evolving business priorities all mean that a policy which worked a few years ago may no longer reflect the way your organisation travels today.

Consider reviewing your policy regularly to ensure it continues to:

  • Reflect your organisation’s changing priorities. As your business grows and evolves, your travel policy should too.
  • Support your ESG ambitions. Review whether your policy still aligns with your sustainability goals and whether there are new opportunities to reduce environmental impact.
  • Respond to employee feedback. Your travellers are the people using the policy every day. Listening to their experiences can help identify what’s working well and where improvements could be made.
  • Keep pace with the travel industry. From new booking technology to changing regulations and supplier innovations, regular reviews help ensure your policy remains relevant and effective.

A good travel policy should never be static. Like business travel itself, it should continue to evolve.

Ultimately, the best travel policies aren’t the longest or the most detailed. They’re the ones that help people make better decisions, consistently and confidently. Because when better decisions become everyday habits, that’s where meaningful change really begins.