A Sustainable Supply Chain Management Framework for Tour Operators

This paper presents a framework for tour operators to use in the implementation of supply chain management processes to improve sustainability performance. This is critical for a sector that historically has treated impacts as externalities and suppliers as commodities, and in which recent sustainability actions have been informal or eco-savings-led. This framework is part of the outcome from the EU-funded ‘Travelife’ programme, which is a joint initiative from European tour operator associations and sustainability standard-setting stakeholders. The framework has been designed as a series of industry-relevant steps: engaging the business and setting policies, integrating sustainable supply chain management (SSCM) into the business, assessing suppliers, setting priorities for actions and evaluating progress. The discussion here considers current tour operator approaches to sustainability, how the framework may be implemented by specialist and mass-market operators, and the challenges faced if these early steps are to lead to widespread, full implementation of SSCM initiatives.