UKinbound member, TravelAd, connects brands, attractions and experience with inbound travellers, allowing businesses to engage high-value audiences through personalised, location-based campaigns delivered via SMS or WhatsApp upon arrival. In this guest blog, UK Country Manager, Paul Black, explores how these marketing channels can support a more sustainable industry.
In tourism, sustainability is usually discussed in the context of transport, energy, and waste, but rarely in the way we market destinations and experiences.
If your attraction or business has worked hard to cut its carbon footprint by switching to renewable energy, reducing waste, or sourcing locally, that is worth celebrating. However, if your marketing relies on print campaigns, city billboards, or broad digital advertising that reaches everyone instead of the right audience, you may be missing a crucial opportunity to extend that sustainability story.
One of the simplest changes a business can make is in the way it communicates with visitors. Research shows that an SMS message generates just 0.014 grams of CO₂ – far lower than an email, brochure, or any form of physical advertising. WhatsApp messages are similarly light. That makes targeted mobile messaging not only the most direct way to reach today’s traveller, but also one of the most sustainable.
The Sustainable Tourist Is Already Here
Travellers are increasingly making choices based on sustainability. Research by Booking.com and the World Travel & Tourism Council shows that over half of global travellers now factor environmental impact into their plans. This is especially true for Gen Z, Millennials, and high-spending visitors from emerging markets, who want their spending to reflect their values. They notice when destinations lead with sustainability, and they reward businesses whose marketing aligns with their operational commitments.
Today’s digital tourist increasingly expects destinations to be as forward-thinking in their values as they are in their technology. For this audience, sustainability is not just an operational detail, it is part of the brand experience. Aligning green operations with innovative, targeted digital marketing ensures the message resonates with the mobile-first, values-driven traveller.
The Hidden Footprint of Tourism Marketing
Traditional tourism promotion relies on printed brochures, leaflets, posters, and other resource-heavy methods. These require paper, ink, transport, and packaging, all of which carry a carbon cost.
But the shift to digital has not necessarily solved the issue. Programmatic display, connected TV, and video ads also carry a footprint through the servers and data centres that deliver them. Studies suggest the average digital ad impression emits between 0.08 and 1 gram of CO₂, depending on the format and delivery method. Multiply that by millions of impressions, and the environmental cost can be substantial.
Why Targeted Digital Messaging Is the Greener Choice
Targeted digital messaging offers a marketing solution that is both environmentally responsible and commercially smart:
- No Physical Waste. There is no paper, printing, or transport involved. Messages are delivered directly to a traveller’s mobile device, leaving no physical trace.
- Only Relevant Audiences. Hyper-targeting ensures that only travellers who are nearby and actively seeking experiences see your messages, eliminating wasted impressions.
- Reduced Marketing Carbon Footprint. By focusing solely on the right audience, you avoid broad, resource-intensive campaigns. This cuts the energy and materials used in mass print runs, physical signage, and untargeted digital impressions.
- Attention and Reach. SMS and WhatsApp messages can outperform traditional marketing channels in effectiveness:
- Open rates: SMS open rates are as high as 98%, compared to 20% – 30% for email.
- Click-through rates: SMS averages 6% – 20% compared with 2% – 4% for email.
- Response rates: Around 45% for SMS, versus 10% for email.
- Conversion rates: SMS campaigns can convert at 21% – 41%, compared with 15% – 17% for email.
These figures show that SMS and WhatsApp combine ultra-low carbon emissions with market-leading engagement, offering a solution that is both green and commercially effective.
Conclusion
In a competitive tourism market, sustainability increasingly presents businesses with a commercial advantage. By making your marketing as sustainable as your operations, you show visitors that you are serious about protecting what makes the UK worth visiting in the first place.
SMS and WhatsApp are not only among the lowest-emission channels available, they also outperform traditional methods on attention and reach. For tourism operators, this means the same shift that reduces environmental impact can also improve results. To find out more get in touch with Paul Black.
