Earth Day is an annual worldwide event celebrated on April 22 since 1970. On that day peoples of the world demonstrate support for environmental protection. The Paris Agreement was signed on Earth Day 2016. April 22nd then is a prime day for all travel agents to show their support of Mother Earth and celebrate our planet by marketing and promotion earth friendly eco-tours.
For most of us, every day is earth day meaning we walk the talk and leave only footprints. For others, they need to be reminded to treat their planet nicely. With a little tender loving care. You can weave caring for our planet into your everyday marketing using tag lines and slogans to support your emails, social media announcements and blog posts.
One thing to keep top of mind is this: planet earth is your number one product. It’s where everything you sell, happens. It hosts 200+ countries that you send your clients to. The earth’s oceans are where your clients cruise. They hike its mountains and trails. If any group should celebrate Earth Day it’s the travel industry. This is a day you should be out there strutting your ‘save the planet’ promotions.
- The Earth Day Presentation: Here’s your chance to arrange a local promotion to celebrate Earth Day and to promote your earth friendly eco tours. The venue is important. If you have a large room at the agency that can work. If you are home based then you could explore using the local library, the local book store or any other location that might be tied to the environment.
- Earth Friendly Suppliers: As you know many of your preferred suppliers are operating as earth friendly. Cruise lines recycle their onboard garbage, hotels have gone green years ago and tour operators are also gaining green certification. So make your selection and ask your chosen supplier if they would like to join you in a promotion of their tours / cruises etc.
- Agency Window / Website / Social Media: For agency owners & managers, that window real estate is where you should be promoting your Earth Day tours & cruises. Use large posters of the world, especially the images taken from space. You know the one showing “us” hanging out there in the middle of infinity. Contact NASA and request permission to use it. Click here. Use your home page as you would an agency window. Have that image of planet earth front and center and at the same time, let all your clients know what you are doing via email and your social media outlets. Showcase your tours and cruises in conjunction with the NASA image. You can search online for other images if the NASA image is not what you want to use.
- The Earth Day T-Shirt: The infamous t-shirt. Always there and never to leave the marketing plan. So cheap to print and a prime billboard for your promotion. Of course you and your agency team should be wearing your t-shirt on April 22 and when it incites conversation you can start mentioning your worldwide eco tours. Go out for coffee and let locals read your t-shirt. You might even add the slogan: Ask me about Eco Tours to Costa Rica – or any other country you wish to promote. On the back of your t-shirt you can add an Earth Day logo.
- Create Your Own Logos: Get your team together to create your own Earth Day image. If you have a Photoshop enthusiast on the team, give them the leeway to be creative and conjure up an image of the planet featuring all the countries you sell eco tours to. Then head to the local poster print shop and have your agency inspired image enlarged and installed in your agency window. You can visit this link for idea: https://www.vecteezy.com/free-vector/earth-day-vector
Important to note: America gave official notice they were out of the Paris Agreement. However, for the American travel agents that value saving the planet – there’s more to know. There is a waiting period before any country can exit the agreement. The earliest the United States can officially exit the Paris accord is November 4, 2020. So if the government changes hands – who knows what will happen. There’s hope yet!
The above is important to know should any clients challenge your Earth Day event with comments that the USA is not involved in saving the planet.
