Charting a greener course: Framework for sustainable fuel in Travel & Tourism

As the climate crisis intensifies and decarbonisation targets loom, the Travel & Tourism sector is under increasing pressure to reduce its environmental footprint. While the aviation and cruise industries are often in the spotlight, the path to net zero involves more than just fuel tanks and flight paths. Travel & Tourism Associations—whether international, regional, national, or sector-specific—hold a critical, often overlooked role in accelerating the transition to sustainable fuel.

Recognising this, the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) and ICF have developed a structured Engagement Framework aimed specifically at associations. The goal: to turn influence into action, and to ensure sustainable fuels become the norm, not the niche.

Why associations matter

Associations act as the collective voice of the industry. Their ability to convene, influence, and advocate gives them unique power to shape national and global policy, coordinate action across stakeholders, and amplify successful models. When they step up, the entire sector can move forward. The Engagement Framework focuses on two main pillars: Government Advocacy and Industry Engagement.

Government advocacy: Driving policy, incentives, and investment

One of the most powerful roles an association can play is in lobbying for the policies and financial mechanisms needed to scale sustainable fuel production. This includes advocating at international forums such as COP, G20, ICAO, and the International Maritime Organisation, as well as influencing national and regional decision-making.

Key advocacy strategies include:

• Cross-government coordination: Encouraging alignment between transport, tourism, and finance ministries to create cohesive sustainable fuel policies.

• Regional action plans: Supporting the development of national and regional feasibility studies and roadmaps that spell out how and where sustainable fuel can be produced and used.

• Incentive structures: Lobbying for tax credits, grants, and public-private financing schemes that lower the cost of sustainable fuel production and incentivise uptake.

• Policy harmonisation: Advocating for common sustainable fuel usage targets between neighbouring countries to avoid a patchwork of conflicting rules that hinder industry progress.

Importantly, these efforts aren’t limited to developed regions. The framework calls for a boost in production capacity and supportive policy in underrepresented areas like Latin America, Africa, and Southeast Asia, where current SAF and SMF production is negligible.

Industry Engagement: Mobilising the sector from within

Beyond policy, associations can activate their networks to make sustainable fuel a strategic priority across the sector. This includes not just airlines and cruise lines, but hotels, tour operators, destination managers, and ground transport providers.

Recommended activities include:

• Waste-to-fuel partnerships: Helping members partner with producers to convert waste (like used cooking oil or municipal waste) into sustainable fuel.

• Fuel-backed travel options: Encouraging transport operators to offer travel packages that include SAF or SMF usage, and helping other businesses access sustainable fuel certificates to offset business travel.

• Knowledge sharing: Running awareness campaigns, producing educational content, and hosting webinars or conferences to keep the sector informed and engaged.

• Showcasing success stories: Amplifying real-world case studies from members who are already contributing, whether through direct investment, policy engagement, or innovative waste collection initiatives.

These efforts can significantly broaden industry participation and make sustainable fuel a shared objective rather than a niche concern.

One standout example is the Erawan Group’s “Fry to Fly” programme, which collects used cooking oil from its hotels across Thailand and supplies it to a sustainable fuel producer. This not only reduces emissions but also contributes feedstock to a chronically under-supplied SAF market. Such initiatives, when shared through association channels, can inspire replication across regions and sub-sectors.

Similarly, associations can guide members towards platforms like Avelia, which allows businesses to purchase SAF certificates to inset emissions from corporate travel. These certificates direct funds into real SAF deployment, while giving businesses credible sustainability claims.

Call for coordinated action

The transition to sustainable fuel is no longer optional—it’s existential. But it cannot be left solely to airlines, cruise operators, or fuel producers. Associations are the bridge between policy and practice, strategy and execution. By embracing their role as advocates, conveners, and educators, they can turn ambition into acceleration. The moment to act is now. Not as observers, but as leaders.

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