Profitable Sustainability for Tour Operators
How the Blue Upgrade brings commission, retains customers, and strengthens your brand
-
Chris Kaiser
- 16/10/2026
Sustainability pays off for tour operators when it becomes part of the product.
With the Blue Upgrade, you remove 10 kg of plastic from the ocean per customer and earn a 10% commission on each Upgrade.
The cost of €50 net per customer is passed on to the travel price. You incur €0.
In addition, there’s customer loyalty after the trip, reliable figures for ESG reporting, a boost in recruiting, and gifts with roots.
Click A Tree is the preferred sustainability solution for many tour operators: a B Corp with global top ratings, an official UN Partner, and a partner of GreenSign.
No time to read, but need to act?
Table of Contents
Why is sustainability financially beneficial for tour operators?
Because it turns a cost factor into a source of income.
The old reflex is: sustainability costs money.
True.
And it’s money your customers are happy to pay for a good feeling. And you earn a share of it.
78% of Germans are concerned about the state of the oceans (SINUS Institute and YouGov, 2020). Clean beaches and clear water are exactly what your customers travel for.
This is profitable sustainability. You gain revenue, commission, and image. The ocean wins. The people in the project countries win.
Win-Win-Win.
The following sections show the six levers. Short and concrete.
What is the Blue Upgrade for tour operators?
A component of the travel price: Click A Tree removes 10 kg of plastic from the ocean per customer.
How it works:
- You integrate the Blue Upgrade into your travel price.
- Customers who explicitly decline simply opt out.
- Local people in the Philippines collect the plastic. This is then used to create chairs for schools.
- You receive a 10% commission on each Blue Upgrade. Paid out monthly.
10 kg is the standard. You adjust the quantity to the travel price. A weekend trip contributes less than a cruise.
A good target anchor: 1 to 2% of the travel price. For a trip costing €2,500, that’s €25 to €50, or 5 to 10 kg of plastic.
Your booking system remains as it is. You can start almost immediately.
All details can be found on the page for the Blue Upgrade for Travel Companies.
How do travel agencies earn with the Blue Upgrade?
Via a 10% commission on each Blue Upgrade sold.
Travel agencies offer the Blue Upgrade as an additional option. Just like travel insurance.
Your sales partners will gladly recommend a product they earn from. This makes your trips more attractive to travel agencies.
Tour operators such as Tischler Reisen, alpetour, volaTwo, and many others already work with Click A Tree.
How does sustainability retain customers beyond the trip?
By giving the trip a story that continues after their return.
You receive pictures, videos, and updates directly from the project. Each update is an opportunity to contact your customers again.
A practical example: Reiseatelier Nürnberg plants a tree for every package tour. After the trip begins, guests receive a personal tree certificate. Regular customers continue to book regularly.
More on this in the case study: how sustainability strengthens bookings in the travel industry.
Those who have made a difference talk about it. And they come back.
How does a tour operator achieve its ESG goals?
With measurable impact that you can prove at any time.
In the Click A Tree Impact Dashboard, you see all figures at a glance:
- collected plastic in kilograms.
- jobs created locally.
- trees planted, if you plant additional trees.
Plus pictures, videos, and project information. Shareable with a click: on your website, social media, and in your sustainability report.
Ocean protection, fair jobs, and school chairs for children: The Blue Upgrade simultaneously covers the E and the S in ESG.
How does sustainability help with recruiting in tourism?
By showing what your company stands for. Even before the first interview begins.
Young talents today choose employers based on their values.
At the Best Western hotel chain, one tree per application resulted in 12% more applications.
The principle works everywhere good people are sought. Including for you.
In-depth: Application trees in recruiting.
Why are trees a good gift for teams, partners, and customers?
Because a tree grows like a good business relationship: slowly, steadily, over years.
What better symbolizes long-term commitment?
Suitable occasions:
- Thanks to loyal travel agency partners.
- Gift for regular customers after a special trip.
- Anniversary or Christmas for your own team.
Every tree comes with a certificate. You also receive the GPS coordinates of the reforestation project, pictures, and regular updates. A gift that continues to grow for years.
More inspiration: Trees as a gift idea for companies.
What does sustainability cost a tour operator?
For you, €0. You pass the costs on to the travel price and earn an additional 10% commission.
| Net price | |
|---|---|
| Blue Upgrade, 10 kg plastic per customer | €50 |
| Plastic per kg, single purchase | €5 |
| Plastic per kg, monthly subscription | from €4 (up to 20% price advantage) |
| Tree in the tropics | €5 |
| Tree in Germany | €15 |
| Registration | €0 |
€0 basic fee. 0 kg minimum purchase. Freely selectable quantities every month.
Plus years of marketing material from the project.
Ready to start in minutes.
Is Click A Tree the best solution for tour operators?
You decide. These reasons speak for it.
You earn with us. Click A Tree pays you a 10% commission on every Blue Upgrade. Sustainability becomes a source of income for you.
The numbers:
- 300,000+ trees planted.
- 4 countries: Thailand, Ghana, Philippines, Germany.
- Several hundred partners, primarily from hospitality and tourism.
The evidence:
- B Corp certified with global top ratings.
- Official UN partner for ecosystem restoration.
- All 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals in one solution.
- Official Partner of GreenSign.
The Click A Tree Standard: Global players like Ernst & Young, Allianz, Best Western, Marriott Hotels, and ITB Berlin have been working with us for years. Also tour operators like Tischler Reisen, alpetour, volaTwo, and Australia Plus. They value the legally sound quality and our top ratings on Trustpilot and Google.
Try it yourself. In 15 minutes, we’ll show you how to integrate the Blue Upgrade into your trips and earn from it.
FAQ on Sustainability for Tour Operators
Here you will find answers to the most frequently asked questions about sustainable tourism with Click A Tree.
If your question is not listed, contact us.
What does the Blue Upgrade cost for tour operators?
For you, €0. You pass the costs on to the travel price.
Plastic from the ocean costs €5 net per kilogram at Click A Tree. The standard of 10 kg per customer costs €50 net. In a monthly subscription, from €4 net per kilogram.
How does a tour operator earn from the Blue Upgrade?
You receive a 10% commission on all jointly generated revenues. Payouts are made monthly.
Do I have to change my booking system for this?
Your booking system remains as it is. The Blue Upgrade does not require any special integration. You can start almost immediately.
What happens to the collected plastic?
The plastic is collected in the Philippines and recycled into chairs for schools.
More about the project: Collecting ocean plastic in the Philippines.
Is the Blue Upgrade suitable for ESG reporting?
Yes. In the Impact Dashboard, you see collected plastic and created jobs in real time. Pictures, videos, and project information provide evidence for your sustainability report.
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