Beyond the Buzzword: How Travel and Nature Help Us See Sustainability

Circularity and sustainability—these are concepts we hear about all the time in the fashion industry, often in the context of optimizing upstream processes or implementing circular business models to decouple growth from production. But what’s often overlooked is that the real key to sustaining circularity lies in the hands of consumers. To truly make an impact, we need to enable behavioral shifts—away from the rapid cycles of fast fashion fueled by social media trends and toward conscious consumption and self-expression through circular fashion. We often bring our customers into our brand’s imaginary world, and selling products isn’t the only way to do it. What if we could show them sustainability, make it tangible and inspiring—through something we already love to do? Enter travel.

The Rise of Experiential Travel in Scandinavia

Travel has this magical way of making us fall in love with the world—whether it's pristine beaches, breathtaking mountains, or charming little villages tucked away in nature. It reminds us why sustainability matters. And right now, consumers in the Netherlands and Scandinavia are leading the charge when it comes to making more conscious choices. Recent studies show that Dutch and Scandinavian shoppers are increasingly prioritizing sustainable fashion, and at the same time, they’re shifting their spending from material luxury goods to experiential purchases like travel. For fashion brands, this presents an opportunity: why not tap into this trend and use travel as a way to showcase sustainability in a tangible, inspiring way?

Luxury Brands are Already Making the Connection

Big names in fashion have already started bridging the gap between sustainability and travel. Take, for example, the METT Hotel and Beach Resort in Bodrum, which partnered with luxury retailer Farfetch to offer guests a seamless way to shop for curated sustainable fashion pieces right from their sunbeds using QR codes. It’s a simple yet effective way to blend luxury, travel, and sustainability into a single experience.

Then there’s Christian Louboutin’s Vermelho Hotel in Portugal’s Alentejo region. It’s more than just a hotel—it’s a full immersion into the brand’s aesthetic, but with an eco-conscious twist. By bringing sustainability into an aspirational travel experience, these brands aren’t just talking about circularity; they’re making it feel desirable.

Of course, not every fashion brand has the resources for high-end hotel collaborations, but that doesn’t mean smaller brands can’t make just as much of an impact. The key? Creativity and resourcefulness.

How Smaller Fashion Brands Can Leverage Travel to Showcase Sustainability

If luxury brands can use travel to reinforce their sustainability values, smaller brands can do the same—just in a way that fits their scale and audience. Here are a few ways they can do it:

1. Root-Searching Tours – Imagine offering immersive travel experiences where customers can visit the very places where your raw materials come from. Think of a tour through an organic cotton farm, a responsibly managed wool supplier, or a centuries-old artisanal workshop. These trips wouldn’t just educate; they’d create emotional connections between consumers and the sustainability efforts behind their favorite pieces. Plus, by collaborating with local travel agencies, brands could turn this into a profitable model with revenue-sharing agreements.

   
   

2. Design Inspiration Tours for VIP Customers – What if brands took their most loyal customers on a journey through the landscapes and cultures that inspired their latest collection? Picture a brand’s creative director personally guiding VIP customers through the locations that shaped a season’s design choices—whether it’s the lush forests that inspired a botanical print or the historic craftsmanship of a small European town that influenced a tailoring technique. These intimate experiences wouldn’t just elevate brand loyalty; they’d also provide a space for genuine conversations about how fashion can balance creativity with sustainability. For example, a Scandinavian luxury outerwear brand could take a select group of customers to the Arctic regions that inspired its functional-yet-sustainable designs, explaining firsthand the importance of using responsibly sourced materials to protect both people and the planet. Through these experiences, VIP customers gain a deeper understanding of the designs, and with their continued support, they are more likely to purchase pieces from these collections to bring their memories back home. Without the pressure to adhere to traditional fashion calendars, brands can invest time in curating these “money-can’t-buy” experiences, reinforcing long-term loyalty and making sustainability feel personal and tangible.

   
   

3. Partnering with Sustainable Travel Ecosystems – Instead of a full-scale resort partnership, smaller brands can collaborate with sustainable hotels, eco-lodges, and locally run businesses to create experiences tied to their mission. Picture a pop-up shop inside a sustainable hotel lobby or an in-room experience where guests learn about a brand’s eco-friendly materials. A well-placed activation in a mindful travel destination can go a long way in shaping consumer perception.

   
   

4. Bringing the Experience Back Home – Travel experiences leave lasting impressions, but brands can solidify those memories by creating in-store experiences inspired by these partnerships. A capsule collection inspired by a sustainability-focused trip? A section of the store dedicated to the landscapes and communities that shaped the brand’s supply chain? These elements reinforce the emotional connection consumers build during their travels, linking their experiences directly to the brand’s mission.

Authenticity is Key

At the end of the day, none of these strategies will work if the sustainability claims don’t hold up. Consumers are more aware than ever, and any attempt to look sustainable without real action will backfire. A travel partnership should be about more than just marketing—it should genuinely reflect a brand’s commitment to circular fashion.

So, here’s a question to leave you with: If travel can make sustainability feel real, how can your brand bring that sense of connection into the customer experience? Let’s start thinking beyond the rack and into the world.