Responsible Travel Champion Award Winner - Bryony Gorman, Womble Bond Dickinson

Congratulations on winning the Responsible Travel Champion Award! What does this recognition mean to you?

Winning the Responsible Travel Champion Award means a huge amount to me. It's not just recognition of the work itself, but of the journey behind it. What started as a learning experience quickly grew into something I'm truly passionate about.

It also validates the impact that small, intentional changes can have when it comes to making business travel more sustainable and recognises the collaboration and persistence needed to challenge the status quo. More than anything, it motivates me to keep pushing for progress and driving meaningful change.

What first inspired your passion for responsible and sustainable travel?

It wasn't one defining moment – it was a growing awareness. I was first approached to join WBD's Net Zero Working Group in 2021, with no real idea what it would involve or what role I would end up playing.

The more I learned about the environmental impact of business travel, the harder it became to ignore. I grew to realise that, in my role, I had the opportunity to influence change, and that sparked a real passion for finding better, more responsible ways of travelling.

What achievement are you most proud of in driving positive change within your organisation?

I'm incredibly proud that my firm backed my idea to introduce a carbon tariff on business class flights last July. While there was some initial scepticism, it was fantastic to see how quickly colleagues embraced the change and engaged with the wider impact of their travel decisions.

Achieving a 70% reduction in business class emissions by the end of FY2025–2026, compared with FY2019–2020, is something I'm incredibly proud of, and it motivates me to keep pushing for what more we can achieve.

What do you believe the industry should prioritise next when it comes to responsible travel?

I think the industry should focus on making sustainable travel the easy choice. That means combining clear policies, strong leadership and the right tools and data to help influence behaviour and deliver meaningful, long-term change.

If you could take a trip anywhere in the world, with no limits on budget or agenda, where would you go and why?

I'd love to do a road trip across Canada. It feels like the perfect place for one, and I'd finally love to tick the Northern Lights off my bucket list.

I missed out on seeing them in Iceland, and a trip to Norway had to be postponed because of Covid, so I'm hoping it's third time lucky in a brand new destination!

Discover all of our 2026 Achievement Award winners and browse the event images.