Welsh Sports Association Partners with ‘You. Smart. Thing.’ (YST) to Champion Sustainable Travel
We are delighted to promote our partnership with the Welsh Sports Association (WSA), to enhance sustainable travel across the sports and leisure sector in Wales. The WSA, the membership body for the sport and leisure industry in Wales, has long championed sustainability both on and off the field. Through this collaboration, WSA members gain access to our tailored travel demand management services with an exclusive discount, helping them to provide greener, smarter journeys for participants and fans.
Driving Sustainable Travel with ‘You. Smart. Thing.’
At ‘You. Smart. Thing.’, we specialise in creating personalised travel plans that deliver content-enhanced wayfinding and curated low-carbon, door-to-door routes. Our mission is to nudge visitors towards more sustainable choices and help organisations reach their net-zero targets — one journey at a time.
‘You. Smart. Thing.’ delivers over 1.5 million personal low-carbon travel plans each month, working with leading organisations such as Transport for Greater Manchester, West Midlands Combined Authority, and Transport for Wales.
We’ve proudly supported travel demand management for landmark venues and events including the Manchester City football Club, Rugby League World Cup, the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, the All England Lawn Tennis Club, and Manchester City Football Club. These deployments have redefined travel planning as a critical component of delivering world-class visitor experiences whilst reducing carbon footprints.
The innovative ‘You. Smart. Thing.’ travel assistant solution consistently achieves a 30% average reduction in visitor CO2e emissions by influencing modal choice. By enabling early travel demand insights and facilitating multi-agency collaboration, we help event organisers create safer, more efficient, and more sustainable experiences for every attendee.
Showcasing Innovation at the WSA Sustainability in Sport Conference
A key highlight of our collaboration is the WSA Sustainability in Sport Conference, where ‘You. Smart. Thing.’ travel planning technology is deployed to enhance delegate experience.
Ahead of the event, attendees receive a personalised travel plan based on their postcode or current location, helping them find the most efficient and sustainable routes the conference. Through our simple registration integration, delegates only need to provide their postcode — and we do the rest.
The initiative supports WSA’s goal of achieving at least 90% of delegates arriving by public transport, setting a strong example of how sustainable travel solutions can be seamlessly embedded into major sporting events.
YST played a prominent role at the 2024 Conference itself, with our CEO, Chris Thompson, joining a panel discussion on the importance of sustainability in sport and event management.
Leadership Perspectives and Future Outlook
Speaking about the partnership, WSA CEO Andrew Howard commented:
“The WSA is thrilled to welcome our new partnership with ‘You. Smart. Thing.’ As the membership body for the sport and leisure sector in Wales, we understand the importance of setting an example in the field, and this collaboration reflects our deep commitment to sustainability. By joining forces, we aim to reduce our environmental impact and offer greener, more responsible travel solutions.”
Our CEO, Chris Thompson, added:
“Host cities, sports federations, and event organisers need to foster a collaborative approach to ensuring the sector supports future generations by mitigating environmental impact. Travel presents the greatest challenge. This means championing best practice in sustainable travel amongst participants and fans. Through this collaboration, WSA is taking an exemplary position.”
‘You. Smart. Thing.’ is proud to work alongside the Welsh Sports Association to promote sustainable travel. We’re are excited to continue helping organisations across the UK and beyond meet their sustainability goals, delivering greener journeys — and a greener future.
