Our campaigns

responsibletravel.com is a business with ambitions to change tourism for the long-term benefit of local people, tourists, the environment and the tourism industry.

Part of our commitment is to screen and market responsible holidays.  The other part of our commitment is to campaign for change in the tourism industry.

We are not claiming to be perfect by any means but we do believe we have a voice in the tourism industry and should  use it!

The problem
Responsible tourism? Ecotourism? Sustainable tourism? With so many different ideas abound travellers often find it difficult to know what to do.

Our objective
To allow travellers to make an educated decision when they travel and provide practical tips and advice.

Read our travel tips...

The problem
The 'one size fits all' approach to sustainable tourism offered by global accreditation schemes is not necessarily the answer.

Our objective
To start a debate about the subject of accreditation and sustainable tourism.

Read more on the Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria Debate... The problem
The environmental cost of travel has been well debated and tourism has taken a battering. Consequently the industry and those who work within it feel deflated. Many travellers are left wondering whether they can and should continue to travel.

Our objective
To start a positive and forward thinking debate around the future of our industry.

Find out more...

The problem
Cruise companies lacking clear responsible tourism policies.
 
Our objective
We hoped to persuade The Passenger Shipping Association (PSA) - the trade body for cruise and ferry operators in the UK - to lead and encourage its cruise industry members to develop and implement responsible tourism policies.

Find out more about our cruise campaign...
The problem
Distinguishing between "green washers" and "green warriors" in travel.

Our objective
To increase accountability and encourage focus on responsible tourism throughout the UK tourism industry.

Read our Daily Telegraph travel company audit...

The problem
Three of the four big UK tourism companies had no policy on responsible tourism.

Our objective
Persuade these companies to create and implement responsible tourism policies through the use of customer petitions on responsibletravel.com.

Find out more on our Campaign against mass tourism...

The problem
responsibletravel.com research indicates that for most of the wonderful community based tourism projects out there, occupancy levels are below 5%.  For the projects to be successful, they need to link up with established tour operators to ensure regular bookings.

Our objective
To create marketing links between community based tourism projects and our member tour operators, and to market the projects on responsibletravel.com.

Read more about Community Based Tourism...
The problem
1. Lack of acceptance in the tourism industry that we need to fly considerably less
2. Lack of a coherent government strategy to reduce aviation's carbon emissions
3. Misrepresentation of the relative impact of aviation (when compared to other carbon emitting activities)

Our objective
1. Inform people about the importance of flying less as a key element of a lower carbon lifestyle.
2. Lobby government with recommendations on the most effective way to reduce carbon emissions

Find out about aviation and our carbon caution...

Take a look at the campaigns we support from other organisations here