The people behind responsibletravel.com

We belive that responsible tourism is as much about people as it is about destinations so we thought it was about time we introduced ourselves and told you a little bit about what we do... 

Meet the team
Of course, it's a given that we all belive in responsible tourism and love to travel, but did you know that amongst our ranks we have a zoologist, a qualified doctor and a singing sensation?

Our passions are as diverse as yoga, photography, paragliding and penguins, and between us we've travelled more miles than we dare think about. Some of our team have even set up their own companies, including Ethical Weddings and Ethical Wood Furnishings (all very ethical, you see).

The most unusual members of the team are the office worms who are diligently hard at work in our compost bin. You can read about our experiences and the team here...

Volunteering
Here at responsibletravel.com, we try to do our bit and this includes our twice-yearly office volunteering day. Most recently we visited Sheepcote Valley on the outskirts of Brighton and, along with Neil the urban ranger, spent the day building small fences across the footpaths to stop motorcyclists from scaring and maiming walkers and dogs, and conserving the environment as a habitat for the local wildlife. It was all back breaking work but, fuelled by several cups of tea, we managed to get the job finished, despite a few nettle stings.

In the past we've also spent the day chopping down trees. On the face of it this doesn't sound great, but was all done with the aim of helping the native plants and trees to grow! Read more here...

If you'd like to take part in a similar project, either in the UK or around the world, take a look at our volunteering holidays here.

Charity commitments
Charity donations
As well as taking part in volunteering days, we have also pledged to donate money to charity for every single booking you make through responsibletravel.com. Our current charity is Shanti Trust, a cultural centre on Lake Malawi.

Brett and Lara Pollard have been working with the local communities near their lodge on Lake Malawi since the land was donated to Lara’s mother by villagers in return for support in building schools and providing assistance through various projects (school building and finance of running costs, tree planting, school feeding programme, women’s groups). One of these projects is the plan to build a cultural centre to provide an outlet for villagers to sell traditional handicrafts.

You can read more about our charity donations here, and make sure your booking counts (and claim a free Rough Guide of your choice!) by telling us about your holiday here.

Charity Christmas single
Our Director Paul Snudden is raising money for the Shooting Star Children's Hospice by selling a great Christmas song that he's written and recorded especially.

The Shooting Star Children's Hospice is a very special place, a home from home for families who find themselves in truly unimaginable circumstances. Every year they must raise £2.5 million and with no long-term statutory funding, they rely on voluntary donations.

Listen to the song, make a donation or buy Paul's Christmas single download from www.justgiving.com/fatherchristmas.