Our impact on society
Within tourism destinations
The entire premise of our business is to market holidays that have a greater positive impact on the local communities, cultures and people visited. Whether it is in the UK (our biggest market), or overseas, the holidays we market help create jobs for local people, greater income for local people and minimise negative impacts on cultures.
All the holidays on our site increase the linkages to local enterprises, thereby increasing the multiplier effect of every GB £1 spent by the tourist in the destination.
We require all operators and accommodations listed on the site to provide travellers with information that helps sensitise them to local cultures and different ways of life.
In addition, the companies that we work with must provide suggestions to the tourists for destination visits to appropriate local social and conservation projects with direct or indirect benefits to the host community. This is an essential requirement for all trips published on responsibletravel.com.
Since 2006, we have worked with NGO, Conservation International to launch an initiative which provides free marketing through responsibletravel.com for community based tourism ventures around the world in order to help promote them to consumers and tour operators.
Many such local communities are too small or remote to be able to market themselves successfully. This means that booking levels and occupancy are low and they have to rely on support from donors or go out of business. Through this partnership we hope to continue to promote such projects, many of which are based in areas of outstanding, and often vulnerable, natural and cultural heritage. Read more about the Community Based Tourism Programme.
In our Brighton office
Back in Brighton, where our office is based, we are active members of our community. We regularly work with local councils, charities and campaigning organisations and are part of the Brighton-based Ethical Business Forum. In addition, we support relevant environmental and tourism fairs, conferences and events at local colleges and universities. We also offer work experience placements to local interns and students and are currently working with three such students.
Every six months, as a team, we spend a day volunteering for a local cause e.g. a local conservation project working in partnership with local people. Among others, we have worked with The Green Gym in Brighton, The National Trust near Hassocks, The Friends of Sheepcote Valley in Brighton and Lewes railway land local nature reserve. We encourage employees to volunteer their time in the community and offer them the chance to take half a day paid time per month during work hours in order to do so.
In addition, we regularly donate money to charity and in 2006 this equated to 13.75% of our profits, and the total we've paid to charities to date is over £12,600 with at least another £8000 on the way, which can make a significant difference to any charity. Organisations we've supported in this way include The Woodland Trust, Afrikids, ActionAid in Cambodia and a small community in Ethiopia.
We also offer an employee payroll giving scheme. Payroll Giving Quality Mark is a Government funded scheme that recognises and rewards organisations of all sizes for making payroll giving available to staff. We have been awarded the Gold Award as over 10% of staff use the scheme and donate to charity via the payroll each month.
We have a policy of always using local suppliers wherever we can, so as to bring as much income to the local area as possible. We work with a Brighton-based web developer, cleaning company, design agency and usability / information architect.
Back to 'Our Responsible Tourism Policy' homepage
The entire premise of our business is to market holidays that have a greater positive impact on the local communities, cultures and people visited. Whether it is in the UK (our biggest market), or overseas, the holidays we market help create jobs for local people, greater income for local people and minimise negative impacts on cultures.
All the holidays on our site increase the linkages to local enterprises, thereby increasing the multiplier effect of every GB £1 spent by the tourist in the destination.
We require all operators and accommodations listed on the site to provide travellers with information that helps sensitise them to local cultures and different ways of life.
In addition, the companies that we work with must provide suggestions to the tourists for destination visits to appropriate local social and conservation projects with direct or indirect benefits to the host community. This is an essential requirement for all trips published on responsibletravel.com.
Since 2006, we have worked with NGO, Conservation International to launch an initiative which provides free marketing through responsibletravel.com for community based tourism ventures around the world in order to help promote them to consumers and tour operators.
Many such local communities are too small or remote to be able to market themselves successfully. This means that booking levels and occupancy are low and they have to rely on support from donors or go out of business. Through this partnership we hope to continue to promote such projects, many of which are based in areas of outstanding, and often vulnerable, natural and cultural heritage. Read more about the Community Based Tourism Programme.
In our Brighton office
Back in Brighton, where our office is based, we are active members of our community. We regularly work with local councils, charities and campaigning organisations and are part of the Brighton-based Ethical Business Forum. In addition, we support relevant environmental and tourism fairs, conferences and events at local colleges and universities. We also offer work experience placements to local interns and students and are currently working with three such students. Every six months, as a team, we spend a day volunteering for a local cause e.g. a local conservation project working in partnership with local people. Among others, we have worked with The Green Gym in Brighton, The National Trust near Hassocks, The Friends of Sheepcote Valley in Brighton and Lewes railway land local nature reserve. We encourage employees to volunteer their time in the community and offer them the chance to take half a day paid time per month during work hours in order to do so.
In addition, we regularly donate money to charity and in 2006 this equated to 13.75% of our profits, and the total we've paid to charities to date is over £12,600 with at least another £8000 on the way, which can make a significant difference to any charity. Organisations we've supported in this way include The Woodland Trust, Afrikids, ActionAid in Cambodia and a small community in Ethiopia. We also offer an employee payroll giving scheme. Payroll Giving Quality Mark is a Government funded scheme that recognises and rewards organisations of all sizes for making payroll giving available to staff. We have been awarded the Gold Award as over 10% of staff use the scheme and donate to charity via the payroll each month.
We have a policy of always using local suppliers wherever we can, so as to bring as much income to the local area as possible. We work with a Brighton-based web developer, cleaning company, design agency and usability / information architect.
Back to 'Our Responsible Tourism Policy' homepage