About us

Since 2001, we've led the way in offering locally distinctive, authentic holidays from across the globe that are better for destinations and local communities.

We're the world's first dedicated travel agent for responsible holidays. With over 300 tour operators and 600 villas, lodges, B&Bs and small hotels, you’ll find the largest selection of responsible holidays anywhere on the web.

Whether you’re after an action-packed adventure, a relaxing beach escape or a charming countryside getaway closer to home, there’s something to suit all tastes and budgets.

Read over 4,000 independent, unedited holiday reviews!

Lastly, you can read Justin's original vision for the company here.




	• Justin Francis writes his MSc dissertation on establishing a portal for responsible travel after being inspired by a village elder on a visit to Kawaza village in Zambia..



	• Launch with private investors including Anita & Gordon Roddick from The Body Shop. • The first business in the world to talk about responsible travel & tourism, and the first business dedicated to promoting ‘eco, green or responsible’ holidays on one site. Publishes warts & all traveller’s reviews on their experiences and responsible travel. • Over the next 7 years works with 100s of tourism businesses to screen them for the site, and to help them improve their policies



	• Offers one of the first carbon offset schemes in tourism.



	• Launches The Responsible Tourism Awards. • Successfully campaigns to persuade Thomson Holidays, Thomas Cook and MyTravel to publish policies for responsible tourism. • publishes first national press supplement on responsible travel with The Observer



	• Annual holiday sales reach £4m.	£4 million



	• Annual holiday sales reach £10m. • Offers 2500 holidays from 270 tour operators - by far the biggest specialist green or eco travel business. • Launches magazine to promote the Award winners - now the largest scheme of its type globally. • Forms partnership with Conservation International to promote grass roots community tourism in developing countries.



	• Publishes first audit of responsible tourism of the UK’s biggest travel companies with The Daily Telegraph. • Awards attracted a record 1950 entries – Michael Palin says 'the responsible tourism awards are one of the most important ways that we can learn to travel better.' • Publishes 3,000th traveller review and reaches 3,000 holidays in 160 countries and across 250 activities. • After 2 years of planning launches a travel community www.IKnowAGreatPlace.com – "local secrets from a world of travellers". Watch our community video • Launches a vision for the Future of Tourism in a special issue of Geographical Magazine and creates www.futureoftourism.com – give us your views!



	• Launches responsiblehotelsoftheworld.com, acting as a travel agent for beautiful accommodation around the world, and becomes a member of the Travel Trust Association. • Publishes the 4,000th independent traveller review.

- What is responsible travel?
- How do you screen operators?
- How does the site work?
- How did the company start?
- Who are we?
- Jobs at responsibletravel.com
- Charities we support
- Press coverage
- Media centre
- Awards we've won
- Our Responsible Tourism Policy
- Our stance on tourism issues
- Local stories from around the world
- What's new on the site this month?

responsibletravel.com Ltd is a company registered in England and Wales with the company number 03902313. We are VAT registered (number 768711985). Our registered address is Pavilion House, 6 Old Steine, Brighton, East Sussex, UK. BN1 1EJ. Please note that this is our office address; we do not have a shopfront - see our contacts page if you would like to speak to someone about your holiday.