Responsible Tourism Student resource
“Our holidays can provide real benefits to local communities and places, as well as to travellers, but they also create negative environmental, social and economic impacts.
“Sustainable tourism is an ambition, not a reality. Taking responsibility for our impacts, and maximising the benefits of travel whilst reducing the negatives, is the first step.” - Justin Francis, co-founder & CEO, Responsible Travel.
On this page you’ll find a comprehensive library of our views, research, campaigns, and information on some of the biggest global issues facing the world right now, and how tourism can be part of the solution.
Contents:
View our climate hub.
“Can a holiday that includes flights ever really be sustainable? The climate crisis is one of the biggest threats facing the tourism industry, and yet tourism is estimated to contribute around 8% of the world’s carbon emissions.
“There is no way around the fact we all need to seriously reduce the amount of carbon we produce. That means no more carbon offsetting and passing the buck to someone else. Until low-carbon aviation fuels are a viable alternative, we have no option but to fly less, stay longer in our destination, and when we do fly make our trip count by choosing a responsible holiday that actively benefits local people and nature.” - Justin Francis
View our nature hub.
“To tackle climate heating we need to cut carbon and restore nature. The climate crisis and biodiversity crisis are two sides of the same coin. Without addressing one, we can’t address the other. To tackle the biodiversity crisis, tourism must go further than simply leaving no trace. It must be nature positive.” - Justin Francis
View our community hub.
“Travel is a privilege not a right, and when we travel, we become guests in someone else’s home. Our desire to see and experience the world should not come at the expense of another person’s right to live safely and enjoyably in their own space.
“Tourism can be a powerful force for positive change, bringing employment and opportunity to local people. It can also destroy cultures and turn thriving communities into ghost towns. That’s why responsible tourism isn’t only about carbon and nature, but about how we ensure our holidays respect and benefit the people who live in the places we are visiting.” - Justin Francis
Our views on wildlife in captivity:
“We want to enable people to see wildlife in the wild in a way that supports habitats and conservation. No animal should be kept in captivity without good reason, and in our opinion the justifications offered by zoos don’t stack up.” - Justin Francis
If you'd like to use Responsible Travel articles or guides in your work please read about using our content.
“Sustainable tourism is an ambition, not a reality. Taking responsibility for our impacts, and maximising the benefits of travel whilst reducing the negatives, is the first step.” - Justin Francis, co-founder & CEO, Responsible Travel.
On this page you’ll find a comprehensive library of our views, research, campaigns, and information on some of the biggest global issues facing the world right now, and how tourism can be part of the solution.
Contents:
- Climate
- Nature positive tourism
- Overtourism
- Community & inclusivity
- Animal welfare
- Volunteering
- About Responsible Travel & our holidays
- Using Responsible Travel content
1. Climate
View our climate hub.
“Can a holiday that includes flights ever really be sustainable? The climate crisis is one of the biggest threats facing the tourism industry, and yet tourism is estimated to contribute around 8% of the world’s carbon emissions.
“There is no way around the fact we all need to seriously reduce the amount of carbon we produce. That means no more carbon offsetting and passing the buck to someone else. Until low-carbon aviation fuels are a viable alternative, we have no option but to fly less, stay longer in our destination, and when we do fly make our trip count by choosing a responsible holiday that actively benefits local people and nature.” - Justin Francis
- Our manifesto for the future of aviation: Our arguments for a Green Flying Duty, similar to current Air Passenger Duty, that would be ring fenced for investment in the development of low-carbon aviation.
- FAQs with Justin Francis, co-founder and CEO of Responsible Travel detailing his views on the future of aviation and carbon reduction. Further supplementary information on these issues can be found in the side menu in the link.
- “Carbon offsets are a dangerous distraction from the urgent need for all of us to reduce our carbon emissions. They perpetuate the myth that aviation – using old, polluting technology - can continue to grow unchecked by passing the moral responsibility for reducing emissions onto someone else. And, most crucially, research shows they don’t work.” - Justin Francis
More on why we don’t support carbon offsetting. - How to have a lower-carbon holiday (video)
- “Food production takes up 43% of global land use and accounts for 23% of global carbon emissions. And, according to research, if we switch to a vegan diet we can reduce those emissions by 73%. Eating a locally-sourced, seasonal, plant-based diet on holiday and avoiding imported goods can make a huge dent in our overall holiday footprint. It also helps to keep the economic benefits of tourism firmly in the hands of local communities.”
For more information take a look at our work to calculate the carbon footprint of a holiday, our commissioned research, the impact of food, and the future of carbon labelling.
You can also find more details on eating plant-based diets on holiday to cut carbon ‘foodprints’. - Climate change is making natural snowfall in many ski resorts more sporadic, and some 60% of resorts are now using snow cannons to manufacture snow cover and extend ski seasons, particularly at lower elevations. But this mass reliance on artificial snow requires vast quantities of water and energy, and can have a potentially damaging impact on a resort’s wider biodiversity. Read more on why we think ski resorts should be dictated by nature, and why we say no to fake snow.
- Climate change is affecting how we holiday, and how holiday operators run their trips. We have written a series of articles about the most affected destinations. Read how climate change is affecting holidays in: Australia, the Galápagos Islands, India, Kenya, Maldives, Nepal, and Spain, and how it is affecting winter holidays.
2. Nature positive tourism
View our nature hub.
“To tackle climate heating we need to cut carbon and restore nature. The climate crisis and biodiversity crisis are two sides of the same coin. Without addressing one, we can’t address the other. To tackle the biodiversity crisis, tourism must go further than simply leaving no trace. It must be nature positive.” - Justin Francis
- There are five key threats to nature worldwide and all are endemic within the travel industry. How can nature positive tourism help - and what exactly is it? Read Justin Francis’ Q&A - and see the side menu in the link for supplementary information.
- Tips for nature positive travels (video).
- Nature positive tourism in action. Find examples in our global map.
- Get Nature Positive. A handbook for business to further protect and restore the natural world. Part of our co-founder Justin Francis’ work as nature lead for the UK Government Council for Sustainable Business.
- Can tourism help save the Amazon?
- Single use plastics and responsible tourism.
3. Overtourism
View our community hub.
“Travel is a privilege not a right, and when we travel, we become guests in someone else’s home. Our desire to see and experience the world should not come at the expense of another person’s right to live safely and enjoyably in their own space.
“Tourism can be a powerful force for positive change, bringing employment and opportunity to local people. It can also destroy cultures and turn thriving communities into ghost towns. That’s why responsible tourism isn’t only about carbon and nature, but about how we ensure our holidays respect and benefit the people who live in the places we are visiting.” - Justin Francis
- Crowded Out: Our overtourism documentary (video).
- What is overtourism? Read our FAQs with Justin Francis.
- “As tourists we become temporary residents in someone’s home. We use their facilities and public services. It is only fair that we contribute in a small way towards those to protect and improve the places we love for residents and tourists alike.” - Justin Francis
What are tourist taxes? And why do we think they are a good thing? Read Justin’s column in the iPaper for more on his views on tourism taxes. - Our overtourism map - a collection of resources on global overtourism.
- Is travel a right? Justin Francis shares his views.
4. Community and inclusivity issues
- What is community-based tourism and can indigenous cultures benefit from it?
- On Our Terms: Responsible Tourism in the Masai Mara (video). How a landowning Maasai community in Kenya are using tourism to their (and their wildlife’s) benefit, whilst offering a unique and unforgettable experience for the tourist too.
- Travel by its nature should be leading the way on inclusivity. But it consistently falls short on diversity and inclusion. How can we improve?
- Our accessible tourism manifesto - why equal access to tourism is a myth.
- LGBTQ travel guides.
- Porters’ rights
- Should we visit a destination in crisis?
5. Animal welfare in tourism
Our views on wildlife in captivity:
“We want to enable people to see wildlife in the wild in a way that supports habitats and conservation. No animal should be kept in captivity without good reason, and in our opinion the justifications offered by zoos don’t stack up.” - Justin Francis
- Saying no to zoos. Why we won’t promote holidays which include a visit to a zoo.
- Orcas and dolphins are highly intelligent creatures, with large natural ranges and complex social structures. Keeping them in captivity and forcing them to perform for our entertainment is morally and ethically wrong. Our ‘No Orca Circus’ campaign.
- Responsible whale watching - our tips for seeing whales in the wild.
- Why we shouldn’t ride elephants on holiday and our stance on elephant bathing.
- How petting lion cubs and taking part in walking with lion experiences is bolstering the canned hunting industry.
- Tips for responsible wildlife holidays.
6. Volunteering
- Our guide to responsible volunteering.
- Why we don’t support short-term visits to orphanages.
7. About Responsible Travel and our holidays
- Our story.
“An authentic experience, which reveals the soul of a place, is a gift given at the discretion of local people. We travel in places they call home. If tourism works for them, the opportunities for deeper and more joyful travel increase.” - Justin Francis
How solo travel through Africa - and a chance meeting with a village elder in Zambia - led our co-founder, Justin Francis, to sow the seeds for Responsible Travel. - Our history. Pioneering responsible tourism since 2001.
- How we screen our holidays.
- What we never sell and why.
- About our co-founder & CEO Justin Francis.
- Justin Francis’ regular column for the iPaper.
8. Using Responsible Travel content
If you'd like to use Responsible Travel articles or guides in your work please read about using our content.
