Talk:Responsible Travel
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Conflict of interest edit request - adding in company history
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- What I think should be changed (include citations):
Responsible Travel is a British travel agency and publisher. The company sells holidays it says are designed to maximise the benefit and minimise the harm involved in tourism.[1] [2]
Holidays are screened for their compliance with environmental, social and economic criteria with an emphasis on grassroot initiatives and local providers.[3] [4] [5] [6]
History
[edit]Responsible Travel was founded in 2000 by Justin Francis and Harold Goodwin.[7]Anita Roddick of The Body Shop was one of the first investors.[8]
In 2004, Justin Francis founded The Responsible Tourism Awards, which were organised by Responsible Travel until 2016 and hosted by World Travel Market as part of World Responsible Tourism Day.[9] [10]
In 2004 the company launched a campaign ‘Had Enough’ urging three of the UK's largest travel companies – Thomas Cook, Thomson and MyTravel, to implement responsible tourism policies.[11] A year later, all three had published their first Responsible Business policies.[12]
In October 2009, Responsible Travel stopped offering carbon offsets (which it offered since 2002) claiming that people were using the offset as an excuse to pollute more.[13] [14] [15] [16]
In July 2013, Responsible Travel removed trips that involved volunteering at orphanages around the world for ethical reasons.[17] [18]
In 2014, the company removed elephant trekking and elephant performance trips from its collection.[19] [20]
In April 2014, the company launched a public petition to urge travel companies to stop selling tickets to establishments keeping cetaceans in captivity for public entertainment purposes.[21] [22] [23]
In November 2016, Responsible Travel began funding day trips for children around the world to visit a local tourist attraction that they may never had had the privilege of visiting before.[24] [25]
In April 2017, Responsible Travel stopped promoting holidays that included a visit to a zoo, describing them as "relics of the past".[26] The move was supported by The Born Free Foundation.[27]
In July 2020, Responsible Travel made a commitment to contribute to a nature positive world by 2030.[28]
In November 2021 at COP26 in Glasgow, Responsible Travel founder Justin Francis, Liv Garfield and DEFRA, with the support of Accenture, launched the 'Nature Handbook for Business' - a practical resource for working towards a nature positive world aimed at five industry sectors, including tourism.[29]
In December 2024, Responsible Travel founder, Justin Francis, was awarded an OBE for services to nature and the environment.[30] [31]
- Why it should be changed:
These edits bring Responsible Travel’s history up to date, including adding back in company history that that I believe has previously been erroneously removed – this is factual information, fully cited using high-quality sources, and doesn’t violate wiki guidelines.
Additionally, while the company was launched in 2001, it was founded in 2000.
Traveler2468 (talk) 16:12, 28 July 2025 (UTC)
References
- ^ "Justin Francis: 'I want to be a challenger'". The Independent. 5 April 2011.
- ^ "Archive news from the The Argus". www.theargus.co.uk. 24 April 2001.
- ^ Greenwood, Susan; team, the Guardian Travel (15 July 2011). "The best travel websites ever". The Guardian.
- ^ "Meet Justin Francis, the tourism pioneer behind responsible travel". euronews. 4 January 2025.
- ^ "Responsible Travel: The Win-Win of 'Vacations With a Conscience'". Full-Time Travel.
- ^ "Justin Francis, Co-founder and CEO of Responsible Travel - Dave's Travel Corner". Dave's Travel Corner. 20 October 2023.
- ^ "Meet Justin Francis, the tourism pioneer behind responsible travel". euronews. 4 January 2025.
- ^ "Roddick backs responsible travel". The Guardian. 6 April 2001.
- ^ "World RT Awards - Responsible Tourism Partnership". responsibletourismpartnership.org.
- ^ "Responsible travel turns 25: Looking back on a pioneering tourism company". euronews. 4 January 2025.
- ^ Choat, Isabel (13 March 2004). "Package firms urged to be responsible". The Guardian.
- ^ "Your planet: Travel that doesn't cost the earth". The Independent. 20 September 2005.
- ^ "Paying more for flights eases guilt, not emissions". The New York Times. 17 November 2009.
- ^ "ResponsibleTravel cancels carbon offset program - USATODAY.com". USA Today. 25 November 2009.
- ^ "fast:track examines carbon offsetting". BBC News. 31 January 2010.
- ^ "Ethical travel company drops carbon offsetting". The Independent. 7 November 2009.
- ^ "Orphanage volunteering 'part of the problem'". The Telegraph. 5 February 2016.
- ^ "Rethinking voluntourism". www.travelweekly.com. 10 September 2013.
- ^ "Elephant tourism: why the call of the wild is too loud to ignore". The Independent. 18 August 2014.
- ^ Dattani, Meera (19 April 2017). "Elephant trekking: A grey area?". Adventure.com.
- ^ "Row between ABTA and responsible travel operator over orca circus". Blue and Green Tomorrow. 24 July 2014.
- ^ "Say no to orca & dolphin circuses says tour operator". TravelMole. 15 April 2014.
- ^ "Travel-polls-and-research - Travel Bulletin - Public support flips against dolphin and killer whale marine park shows". travelbulletin.co.uk. 26 May 2014.
- ^ Siegle, Lucy (29 January 2017). "The eco guide to responsible travel". The Guardian.
- ^ Harrison, Kate (26 June 2017). "This Company Sold More Than $130 Million Of Vacations By Admitting Paradise Is A Lie". Forbes.
- ^ "Wildlife travel agent drops zoo trips". BBC News. 3 April 2017.
- ^ Coldwell, Will (3 April 2017). "UK travel firm becomes the first to drop zoos". The Guardian.
- ^ "Are 'nature positive' trips the next step in ethical tourism?". The Independent. 15 October 2021.
- ^ Haugen, JoAnna (17 December 2021). "'Get Nature Positive' Responds to Urgent Biodiversity Crisis, Offers Guidance for UK-Based Companies". Sustainable Brands.
- ^ "Responsible Travel founder and Abta destinations lead receive New Year honours". Travel Weekly. 30 December 2024.
- ^ "Meet Justin Francis, the tourism pioneer behind responsible travel". euronews. 4 January 2025.