Talk:Responsible Travel
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Conflict of interest edit request - adding in company history
[edit] | This edit request by an editor with a conflict of interest has now been answered. |
- 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.
Done There were two sources that didn't verify what was in the text and were removed, but all content was added and there's no sourcing concerns from me with the remaining references. Thanks, Encoded Talk 💬 11:46, 12 September 2025 (UTC)
