Writing a making a difference section

Responsible Travel now focusses our impact work on the three most important issues we believe the planet faces: climate change, biodiversity loss and inclusivity and diversity. Without addressing these issues, the Sustainable Developments Goals will be impossible to achieve.

We care deeply about many other issues in tourism, which we’ve spent 20 years campaigning on. You can explore these in our values hub. Please also familiarise yourself with our list of exclusions – experiences that we will not promote.

Our criteria below is not an exhaustive list of tourism impacts – but the most critical.

Watch Justin's video for an introduction to this section and some tips, then follow the criteria below.

PLANET

Make two headings in capital letters, the first “CARBON REDUCTION”, and the second “ENVIRONMENT AND WILDLIFE”. Please answer all applicable points, and a minimum of two from carbon reduction and two from environment and wildlife.

CARBON REDUCTION

We are committed to promoting vacations that reduce the operational carbon emissions of the trip (we don’t support offsets, which don’t do this). This section is an opportunity for you to detail the ways your vacation is doing this. The more we know about your vacation, the better equipped we are to help publicise it, with customers, on social media and with our press contacts.

1. Have efforts been made to reduce flying – rail options or reduction in avoidable internal flights? If so, describe.
2. Do accommodations on the trip use renewable energy? If possible: state how many and where. If not, what else are they doing to reduce their carbon footprint?
3. Is shared local transport (buses or trains that effectively reduce CO2 per person) part of the trip? Which type and when?
4. Is human powered transport (walking, cycling, kayaking etc.) part of the trip? How many days?
5. Do you advise customers on how to reduce the carbon impacts of their vacation?
   • See our film with several specific suggestions.
   • Google flights and Skyscanner show emissions by flight.
   • Paying to increase the percentage of sustainable aviation fuel used in order to reduce CO2 emissions flying? More information from KLM and BA.
6. Are electric cars or other forms of transport used? Describe which and when.
7. Is vegetarian and vegan food available on each day? Describe.
8. How much food is local-sourced and seasonal? Added bonus: do you check accommodations’ food waste plans and their policies to reduce (or switch to certified) palm oil, soy and forestry products (wood, paper)?
9. Are you able to measure Scope 1, 2 or 3 carbon emissions of this trip? If so, let your Account Manager know.

ENVIRONMENT AND WILDLIFE

Global biodiversity is in crisis, yet every vacation relies on nature - and impacts on it. Leaving no trace is no longer enough - tourism has a key role to play in helping us reach the global goals to arrest declines in nature by 2030. We are committed to promoting nature positive vacations – trips that actively help both protect and restore healthy biodiversity. Please use this section to explain how your trip is creating positive impacts for nature.

For information about animal welfare see our wildlife and captive animals information.

1. Do you check the policies of how accommodation on this trip reduce their environmental impacts? For example, pollution (solid, noise, air), water reduction and rainwater harvesting, building materials, plastic reduction, recycling and renewable energy. How? Any notable examples?
2. Does the trip include accommodations that are restoring nature in and around their property – which can include simple things like bird or bat boxes, roof top plants for pollinators in urban or wild areas – or bigger landscape projects Does the trip include entry fees to Parks or Protected Areas? If so, which ones and how much?
3. Does the trip include or contribute in any way (e.g. entrance fees, using local guides, donations, gathering data) to nature recovery/rewilding projects? If so, describe them.
4. Which, if any, environmental or wildlife NGOs operating in this country do you donate to? Bonus: do any relate to threatened or endangered species?
   • Have you considered adding an opt out conservation fee to each trip for named NGOs?
5. Do you provide customers with information about reducing their impacts on nature (our film as an example) and if so what?
6. Do you provide expert nature guides? Are they from the local community and how are they qualified?
7. What threats do invasive species pose in this destination, and how are you addressing them/reducing spread?

PEOPLE

Make two headings in capital letters, the first “LOCAL ECONOMY”, and the second “EMPLOYMENT, INCLUSIVITY AND DIVERSITY”. Please answer all applicable points and a minimum of two.

LOCAL ECONOMY

We believe travel must benefit local communities. This section is an opportunity for you to detail the ways your vacation is doing this.

1. How many accommodations in this trip are locally owned (vs international chains)? Are any particularly notable – for example home stays?
2. How do you maximize other local economic opportunities – do you employ local guides, visit craft or cooperative markets, village visits? Which ones?

EMPLOYMENT, INCLUSIVITY AND DIVERSITY

1. What percentage of the people that you or your operating partners employ in this country are from the country? How many from the local community?
2. Do you employ or create income generating opportunities for people who are often excluded or marginalized – for example extremely poor, those with a disability, indigenous people, women. Who, where and how many?
3. Do you, and if applicable your ground operating partners, pay staff at least the minimum wage in this destination?
4. Do you have a workplace diversity strategy – to nurture equal employment without regard to race, gender, sexual orientation or nationality?
5. Is this trip LGBTQ+ friendly? If so, please let us know.
6. Is this trip suitable for people with limited mobility, vision or hearing; or cognitive issues? If so, please let us know.
7. Are you operating a Trip for a Trip scheme or something similar, providing day trips for disadvantaged local children? If so, provide details. Our scheme.

NB. Please provide trip photos for your page that are representative of tourists and local people of different races, gender and religions.