Responsible travel represents a profound shift in how travelers approach their destination experiences. It strives to reduce the detrimental effects that tourism often has on local communities, wildlife, and the environment.
In this article, we’re featuring some of the world’s responsible travel organizations that assist travelers in making informed decisions on where they should visit and what sights to see. Furthermore, these groups strive to promote sustainability within the industry as a whole.
Sustainable Travel International
The travel industry has a profound effect on society, from local communities to the environments tourists visit. Many organizations around the globe strive to help travel companies and destinations become more responsible and safeguard their natural resources.
Sustainable travel refers to a range of practices that protect the environment and wildlife, support local economies, and enhance social conditions for tourists, residents and indigenous people. It also implies educating travellers about their trips’ effects and giving them chances to contribute back in their communities.
With growing awareness of sustainability and traveler intentions to make conscious choices, travel brands now have an opportunity to provide sustainable information to travelers. In our most recent custom research, we discovered that consumers want sustainable options such as recommendations for locally owned businesses and restaurants near a destination, transportation with lower environmental impact, and cultural resources during the planning process.
Travel brands must make it easier for travelers to identify sustainable options through their marketing initiatives and content. This should include using concise language, using visually appealing formats, and demonstrating the positive impacts of sustainable travel.
The International Ecotourism Society (TIES)
Ecotourism, also referred to as responsible travel, is a form of travel that reduces its effects on the environment while strengthening local communities and culture. It encourages responsible use of shared natural resources, funds for conservation efforts, and respect for native species.
Established in 1990, TIES is the oldest and largest ecotourism society worldwide. It provides guidelines, training courses, and other services to assist people in developing sustainable tourism practices.
TIES’ definition of ecotourism emphasizes generating economic benefits for local people and the industry, while raising awareness around environmental and political concerns. When tourism is managed responsibly, it can provide indigenous peoples with opportunities to stay on their ancestral lands and maintain their traditional way of life.
The International Ecotourism Society (TIES) is a non-profit organization that promotes ecotourism through membership services, education and training, global outreach initiatives, and partnerships. TIES’ mission is to unite the interests of conservationists, travel industry professionals, sustainability advocates, and responsible travelers around the world in order to foster effective and sustainable travel practices. At present TIES’ global network of members includes travel professionals, associations from across various industries, sustainability advocates, as well as individuals interested in responsible travel.
Green Tourism
Responsible travel, also referred to as Green Tourism, is an effort to visit areas of natural beauty while safeguarding local communities and wildlife. It also involves educating travellers about their environmental impact.
To maximize the sustainability of your vacation, select appropriate accommodations and activities. Avoiding resorts or ecolodges that use non-recyclable materials, buying souvenirs from locally owned businesses, and minimizing waste are all good options for making responsible choices.
Some tour operators are striving to be “green,” by reducing their own carbon footprint, offsetting flights and dedicating a portion of their profits to community development projects. One such company is Pura Aventura which organizes active vacations in Spain and Latin America with an eco-focus.
Anglo-Spanish travel company is renowned for its “personal and planet positive” itineraries, often featuring scientists working with communities to preserve and reforest their environment. Furthermore, they’re certified B Corporations – meaning they measure success not just by financial profits but also social and environmental outcomes and public transparency.
The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC)
The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) is an impartial USA-registered 501(c)3 non-profit organization with a diverse membership across national and provincial governments, leading travel companies, hotels, tour operators, NGOs, individuals and communities – all striving towards achieving best practices in sustainable tourism.
The GSTC has created and oversees the Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria, two sets of global sustainable standards: Destination Criterion (GSTC-D) and Hotel & Tour Operator Criterion (GSTC-H&TO). These principles serve as guidelines and minimum requirements that any tourism business or destination should strive towards in order to protect and sustain natural and cultural resources while maximising tourism’s potential as a tool for conservation and poverty alleviation.
The GSTC provides members with a variety of resources to enhance their sustainability practices. These include member-only webinars, discounted workshops, classes and an online training program, plus access to member-only webinars.
Sustainable Travel & Leisure Exchange (STLX)
The travel industry has made a concerted effort to reduce its detrimental effects on local communities, the environment and global economics. Despite these best efforts, there remain numerous grey areas that need to be addressed. Fortunately, there are numerous organizations who can be counted on to lead the charge in this endeavor.
Sustainable Travel & Leisure Exchange (STLX) has earned a well-deserved reputation as an eco-friendly leader in vacation exchange. Their award-winning portfolio of vacation properties across five continents showcases sustainability at its finest, from energy conservation to community outreach and environmental management. STX truly lives up to its name – they truly promote sustainability!
One of the most remarkable achievements of STX is their partnership with Internova, which allows them to pool resources to support carbon offset and sustainable travel technologies across their network of over 2,400 hotels, resorts and villas. As a result, clients of both companies will now have access to award-winning resorts, an array of online tools for evaluating green hotel options available to them, as well as an exclusive report focusing on the greenest hotel concepts worldwide.
Tourism Cares
Tourism Cares is a non-profit organization whose mission it to unite, activate and inspire all sectors of travel. For nearly two decades they have provided travel industry professionals with resources and opportunities to make positive change around the world.
The organization hosts Meaningful Travel Summits to inspire travel advisors and tour operators to incorporate sustainable businesses and services into their itineraries. They also create customized Meaningful Travel Maps tailored for each destination.
Responsible travel requires respecting cultural norms. This may involve learning the rules in different countries on how to act while abroad, such as not patting children on the head or making direct eye contact.
By staying local rather than at a touristy spot, you are helping preserve the natural resources of an area and making it safer for tourists to visit.
In addition to being a more responsible way of traveling, it can also make you feel closer to the destination you’re visiting. And the great thing is that it’s now easier than ever for travelers to locate hotels or resorts with socially responsible practices.
Friends International
Responsible travel organizations around the world are striving to make destinations better places for travellers, local people and the environment. These initiatives prioritize key pillars such as environmental preservation, improved working conditions, greater economic benefits for local communities, culturally sensitive practices and equitable decision-making that involves local people.
Friends International was established in 1994 as an international social enterprise and registered non-governmental organization dedicated to children’s empowerment. Their programs help children affected by poverty or exploitation build their futures through prevention, rehabilitation, and reintegration.
Through ChildSafe, the company collaborates with local leaders, tourists and the public to protect children from harm caused by tourism. Furthermore, they partner with businesses in the area to provide vocational training and employment opportunities.
This organization strives for social justice and the humane treatment of prisoners, the mentally ill and minorities. They adhere to a single standard of truth while practicing non-violence.
The Center for Responsible Travel
Responsible travel is becoming an increasingly common trend within the travel industry, with many destinations and tour operators striving to reduce their environmental impact while making a positive contribution to local communities. To truly understand what responsible tourism entails, it’s essential that travelers become educated on this concept so they can make educated decisions that promote a brighter future for our planet.
CREST is an organization headquartered in Washington, DC that advocates for responsible travel policies and practices around the world. Established in 2003, CREST has gained global recognition as a research institute and watchdog of the travel industry.
The organization strives to offer interdisciplinary analysis and creative solutions through research, consultancies, documentary films, courses, and field projects that address overtourism and climate change without disrupting the travel boom.
CREST is also leading the Future of Tourism Coalition, working alongside Green Destinations, Sustainable Travel International, Tourism Cares and The Travel Foundation to encourage tourism agencies, travel companies, investors, governments, NGOs and destinations to adhere to its guiding principles.
The importance of supporting responsible travel organizations
Responsible travel organizations are making a positive impact on the tourism industry, promoting sustainable and ethical practices that benefit local communities and the environment. By exploring responsible travel organizations around the world and supporting their initiatives, we can make informed choices about where we travel and how we engage with local cultures and communities. From supporting conservation efforts and community projects to promoting sustainable travel practices and minimizing our impact on the environment, there are many ways that responsible travel organizations are promoting a more positive and sustainable approach to travel.
As travelers, it is our responsibility to be aware of the impact of our travel choices on the planet and to take steps to minimize our carbon footprint and promote sustainable tourism practices. By supporting responsible travel organizations and adopting sustainable travel practices, we can make a positive impact on the environment and create a more sustainable future for travel. Let’s work together to embrace the initiatives of responsible travel organizations and promote a more sustainable and ethical approach to travel for a brighter future.