Sustainability is the ambition; Responsible Tourism is about what we do as producers and consumers to realise the aspiration. Too often sustainable is used only in the abstract sense. Responsible Tourism is not the same as sustainable tourism. Responsibility requires that we say what we are doing to make tourism better and that we are transparent about what we achieve. The agenda is broad across the three pillars of economic, social and environmental responsibility a wide range of resources are available.
Responsible Tourism is about using tourism to make better places to live in and better places to visit. Overtourism is the opposite, a consequence of a failure to manage tourism sustainably. Overtourism describes destinations where hosts or guests, locals or visitors, feel that there are too many visitors and that the quality of life in the area or the quality of the experience has deteriorated unacceptably. Often both visitors and guests experience the deterioration concurrently. There are a variety of causes and solutions.
Aviation is the Achilles heel of the travel and tourism sector. If you are buying offsets, take care, you may be jeopardising your reputation, particularly if you are selling them to your customers. If something looks too good to be true, it usually is. There is more here about the questions to ask of any carbon offset. It is important to begin now to develop alternative fuels to maintain aviation.
Harold Goodwin drafted the Cape Town Declaration in 2002, the founding manifesto of the Responsible Tourism Movement. Since 2004 Responsible Tourism Awards have recognised good practice and spread awareness of what can, and should, be done. There are International Centres around the world and annual conferences to share and promote Responsible Tourism. Harold is the WTM’s Responsible Tourism Advisor with programmes at the trade shows in London, Cape Town, Dubai & Sao Paulo
"Today a wind of madness is sweeping the globe," says UN Secretary-General Offsetting and the aviation industry are being challenged Strong RT programme at WTM Africa in Cape Town 6 to 8 April The new runway at Heathrow blocked There is some evidence that the young are not as green as they are often assumed […]
Climate change creates victims Tourism Declares a Climate Emergency: Carbon offsetting is NOT the answer Vote for the most inspirational examples in the 2020 Africa Responsible Tourism Awards Responsible Tourism sets the pace in India Booking.com opens applications for its Booking Booster accelerator Overtourism affects more and more places Belize bans plastic and a […]
Significant Warming has Occured - Time to Adapt Responsible Tourism is About Solutions The 2020 Africa Responsible Tourism Awards Destinations & Overtourism Responsible Tourism Programme at WTM Africa Removing Plastic from Our Environment Orphanage Tourism and Child Trafficking Shipping is making progress, will cruise follow? Zoos - Aspinal Calls for their Abolition Palau […]
Approaching the "point of no return" on climate change World Responsible Tourism Awards 2019 and the Africa Awards 2020 Offsetting and Flight Shaming Time to adapt to extreme weather Overtourism Consumer trends favour Responsible Tourism Animal Welfare and Saving the Elephant Teaching children to cope with tourism, Egypt Orphanage Tourism and Child Trafficking […]
The RT Programme at WTM, London 4-6 November Future-Proofing Travel & Tourism Decent Work Travel Responsibly - Advice for Travellers Overtourism The Responsible Tourism Awards The World's Biggest Responsible Tourism Meeting Biodiversity & Animal Welfare Dissing Uluru The Collapse of Thomas Cook Damaged Destinations ++++++++++++++++++++++ Harold Goodwin ATM & WTM's Responsible Tourism Advisor is speaking […]
Finalists World Responsible Tourism Awards The WTM London Responsible Tourism Programme Don't look away - protect children What advice would you give to Consumers? Water Security - what can you do? The Carbon Challenge Consumers want the industry to offer sustainable tourism. Do you have videos you'd like to show at WTM? Tourism Taxes Carbon-free […]
1. Why the Responsible Tourism Awards matter. 2. Is the Cruise Industry trying to be more sustainable? 3. Fire and exploitation in the Amazon 4. Climate Change 5. The challenge of overtourism 6. Tourists should pay their share of local taxes. 7. Dealing with Plastics 8. Maasai Evicted for Tourism 9. Interview with Chris Warren […]
Responsible Tourism Awards Aviation Overtourism Plastic Waste: Solutions Climate Change Airbnb Waste Child Protection Accessible Tourism UK Government Policy RTD 15 in Northern Ireland postponed to 2020 Responsible Tourism Awards The World Responsible Tourism Awards to be presented at WTM London on November 6th are now closed. The WTM Latin America Responsible Tourism Awards […]
World Responsible Tourism & Latin American Awards Aviation and Climate Change WTM, London November 4-6 - programme Overtourism - Italian cities take action Inclusive and Pro-Poor Tourism Consumer Education, Responsible Tourism resources required Airbnb - regulation One Planet Network Plastic: Going Beyond Straws Cuba - Americans can still travel there World Responsible Tourism Awards and […]
Responsible Tourism Awards Feature in the Barcelona Election Biodiversity Loss, Tourism can make a difference RTD15: Overtourism and Post-Conflict Tourism New Airport at Machu Picchu Fairer and More Inclusive Tourism Plastics: Galapagos, Capri, Tanzania Sustainable Destination Partnership: Sydney Overtourism leads to deaths on Everest and a strike in Paris Airbnb proposes a new tourism tax […]
Africa Responsible Tourism Awards announced - find the winners and the judges' reasons https://t.co/FYzeGxcwHb https://t.co/rN9ZepsjxcNever waste a good crisis? https://t.co/YM1ZR29ojzEfforts to link US airline rescue package to carbon targets resisted as industry faces unprecedented times. https://t.co/AofUkCEF14
