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Responsible Tourism News is a "newsletter of record" containing 10 sections, the most important Responsible Tourism stories of the month. 5,000 people subscribe to receive it every month. Please forward this to those you think may be interested – you can subscribe using the box on the right if you wish to contribute a story, email harold@haroldgoodwin.info
The 2022 Responsible Tourism Charter points out that responsibility drives sustainability, lists the most significant issues that need to be addressed, and asserts the importance of transparent reporting to demonstrate what is being achieved and avoid greenwashing. Responsible Tourism is about using tourism to make better places for people to live and visit. How can we “do tourism better”?
Blogs and Interviews
All-inclusive holidays -the good, the bad, and the ugly
Wildfires are a reminder of the consequences of the climate change we cause
Ireland’s Refreshing National Tourism Policy
Bridging the gap – the say-do gap
Interview: Mindful Wayfarer What Is Responsible Tourism?
In Norfolk in the UK, locals have long argued that second homeowners have "hollowed out" villages, pushed prices of properties up, and left locals unable to afford to live there. From April, second homeowners, are set to face higher council tax bills. "Tim Adams, leader of North Norfolk District Council, said: "This money will be used to the absolutely best effect to help us contend with the biggest challenge we face at the moment, which is financing the provision of support for people with an acute and immediate need for temporary accommodation and the wider issues around housing and homelessness in our district."
No Neighbours. Ashifa Kassam, European community affairs correspondent for The Guardian, has written a powerful piece:"‘I have no neighbours’: overtourism pushes residents in Spain and Portugal to the limit". She quotes a "71-year-old is among those who have been left to grapple with southern Europe’s overtourism problem in the most intimate of ways: trading neighbours for a steady stream of suitcase-totting tourists in their buildings’ elevators, hallways and lobbies... As tourist arrivals swell to record numbers in Spain and Portugal, some residents have found themselves living in buildings where tourist flats make up the majority of units. In the most extreme cases, residents have been left on their own, surrounded entirely by tourist flats."
The Guardian and TravelTomorrow have promoted alternative booking platforms.
3. Climate Change
2024 was the warmest ever recorded, Earth was 1.6°C hotter than the pre-industrial temperature average. This breaks the record set in 2023 by just over 0.1C, and means the last 10 years are now the 10 warmest years on record. There are striking graphics documenting the average temperature rise on the BBC website. There is much more here about how human-generated climate change threatens us. Wildfires are a reminder of the consequences of the climate change we are causing. Climate change worsens heatwaves, droughts, wildfires and floods. Scientists at World Weather Attribution report that climate change made the weather conditions that led to the LA fires 35% more likely. The latest science published by the International Cryosphere Climate Initiative (ICCI) shows that 1 metre of sea level rise is now inevitable within a century or so and could come as early as 2070 if ice sheets collapse and emissions are not curbed. Pam Pearson, the ICCI director, is reported in The Guardian: “It’s ironic these oil tanker ports are below 1 metre of sea level rise and need to have their eyes on these potentially higher rates of sea level rise, which themselves come from continued fossil fuel use.”
There is detailed analysis of the trends in greenhouse gas emissions for the travel & tourism sector in nature communications in December 2024. The challenge is "Rapid demand growth and slow technology efficiency gains are the fundamental drivers of high growth in tourism carbon emissions."
As Virginia Iglesias, a climate scientist at the University of Colorado Boulder, has pointed out, humans are actively fanning the flames. The cost of deadly LA wildfires is estimated at up to $150bn. Why wildfires are becoming faster and more furious. The travel industry, Airbnb, Vrbo, Uber and Lyft, and hotels, have come to the aid of those in crisis as a result of the LA wildfires. Oliver Milman writes in The Guardian about how, "Trump’s focus during the fires has been to assail the Democratic leadership of California and its stricken largest city, baselessly claiming the habitat protection of an “essentially worthless fish” stopped water flowing to LA as overwhelmed fire hydrants ran dry."
Hotels on the Greek islands could soon be filling their pools with seawater and more here. After intense flooding, Barcelona is still battling drought. "The shallow fountains have been drained, and the city has even taken to chopping down wilting palm trees before they can topple over. In eastern Catalonia, the three years from 2021-23 had some of the worst drought in recorded history...Last autumn's intense rainfall that caused flooding in Barcelona, as well as devastating damage and loss of life in Valencia, were not enough to alleviate this drought. "
In its financial reports, ABTA has, for the first time, included references to climate change and to protests at ‘overtourism’, as “strategic” challenges. Abta chief executive Mark Tanzer warned: “The challenge of global warming and climate change has intensified. The evidence of accelerating change is all around us. It’s quite possible certain types of holiday, in certain locations, will become unviable, and the unpredictability of the weather increases business risk throughout the supply chain.”
Climate change is "an immediate and visible concern" in India. The Himalayan region is experiencing a decline in snowfall due to rising temperatures, affecting skiing and trekking, melting glaciers and the increased risk of landslides threaten the safety and accessibility of the mountains. Coastal destinations such as Goa, Kerala, and the Andaman Islands face the dual threats of rising sea levels and more frequent cyclones. These changes are eroding beaches, damaging coral reefs, and putting tourism infrastructure at risk.
Sounding a rare note of optimism, The Economist's climate editor writes, "Have global emissions of greenhouse gases passed their peak? It is entirely possible. The world will find out, one way or another, in 2025. Passing the peak would be a significant moment in the fight against climate change." sadly, I think not. In January, The Economist presented a more sombre appraisal of the situation: " A single year of data is widely seen as insufficient to judge the success or failure of “efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels”—which is what nearly 200 countries committed themselves to in the Paris agreement of 2015. People tend to look instead at trends, or the average over a decade. But if 2024 did not break the Paris “limit” in that sense, it hardly matters. It was a new record, and it made clearer than ever that there is no plausible scenario in which the trend will not breach the limit before too long."
You can't fool all of the people all of the time. As Ben Cooke has pointed out in The Times "climate change is, apparently, an incredibly urgent and difficult problem that society is largely failing to address, yet you can cancel out your personal contribution to it for less than £30 a year. This, you might conclude, is too good to be true.... The Guardian found that Verra, the world’s leading carbon offset certifier, had dramatically overestimated the amount of deforestation prevented by the credits it approved, rendering more than 90 per cent of them worthless. .. Buyers’ faith in the integrity of the carbon market has collapsed. Its value has fallen from £1.5 billion in 2022 to £570 million in May this year. ... since 2022, 88 per cent of credits have been issued, not for carbon removed, but for carbon avoided." As Cooke points out the focus is, rightly, shifting to carbon removal.
Zahra Hirji, writing in Bloomberg, suggests a number of ways you can create your own climate action plan.
4. All Inclusives
“All-inclusive holidays and resorts are widely criticised, but other all-inclusive travel experiences are not. There are all-inclusive safaris in Africa, many in national parks, yacht charters in the Caribbean, the Mediterranean and the Americas, and all-inclusive cruises. There are all-inclusive holidays for the disabled and their families, too.
The criticism often appears to be tinged with disdain, dismissed as an inferior form of tourism denying economic opportunities to local businesses and delivering a third-best experience for those who book them, unless, of course, it is a luxury all-inclusive. They remain popular, a Disneyland Resort offers “a dream trip … that fits your family’s preferences and budget.”
This year, an all-inclusive category is included in the Global Responsible Tourism Awards.
All-inclusives have two big advantages in Responsible Tourism terms. 1. They enable people to travel without concerns about the holiday costing more than they budgeted for & 2. They contribute to reducing overtourism pressures on local communities in holiday areas. All-inclusive holidays -the good, the bad, and the ugly
Express: British tourists ditch Spain and pick surprise country as 'number one holiday hotspot'
There are reports in the British media suggesting that British tourists are starting to snub the Canary and Balearic Islands in favour of Turkey, "This comes amid a wave of anti-tourist protests across the Canary and Balearic Islands, blaming the influx of tourists for rising house prices and a declining quality of life. It is thought that the growing backlash is putting off many tourists." However "Turkey also topped the most affordable all-inclusive beach holiday destination as the cheapest spot for 4 and 5-star holidays."
BristolLive: Tourists 'ditch' Turkey and rush to rival holiday hotspot that's dubbed 'the best'
Tourism in Turkey has reportedly taken a hit as the industry is facing a "slump" with rising prices and reduced visitor numbers - and now a rival hotspot [Geogia] is seeing a boom in travellers.
5. Aviation
Chris Lyle writes that ". Aviation contributes at least 60% of the direct greenhouse gas emissions of international tourism. Given developments in other sectors and absent further – intense – remedial action, aviation’s share of global CO2 emissions is projected to rise from the present 2.5-3.0% to about 20% by 2050, with some sources indicating significantly higher proportions. Consequently, travel and tourism would consume 22-44% of the remaining 1.5° C carbon budget. The Brussels-based environmental group Transport & Environment (T&E) argues Europe’s aviation industry could deplete its projected carbon ‘budget’ for 2050 as soon as next year when aircraft manufacturers Airbus and Boeing forecast air passenger traffic will double by 2050 on 2019. .. Its analysis suggests aircraft will burn 59% more fuel in 2050 than in 2019 despite sharply improved efficiency and will still be burning the kerosene refined from 1.9 billion barrels of crude oil a year.
Dr Chris Malins, director at low carbon fuels consultancy Cerulogy, has said that to achieve the SAF targets, the UK would need “30-40 commercial-scale facilities by 2035” and warned: “There is likely to be a compliance shortfall in a number of years up to 2035.” The UK SAF Mandate, which came into force on January 1, requires a minimum 2% SAF use across all flights departing the UK this year, rising each year to reach 10% SAF in 2030. "Aviation minister Mike Kane insisted he is “reasonably confident” the 2% target would be hit, pointing out airlines “hedge quite a long time into the future” on fuel, and said: “We hope to see more production.” Simon Holt, manager for emerging energy in Europe at energy company Phillips 66 which runs the only SAF production plant in the UK, has said: “The energy transition is not going to defy the laws of economics. .. He told a Westminster Energy, Environment and Transport Forum on UK aviation decarbonisation: “We need to make clear to customers what the costs of SAF production will be. We need to be transparent on the costs.” Jenny Millard of KPMG, pointed out that “The production of alternative fuels is going to be expensive." and asked "What is the willingness of the end consumer to pay? “Are there mechanisms to get people to understand and pay more, because that is what is going to be needed?”
Higham & Sun, in a paper in Nature Communications report that "Surging global tourism emissions are driven almost entirely by 20 countries, and efforts to rein in the trend aren’t working." The primary driver of rising emissions is high growth in tourism demand. The rapidly expanding carbon footprint is predominantly from aviation (21%), use of vehicles powered by petrol and diesel (17%), and utilities such as electricity supply (16%) ...Three-quarters of total global tourism emissions are produced by just 20 countries, with the remaining 25% shared between 155. Remarkably, there is now a hundred-fold difference in per-capta tourism footprints between countries which travel most and those which travel least.
"Pollutocrat Day": Oxfam reports that the Richest 1% burn through their entire annual carbon limit in just 10 days. The richest 1 per cent are responsible for more than twice as much carbon pollution as the poorest half of humanity, with devastating consequences for vulnerable communities and efforts to tackle the climate emergency. To meet the 1.5°C goal, the richest 1 per cent need to cut their emissions by 97 per cent by 2030. A record year for aviation. Business leaders at Davos spurned free train travel, arriving in private jets. IATA reports that revenue passenger kilometres rose by 10.4% in 2024 compared with 2023 and by 3.8% compared with pre-pandemic 2019. Total capacity, measured in available seat kilometres, was up 8.7%, and the overall load factor reached 83.5%. Delta expects 2025 to be its best-ever financial year.
Ryan Air has ceased its flights to Aalborg and Billund (the home of Legoland) “in response to the [Danish] government’s short-sighted decision to introduce an aviation tax of up to DKK 50 [€6.70] per departing passenger from Jan 2025, coupled with Billund’s failure to agree a competitive long-term agreement”, the airline said in a press release. Ryan Air "has changed its information on carbon compensation schemes following an investigation by the Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets."
Dale & Moos explain in The Conversation why, based on their research, the world’s first flight powered entirely by sustainable aviation fuel is a green mirage
Airbus delivered 766 commercial aircraft in 2024. easyJet is trialling a new paint that reduces the weight and fuel burn of its aircraft. The U.S. Department of Energy is funding research to harness underground pure hydrogen. It has awarded $20 million in research grants to 18 teams from laboratories, universities, and private companies. The goal is to develop technologies that can produce cost-effective, clean fuel from underground hydrogen sources. Known as geologic hydrogen, this resource forms naturally when water reacts with iron-rich rocks, causing the iron to oxidize. The CAA in the UK is preparing to roll out the second round of its ‘Hydrogen Challenge’, which will feature designs for “cutting-edge aircraft” and flight trials. A Hydrogen-powered truck developed by Cummins Accelera in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Energy and Department of Defense travelled an astounding 1,806 miles on a single tank of hydrogen. India has developed the world’s most powerful hydrogen-powered train engine.
6. Crime & Behaviour
Data provided in the UK by the National Police Chief's Council (NPCC) reports 504 offences recorded in hotels in 2023, 92% (464) involved physical contact with a child, while 40% (203) were recorded as rape. "Offences in hotels made up less than 1% of the total number of recorded sexual crimes against children in England and Wales in 2023. However, police say the crime is under-reported, and the real figures are likely to be higher. ... The NPCC says where specific hotels were recorded by police many were in major towns and cities, with transport links such as train stations and motorways nearby making it easy for perpetrators to meet victims. ... Many budget hotels also have self-service kiosks rather than 
manned reception desks, allowing perpetrators to check-in with young people without any questions being asked." There is detailed advice here on how to spot potential cases and how to report suspicions.
Fox World Travel highlighting human trafficking prevention ahead of NFL Video
The "vacation mindset’—a psychological shift that drives tourists to behave differently abroad than they would at home. This mindset is characterised by hedonism, risk-taking, and sometimes outright disrespect for local norms and environments.... “Being in a new environment can create a sense of freedom from societal norms and personal responsibilities,” Chummun explains. “This often promotes risk-taking behaviours, as individuals perceive fewer consequences for their actions.” A survey of 1,231 American adults, found that 56.5% of respondents admitted to acting in ways they would not dare to in their home country: (i) Excessive alcohol consumption, (ii) Breaking local laws (iii) Public disturbances (iv)
cheating on a partner.
Education: In January
USA Today published "Not all tourists are created equal: How you can be one of the good ones" with advice
Tatler published How Dr Kiona is championing ethical tourism, female empowerment and education through travel and sassy Instagram posts.
NDTV published A Handy Guide To Planning A Responsible Zero-Waste, Guilt-Free Vacation!
Tribune Islamabad published Call for 'responsible tourism' as north beckons tourists
Incentives
Copenhagen: CopenPay "Tourists who participated in green activities, such as cleaning up litter or working on urban farms, were eligible for various rewards. They could redeem perks like free coffee, ice cream, or wine and discounts on museum entries and kayak tours. Proof of eco-friendly actions, such as a train ticket or a selfie on a bike, was required to unlock these rewards using the CopenPay app."
Faroe Islands: since the 2019 ‘Closed for Maintenance’ initiative, they have invited voluntourists to participate in "maintenance projects, including repairing hiking trails and installing signposts. Although the rewards were intangible, the experience allowed travelers to connect with locals, build friendships, and contribute to preserving the islands’ pristine beauty. The program has been a resounding success, highlighting the positive impact of responsible tourism."
Normandy "‘tarif bas-carbone’ or low-carbon tariff. This program offered at least a 10% discount at over 70 cultural sites for travelers who opted for low-carbon modes of transportation. Visitors arriving by train, bus, or bicycle could claim these discounts by providing proof, such as a transport ticket or a photo of their bike."
Morzine in France and Via Lattea in Italy, Alpine ski resorts offered discounts to guests who arrived by train.
7. Responsible Tourism and the Market
Travellers favour sustainable travel, but cost is king. WTTC has published a report on Bridging the Say-Do Gap, the report offers a toolkit on "How to Create an Effective Sustainability Strategy by Knowing Your Customers". The authors describe six different types of consumers and suggest that businesses need to work out how to create an offer and package it so that it speaks to their mindset. “Across all consumer segments, more than 50% say cost is the most important factor influencing purchasing decisions, while around 30% prioritise quality." This is not a new finding; research we conducted with Tearfund in the later 1990s revealed the same mindset, consumers are rightly suspicious that green claims can be used to raise prices.
The success of Responsible Travel, which has turned 25, demonstrates that Responsible Tourism makes business sense, as do so many of the businesses which win Responsible Tourism Awards every year. Justin Francis is quoted in Euro News: “Responsible business is not only possible but profitable,- proving that is essential to driving urgent industry reforms, ... “There are obstacles still - in tourism and other sectors alike - but it’s encouraging to have seen what was once regarded as niche and oddball, progress to become a must-do for any credible business or tourism destination.”
The Advertising Standards Authority in the UK has found against eDreams because their statements “PUERTO RICO A sustainable destination” & “Discover our sustainable trips” broke the CAP Code, which requires that the basis of environmental claims must be clear, that the meaning of all terms must be clear and that a high level of substantiation must support absolute environmental claims.
Tourism Cares has pioneered with The Hawaiian Island to launch an "innovative digital resource that highlights community-driven tours, accommodations and organizations dedicated to promoting responsible tourism across the islands." The Meaningful Map 40% of American women plan to travel alone in 2025
8. Tourism Taxes and Levies
At FITUR, the Balearics announced 1.12 billion euros of investment in environmental and water cycle projects, tackling tourism seasonality, historical and cultural heritage, responsible tourism, research and development, and training and quality of employment in the tourism sector. Funded by 860 million euros of tourist tax revenue raised since 2016 and 260 million euros from EU Next Generation Funds. Spain plans 100% tax for homes bought by non-EU residents. Barcelona is using the tourism tax to fund projects aimed at combating climate change and its consequences. Over the summer, several public schools were equipped with air conditioning systems, providing much-needed relief from the scorching heat. Projects funded by the tourism tax include: (i) Urban Greening: planting more trees and expanding green spaces to combat the urban heat island effect, (ii) renewable energy: installing solar panels on public buildings to reduce reliance on fossil fuels, (iii) water conservation: developing systems to capture and reuse rainwater during drought periods.
Liz Edwards has written in The Times arguing at length that "Tourist taxes are nothing new — and should be welcomed." She quoted me at length
"The responsible tourism expert Harold Goodwin welcomes the levy but says such tourism-focused ring-fencing is impractical and unnecessary. “Councils are already bearing the cost for things like picking up litter and repairing footpaths — the levy would cover that.” He quotes the former chair of BA, Sir Colin Marshall, describing tourism as “the renting out for short-term lets of other people’s environments”. The problem, says Goodwin, is that “the rent goes to businesses while the costs are borne by the public purse”. A tourist tax helps replenish that purse."
Russia Joins Italy, France, Spain, Portugal, UK, Germany, Thailand, Japan, Austria, Mexico, Switzerland and More in Making Tourist Taxes the New Norm: What You Need to Know There is a useful link of all the tourism taxes.
The UK has rowed back on plans to extend £10 ETA charges to transit flyers after Heathrow loses 90,000 passengers. The Telegraph reports that "Net-zero ‘flight tax’ will raise cost of holidays, Government’s own impact assessment shows the new mandate could add hundreds more pounds to tickets." The Times has reported that "... government has admitted it may have to backtrack on a net zero “flight tax” if it adds hundreds of pounds to holidaymakers’ journeys."
9. Heritage & Conservation
In Canada, "Indigenous tourism is vital in bridging the intercultural gaps shaped by Canada’s challenging history, says the Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada’s director of marketing, Tamara Littlelight. ... “Indigenous people are often referred to in the past tense or through an exclusively historical lens. While this perspective is deeply problematic, I can’t help but find it comical. Because aside from the glaring fact that I am standing right in front of you, Indigenous communities are stronger than ever. We are reclaiming who we are and taking up more space than ever before. Our cultures, languages and traditions are flourishing.”
How Antarctic cruises hurt more than they help, in 2024, an astonishing 122,000 people made the trip to Antarctica - a massive increase from the 44,000 visitors recorded in 2017. Researchers from the University of Santiago de Chile have found that the blinding white frozen landscape of the continent is turning black. Darker snow means snow melts faster, with researchers estimating that every visitor causes Antarctica to lose around 83 tonnes of snow. Avian influenza is a risk, as is non-native species hitchhiking on passengers' clothing, and tour groups disturbing wildlife when they visit. More here.
The World Monuments Fund (WMF), has been placed the Moon on the list of threatened cultural sites. "For the first time, the Moon is included on the Watch List to reflect the urgent need to recognize and preserve the artefacts that testify to humanity’s first steps beyond Earth—a defining moment in our shared history.
In New Zealand, Taranaki Maunga has been granted personhood. "“Today, Taranaki, our maunga, our maunga tupuna [ancestral mountain], is released from the shackles, the shackles of injustice, of ignorance, of hate,” Debbie Ngarewa-Packer, co-leader of the Te Pāti Māori political party, told the press. The settlement recognises that the mountain “never was a crown asset” Ngarewa-Packer added. “It is the living, breathing embodiment of our identity.”
The Born Free Foundation has launched a new consumer-facing "Tank Free" campaign encouraging travellers to tell tour operators and travel organisers that are continuing to promote and/or sell captive cetacean attractions and activities to stop. EasyJet holidays ended the sale of zoos and marine parks in March last year after consulting with organisations like World Animal Protection on a new animal welfare policy. Jet2holidays followed suit several weeks later. Tui has previously insisted the issue is under review, and publicly stressed it is committed to ensuring animals in captivity "are in good condition".
Hidden beneath the waves lies a marvel that rivals the Amazon rainforest in ecological richness and global importance: the Coral Triangle. This underwater world that spreads across six countries in the region of the Pacific is a haven for a variety of marine species, thus supporting millions of peoples’ and businesses’ lives. Known as the Amazon of the Seas, the Coral Triangle is home to wonders that inspire scientists, divers, and conservationists and confront the world with issues that require its attention
10. Miscellaneous
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