From time to time, it’s great to have someone from outside the travel industry to look in. Elise Parkinson – Click here for Elise’s LinkedIn profile –  is a young graduate in sustainable food production. TCT gave her the task of exploring sustainability in the travel industry.

Please also see her “Sustainable Travel Terminology Glossary” article.

What sustainable and responsible travel really means today.

Introduction

Travel and tourism stands apart from other industries because it commodifies a place itself: a beautiful beach, ancient ruins, a bustling metropolis – for the enjoyment of visitors and the economic benefit of locals. This makes the case for sustainability almost self-evident: for the industry to thrive long-term, we must protect and, where necessary, restore the very destinations being sold. That responsibility extends beyond landscapes to include the built environment and the communities who call these places home.

There’s no two ways about it, the tourism industry has a large environmental impact. Accounting for roughly 8% of global carbon emissions, with almost half of that coming from transport alone (Nature, 2018). Air travel is obviously not going anywhere, meaning offsetting the emissions produced is essential. Habitat destruction is another common downside of tourism development, which exacerbates climate change through the loss of natural carbon sinks, like forests and wetlands (Sustainable Travel International, 2024).

It may seem like a daunting task, but the good news is there’s lots of things we can do as travel providers to be champions of sustainable and responsible travel, to ensure the prosperity of our industry and planet for future generations, and many people are taking huge steps towards it already.

This article is designed to give a comprehensive review of what sustainable and responsible travel looks like in practice and why sustainability should be integrated into overall business strategy.

Environmental Sustainability

As previously mentioned, climate mitigation is vital to the sustainability of tourism. This can be executed in a number of ways:

• Supporting renewable energy transitions e.g. solar panels on the roofs of accommodation (Mierae Solar, 2025).
• Carbon offsetting schemes e.g. funding/ creation of reforestation projects (Responsible Tourism Partnership, 2025)
• Responsible use of resources e.g. minimising and managing food waste so little goes to landfill. (UNWTO, 2023)
• Reduction/ elimination of plastic use e.g. banning single use plastic straws, cups etc. (Travel with care, 2025)

If we do not protect and restore ecosystems and habitats, many of the wonderful destinations we sell will become unattractive to travellers – no one wants to go on a safari with no animals! Therefore, we can:

• Support and create rewilding and conservation projects e.g. building conservation and citizen science into travel itineraries. (Nicolas Duclos, 2025)
• Use sustainable building and infrastructure e.g employing construction companies with strong sustainable practices and materials. (Tourism4SDGs, 2023)
• Support temporary closures to allow for nature rehabilitation e.g. Maya Bay Thailand (OceanInfo)

One tourist picking a flower on a trail might seem unimportant, but many tourists doing the same can cause massive damage to a destination. Therefore, education is a powerful tool to encourage responsible recreation through philosophies such as leave no trace.

The 7 principles of leave no trace:

• Plan ahead and prepare
• Travel and camp on durable surfaces
• Dispose of waste properly
• Leave what you find
• Minimise campfire impacts
• Respect wildlife
• Be considerate of others

Social Sustainability

A big part of responsible travel is about ensuring that alongside business success and traveller satisfaction, the communities affected by tourism benefit from welcoming visitors- not just financially, but socially too. This can be considered in many ways:

Slow travel

Providing itinerary options encouraging travellers to slay in one place for longer, emphasising meaningful experiences, cultural immersion and sustainability by:

• Using public transport
• Shopping and eating at local, independent businesses
• Meeting the locals through volunteering or classes

(Slow Travel news, 2025)

DEI (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion)

Inclusivity matters in all industries. This includes:

• Diverse representation in marketing
• Accessible itineraries
• Fair working conditions
• Ensuring travellers of all identities feel welcome

Decolonising Tourism

Shifting away from extractive, traveller-centric models shaped by colonial histories, towards an industry that prioritises equity, community power, and honest storytelling. It requires acknowledging the unequal power dynamics that still shape who gets to travel, who benefits from tourism and whose voices are heard. Ways to support this:

• Support community-led tourism: Local people, especially those who have been historically marginalised, such as indigenous peoples, should decide how tourism operates on their land.
• Tourism must support community wellbeing and avoid leakage where money from tourism leaves the destination.
• Advocating for long-term systemic change where tourism serves the local people first, while still creating meaningful experiences for travellers.

Rooted (2024)

Frameworks and Certifications

There are several international frameworks to help guide us into an era of truly responsible and sustainable travel.

• Cape Town Declaration and Glasgow Declaration

International commitments on responsible and climate conscious tourism.

• UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s)

A global blueprint for environmental and social progress.

• B Corp Certification

One of the highest standards for corporate responsibility, covering both environmental and social performance. Partnerships with other B corps and striving to become one is key in moving from intention to measurable action.

Why we should be integrating sustainability into overall business strategy

Apart from the obvious ethical reasons, here’s why we should be facilitating sustainable and responsible travel:

• Implementing pro-environmental measures becomes a logical tourism marketing expenditure when the organic, natural image is a primary driver of destination choice. The WWTC reports over half of the sectors demand is driven by desire to explore nature

• One of six economic sectors where 80% of its goods and services are highly dependent on nature (WTTC) meaning sustainability is risk management.

• The tourism industry is at the forefront of prosperity and job creation in the economies of many countries, with 357 million jobs in 2024 (approx 1 in 10 jobs!). Sustainability ensures its longevity. (World Metrics, 2025)

• There is constant increasing pressure from governmental bodies and customers to align business activities with net zero targets. The EU’s Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition directive is due to come into force this year, it aims to tackle greenwashing by bans on vague environmental claims and requiring evidence based sustainability messaging. Failing to do so could come with penalties, impacting business growth.

• Sustainability is now a competitive advantage due to an increase of environmentally conscious travellers. Companies that integrate sustainability into their core strategy can differentiate themselves in a crowded market and build stronger brand loyalty. (Readerfi, 2025)

• Sustainable practices have the potential to reduce operational costs in the long term. Solar power, water-saving systems, waste reduction and efficient transport planning are all financially smart and sustainable! (Climefy)