New research published demonstrates that UK tour operators are beginning to make a significant contribution to responsible tourism
According to research published by the Responsible Tourism Partnership and Friends of Conservation, UK operators are beginning to make a significant contribution to resonsible tourism through visitor payback initiatives to the people and places to which they take UK holidaymakers.
There are four forms of payback where UK holiday makers and companies have contributed to the conservation of the destinations or to improve the livelihoods of loval communities:
1. UK tour operators make a ‘per booking’ contribution on behalf of their clients
2. UK tour operators include an optional additional item on invoices which is then donated to support work in the destination
3. Travellers and tour operators contribute directly to projects and initiatives in destinations – this ranges from direct donations of vehicles or school fees by individual travellers and companies to tour operator supported reforestation initiatives
4. UK tour operators work together to respond to a particular need in a destination (as 19 companies who operate to Zambia did in 2002)
Contributions vary ranging upwards from £1 per passenger to £50 per traveller or more. The money goes directly to conservation and local community projects overseas and in many cases tourists get to visit the projects.
The report concludes there has been a rapid growth in these initiatives over the last five years and the trend is set to continue.
For more information, read the pdf file: http://www.responsibletourismpartnership.org/payback.pdf
