Dame Anita Roddick of The Body Shop was one of the first investors,[5] believing that: “Responsible travellers want experiences rather than packages, authenticity rather than superficial exoticism and holidays that put a little bit back into local communities and conservation.

The company asks its customers to ‘opt in’ to the scheme to offer a child the opportunity to appreciate more deeply the value of their own wildlife, landscapes, history and culture.

Good luck and thanks to all who can make this happen.” In April 2017 Responsible Travel stopped promoting holidays that included a visit to a zoo, describing them as “relics of the past”.

[11] The move was supported by The Born Free Foundation and was praised by actress Joanna Lumley: "It only takes one to create a movement for change and it is fabulous to see a travel company being brave, sticking their heads above the parapet and saying that in 2017 keeping animals in captivity purely for our entertainment is just not acceptable.

[citation needed] On 29 July 2018, UK tour operator, Thomas Cook finally announced that they would stop selling trips to SeaWorld.

[15] The company was concerned that well-intentioned volunteers were fuelling a demand for ‘fake orphans’ – and children were being separated from their families and communities as a result, causing long term psychological and emotional developmental problems.

After formulating a working group which included ECPAT, Save the Children, Friends International, People & Places, Professor Harold Goodwin and Daniela Papi, an international advocate for responsible volunteering, the company published new guidelines for partner organisations wishing to promote any trip that involved volunteering with vulnerable children.

[19] Responsible Travel founder, Justin Francis told The New York Times that offsets had become a “magic pill, a kind of get-out-of-jail-free card,” distracting people from making more significant behavioral changes, like flying less.

[22] In 2017 and 2018, several major news outlets published articles citing the problems caused by an excessive number of tourists in cities such as Venice, Barcelona, Cornwall in England, and Amsterdam.

[28] Presented by Justin Francis and directed by Beth Walker, the film documents the issue of overtourism from the perspective of local people in hotspots such as Venice and Barcelona, as well as further afield in places such as the Gili Islands.

"[32] In November 2021 at COP26 in Glasgow, Justin Francis, Liv Garfield and DEFRA, with the support of Accenture, launched the 'Nature Handbook for Business' - a practical resource for working towards a nature positive world aimed at five industry sectors, including tourism.