Responsible Travel announces its new Trip for a Trip scheme today which funds a trip for a local child in Africa each time a holiday is sold to one of its customers and the traveller opts into the scheme.

Justin Francis, CEO of Responsible Travel has set up the initiative with the aim of addressing the inequalities in tourism. He hopes to give children the chance to appreciate the wider value of their culture or ecosystem.

Justin, who is currently unable to travel due to kidney failure, wanted to help others to travel who do not have the opportunity to do so. Inspired by Tom's Shoes and their one-for-one® business model as well as Elevate Destinations, a small US travel company doing similar things, he hopes the rest of the travel industry will follow suit:

“Tourism is currently very unequal. Rich Westerners are given opportunities in destinations where local are not, and where tourists can run roughshod over local people's cultures and environments. I want to readdress this imbalance.

“I want to send a message to the travel industry and make this into a collective movement. Together I believe we can give 1 million children these opportunities by 2020. How fantastic would that be?”

Michael Palin has already offered his support for the scheme:

“Trip For A Trip sounds an excellent idea.  My appetite for travel began with day trips, so I know how much they can mean to a child.  Good luck and thanks to all who can make this happen.”   

The first trip was run in November in Swaziland and consisted of 24 local children from Mlindazwe Neighbourhood Care Point (NCP) visiting Mlilwane Wildlife Sanctuary for the first time.

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NOTES TO EDITORS:

Interviews with CEO Justin Francis are available on request.

High resolution images of the first trip with Mlindazwe NCP available here: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/xnil6t1ntk09ird/AABjz1bE4AXjl6dHJjFgucsBa?dl=0 

CONTACT:

Sarah Faith

press@responsibletravel.com

01273 829269

ABOUT RESPONSIBLE TRAVEL

At Responsible Travel we help travellers live their dreams through authentic and life-enriching adventures, ensuring local people and wildlife benefit and being a catalyst for change in the industry.

Responsible Travel is now the world's largest platform for ethical tour providers (with a rigorous screening process in place to ensure each company fits the guidelines to be represented on the site). The company is growing by 22% each year with its profits dependent on an 'Honesty Box' where tour providers voluntarily declare their commission. 

- The holiday collection includes tours from almost 400 small, specialist and ethical tour operators

- The collective operates in 190+ countries

- In 15 years, the company has helped over 100,000 people live their travel dreams, received over 1million holiday enquiries and taken £100m in booking revenue.

Alongside the holidays it markets, Responsible Travel has two other core programmes to drive positive change in the tourism industry:

- Activism – campaigning for more responsible types of tourism worldwide.

- The World Responsible Tourism Awards (founded by us in 2004)  - celebrating and recognising the businesses around the world, big or small, innovating and leading the way in responsible tourism.

CEO Justin Francis has been included in Courvoisiers The Future 500, Thames and Hudsons 60 Innovators Shaping Our Creative Future and taken his place on the Advisory Board of The International Centre for Responsible Tourism.