What Responsible Travel does

Responsible Travel is a UK-based direct-to-consumer travel company founded in 2000 by Justin Francis OBE, operating from Brighton and self-identifying as the world's first and largest responsible holiday company. The business functions as a curated marketplace and travel agency hybrid, presenting approximately 6,000 holidays from vetted responsible-tourism operators across destinations in Europe (Croatia, Spain, Finland, Italy), Asia (India, Vietnam, China, Thailand, Japan), Africa (Morocco, Kenya), and South America (Colombia). Customers book trips either through the e-commerce platform or via a phone-based travel team of named consultants, organized across 30+ holiday types including Family, Solo, Over 50s, Walking, Wildlife, Small ship cruising, Adventure, Volunteer, and Wellness.

Revenue is generated transactionally through commissions and margins on booked holiday packages, with no published pricing tiers; quotes vary by destination, duration, and trip type, ranging from sub-£1,000 budget options to luxury tailor-made experiences. Marketing is concentrated in content (travel guides, impact reports), email newsletters, organic social (Instagram, Facebook), and a defensible body of 12,000+ verified customer reviews gated to actual travelers. The "Trip for a Trip" initiative, which has reached over 9,000 children in destination communities, functions as both a charitable program and a supplier-community engagement mechanism. The company is founder-led, privately held, and operates with a small team (11–50 employees) across a 25-year continuous operating history.

Name

Responsible Travel

Website

https://responsibletravel.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Responsible Travel is a Brighton-based direct-to-consumer travel company founded in 2000 that curates and sells 6,000+ responsible-holiday packages from vetted local operators worldwide to individual travelers seeking ethical tourism experiences.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Responsible Tourism / Sustainable Travel Holidays

NAICS

Tour Operators (561520), Travel Agencies (56151), Tour Operators (56152)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Cultural, Heritage & Arts Travel Agencies (THAKAFAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Adventure & Active Travel Agencies (THAKABAD), Family & Multigenerational Travel Agencies (THAKAFAD), Multi-Activity & Expedition Packages (Guided Adventure Trips) (THAJABAL)

Keywords

• Responsible tourism
• Sustainable holidays
• Eco-friendly travel
• Community-based tourism
• Ethical holiday booking

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Holiday Package Bookings: Responsible Travel generates revenue by curating and selling responsible travel holidays directly to consumers. As a travel agency/operator hybrid, they earn commissions and margins on booked holidays including small group tours, tailor-made trips, adventure activities, and specialty travel experiences. Revenue is transaction-based with customers paying for complete holiday packages.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Responsible Travel curates and sells responsible/sustainable holidays directly to consumers through an online booking website (responsibletravel.com) and a phone-based travel team. The company offers 6,000+ holiday packages across 30+ holiday types — including family, solo, walking, wildlife, small ship cruising, over 50s, tailor-made, and adventure trips — sourced from vetted ethical tour operators in destinations across Europe, Africa, Asia, and South America. Holidays are positioned as supporting local people, communities, and environments, with financial protection, a loyalty discount, and the Trip for a Trip charitable scheme.

Product overview

Responsible Travel operates as a single unified online booking platform for responsible tourism holidays, offering over 6,000 trip options across multiple destinations and 30+ holiday types. The core platform enables customers to browse, search, and book holidays directly. Key offerings include specialized holiday categories (Family, Solo, Walking, Wildlife, Small Ship Cruising, Over 50s), destination-specific tours, and the Trip for a Trip charitable initiative. The company differentiates through its focus on holidays that benefit local communities and environments, supported by over 12,000 customer reviews with 96% rating 4-5 stars. Additional services include travel guides, loyalty discounts, and financial protection guarantees.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Responsible Travel Holiday Booking Platform Direct-to-consumer online booking platform offering 6,000+ responsible holiday options across multiple destinations, holiday types, and travel styles, allowing individual travellers to browse, search, filter by destination/holiday type/date/budget, and book holidays that support local communities and environments.
• Phone-based Travel Team Booking Service In-house travel team reachable at 01273 823 700 (open until 6pm) that provides personalised consultation, holiday recommendations, and booking assistance for travellers seeking responsible holidays.
• Trip for a Trip Charitable Scheme Charitable initiative where for every holiday booked the company supports children in destination communities, having made a difference to over 9,000 children to date.
• Loyalty Discount Programme Loyalty discount programme that provides repeat Responsible Travel customers with savings on their next booking, plus free gifts bundled with bookings.
• Verified Customer Reviews Service Customer review service accessible from responsibletravel.com providing social proof to travellers; reviews can only be written by people who have actually booked and travelled on Responsible Travel holidays, producing a 96% four- or five-star rating across 12,000+ reviews.

Quantifiable outcome

• 96% of reviews rated 4 or 5 stars, demonstrating exceptional customer satisfaction
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Intrepid Travel: Intrepid Travel is one of the world's largest responsible adventure travel companies, offering small-group tours focused on local experiences and community-based tourism. Directly competes with Responsible Travel on the same ethical-travel value proposition, similar product structure, and overlapping destinations.
• G Adventures: G Adventures is a small-group adventure tour operator with a strong community-tourism and "Ripple Score" impact narrative. Directly comparable to Responsible Travel in product type (small group, locally-led, multi-destination) and customer base (responsible-minded leisure travelers).
• TravelLocal: TravelLocal is a UK-based online travel agency that connects travelers directly with local tour operators, emphasizing responsible and authentic travel. Directly competes on the same niche positioning, UK origin, and direct-to-consumer curated-holiday model.
• Much Better Adventures: Much Better Adventures is a UK-based booking platform for small-group adventure and walking holidays with verified local guides and a sustainability focus. Direct peer in adventure/walking holidays, UK market, and responsible-tourism positioning.
• Sawday's: Sawday's is a UK company curating special-stay and responsible holiday experiences, including hotels, B&Bs, and guided trips. Comparable in UK market, curated approach, and emphasis on authentic, locally-owned experiences for responsible travelers.
• Exodus Adventure Travels: Exodus is a UK-based small-group adventure and cultural tour operator offering walking, wildlife, and discovery trips. Direct competitor in the UK responsible-adventure travel market, overlapping heavily with Responsible Travel's walking, wildlife, and cultural categories.
• Explore!: Explore! is a UK small-group adventure tour operator with a long heritage, offering walking, wildlife, and cultural holidays. Comparable in UK heritage, small-group format, and adventure/cultural product overlap with Responsible Travel.
• Audley Travel: Audley Travel is a UK-based tailor-made travel specialist offering customized holidays to Africa, Asia, and the Americas with a strong responsible-travel narrative. Comparable as a UK-based specialist agency emphasizing authentic, locally-led, tailor-made travel.
• Wild Frontiers: Wild Frontiers is a UK adventure travel company focused on off-the-beaten-path destinations with responsible tourism principles. Directly comparable in niche responsible-adventure positioning, UK origin, and small-group ethos.

Broad incumbents

• Booking.com (sustainability filter): Booking.com is the world's largest OTA and has launched sustainability badges and travel-filter features targeting responsible travelers. Represents a broad incumbent threat that is now competing for the same responsible-travel customer that Responsible Travel has built its brand around.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/responsibletravel
• Instagraminstagram.com/responsible_travel
• Xx.com/r_travel

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Responsible Travel