Safer Tourism Foundation
Safer Tourism Foundation is an independent UK charity (founded 2016) that reduces preventable harm to UK travellers through a Pledge certification programme for travel operators, the annual Travel Behaviour Risk Index research product, and targeted safety campaigns, funded by donations and Pledge partner contributions.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2016
- HeadquartersGuildford, United Kingdom
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Safer Tourism Foundation does
Safer Tourism Foundation is an independent UK registered charity (Charity #1168944, Company #09670319) established in 2016 to save lives and prevent serious harm to UK travellers at home and abroad. It was founded by Sharon Wood, mother of Bobby and Christi Shepherd who died from carbon monoxide poisoning in Corfu in 2006, with initial funding from Thomas Cook. The organisation operates a portfolio of products built around evidence-based research: a Safer Tourism Pledge certification programme requiring travel operators to commit to six safety commitments and undergo independent assessment; the annual Travel Behaviour Risk Index, which combines anonymised safety incident data covering over 10 million trips with biannual surveys of 2,000 UK travellers; and a suite of targeted safety campaigns (She Travels Safe, Pack CO Safe, Put the Nuts Away, Stick Together, Bodyboard Like a Pro) addressing specific risk areas including carbon monoxide, food allergies, balcony falls, water safety and female traveller confidence.
The Foundation's go-to-market is hybrid: it works through Pledge Partners (TUI, easyJet Holidays, Intrepid Travel, BA Holidays, ACE Cultural Tours and others) who display the Safer Tourism badge, and through reciprocal partnerships with industry associations such as ABTOT and LATA that extend reach across the operator base. It also engages UK travellers directly via its website, social channels (LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook) and media coverage (BBC, ITV). The underlying analytical methodology applies behavioural science — most notably the proprietary 'Holiday Head' concept developed over two years of research and operationalised via the COM-B model — to explain and address travellers' propensity to take risks on holiday they would not take at home.
The Foundation is funded entirely by donations from individuals (via JustGiving) and contributions from Safer Tourism Pledge partners; no commercial products are sold and no revenue is publicly disclosed. It is led by CEO Katherine Atkinson, Head of Communications and Campaigns Stephanie Boyle, and a Board of Trustees that expanded by four members in September 2025. Operating from Guildford, UK, the charity serves a UK-focused mission with global influence via its LATA partnership into Latin America.
Safer Tourism Foundation firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Safer Tourism Foundation
- Legal name
- Safer Tourism Foundation
- Website
- https://safertourism.org.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2016
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Safer Tourism Foundation is an independent UK charity (founded 2016) that reduces preventable harm to UK travellers through a Pledge certification programme for travel operators, the annual Travel Behaviour Risk Index research product, and targeted safety campaigns, funded by donations and Pledge partner contributions.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Safer Tourism Foundation industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Travel Safety Charity Services
- NAICS
- Convention and Visitors Bureaus (561591)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Eco-Certification, Auditing & Standards (Green Lodging, Tour Operator Certification) (THAAANAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Impact Monitoring, Verification & Reporting (MRV) Tools (Impact KPIs, Compliance Reporting) (THAAANAN), Permitting, Reservations & Visitor Information Services (Passes, Booking, Visitor Centers) (THAAAGAD), Accessibility & Inclusion Services (ADA Access, Adaptive Programs, Multilingual Support) (THAAAGAJ)
Keywords
Where Safer Tourism Foundation is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Guildford
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Safer Tourism Foundation business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Donations: The charity relies on donations from individuals who support the mission to save lives and reduce preventable harm to UK travellers. Donations are accepted via JustGiving page.
- Pledge Partner Contributions: Funding from Safer Tourism Pledge partners - travel companies that commit to the Safer Tourism Pledge and contribute to support the charity's work.
- Initial Funding: Thomas Cook provided the initial funding for the charity when it was established in 2016.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels9 records
Safer Tourism Foundation product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Safer Tourism Foundation is an independent UK charity that improves traveller safety through the Safer Tourism Pledge certification programme for travel operators and the annual Travel Behaviour Risk Index research combining anonymised safety incident data with traveller behaviour surveys. It runs targeted safety campaigns (She Travels Safe, Pack Safe Appeal, Put the Nuts Away, Bodyboard Like a Pro, Stick Together) and provides travel safety guidance for UK consumers.
Product overview
The Safer Tourism Foundation is an independent charity (established 2016, Charity #1168944) focused on saving lives and preventing serious harm to UK travellers. The organisation operates as a platform of interconnected products: its core offering is the Safer Tourism Pledge certification programme for travel operators, supported by the annual Travel Behaviour Risk Index research product. The portfolio includes targeted safety campaigns (She Travels Safe, Pack Safe Appeal, Put the Nuts Away, Bodyboard Like a Pro, Stick Together) addressing specific risk areas, complemented by comprehensive Travel Tips & Guidance content for various traveller and holiday types. The Foundation also provides Industry Resources to support travel sector collaboration on safety standards. Founded following the deaths of Bobby and Christi Shepherd from carbon monoxide poisoning in 2006, the organisation was initially funded by Thomas Cook and is led by CEO Katherine Atkinson and a Board of Trustees.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Quantifiable outcome
- Safety incident data represents over 10 million trips annually
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Safer Tourism Foundation
Customer profileNamed customers12 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Safer Tourism Foundation technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Safer Tourism Foundation partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- ABTOTcoreReciprocal partnership where Safer Tourism joins ABTOT ecosystem as Associate Partner and ABTOT becomes a Safer Tourism Affiliate Partner. ABTOT members gain access to Safer Tourism's research, Travel Behaviour Risk Index, and practical safety guidance. Joint activities include webinars, member workshops, and newsletter content sharing.
- LATA (Latin American Travel Association)coreLATA became an affiliate partner of the Safer Tourism Foundation. LATA members have complimentary access to Safer Tourism's Safety Scheme with the aim of improving safety standards across Latin America. CEO Kathy Atkinson conducted a webinar for LATA members on the Holiday Head phenomenon.
- SafeLincsminorPartnership with SafeLincs, fire and safety solutions provider, to offer travellers discounted portable carbon monoxide alarms. SafeLincs offers alarms kitemarked to British safety standards. Discount code HUDSON15 provides 15% savings.
- Allergy UKminorAllergy UK creates and sells translation cards that travellers can purchase to help communicate allergies in another language. Travel providers can also provide these for customers with allergies planning holidays in destinations where translation is needed.
- Anaphylaxis UKminorAnaphylaxis UK provides resources to help people learn about anaphylaxis, how to be prepared, and what to do in case of a reaction. They offer fact sheets, training courses, and allergen management support.
- Natasha Allergy Research FoundationminorFoundation created following the death of Natasha Ednan-Laperouse from an allergic reaction to sesame seeds on a flight. Supports others living with life-threatening allergies through campaigning, regulations advocacy, and travel information.
- RNLIminorRoyal National Lifeboat Institution provides water safety resources shared through the Safer Tourism Foundation's water safety guidance.
- RoSPAminorRoyal Society for the Prevention of Accidents provides safety expertise and resources for the Safer Tourism Foundation's water safety content.
- RLSS UKminorRoyal Life Saving Society UK provides water safety expertise and resources for Safer Tourism's safety content.
- UK Bodyboarding AssociationminorPartnership with UK Bodyboarding Association to provide hints and tips for safe bodyboarding, included in Safer Tourism's water safety guidance.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Safer Tourism Foundation competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Responsible Travel: UK-based company curating and vetting responsible/sustainable holiday operators; overlapping in vetting travel companies against ethical/safety criteria and marketing vetted status to consumers.
- Travelife: Global sustainability certification and training system for tourism businesses; directly comparable in operating a third-party audited operator certification programme with a visible trust mark.
- Tourism Cares: Nonprofit advancing sustainable tourism through industry partnerships, grants, and programmes; comparable nonprofit mission, industry-collaboration model, and reliance on travel-sector partnerships.
- Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC): International body setting and accrediting sustainability standards for tourism; comparable standards-setting and operator-certification role, though focused on sustainability rather than traveller safety.
- Tourism Concern: UK-based charity campaigning on ethical tourism and traveller rights; closely comparable in being a UK-headquartered advocacy nonprofit operating inside the tourism sector.
Broad incumbents
- International SOS: Global travel risk management and medical assistance company serving corporate clients; overlapping in traveller risk advisory services but operating as a large commercial incumbent rather than a charity.
- ABTA (Association of British Travel Agents): UK's largest travel trade association setting member standards and providing consumer protection; the Safer Tourism Pledge operates as a complementary safety-specific certification layer on top of the ABTA membership ecosystem.
- Crisis24 / GardaWorld Travel Risk: Large-scale travel risk and security services provider serving enterprises and governments; broader commercial scope but overlapping in tracking traveller safety incidents and providing risk intelligence.
Emerging players
- ChildSafe International: Nonprofit focused on child protection in tourism and travel settings; adjacent mission of improving traveller safety in tourism through awareness and operator engagement.
- Riskline: Travel risk intelligence platform providing destination safety data and alerts to travel managers; partially overlapping with the Foundation's Travel Behaviour Risk Index research on incident and risk data.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Safer Tourism Foundation social profiles
Digital presenceSafer Tourism Foundation financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Safer Tourism Foundation leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Safer Tourism Foundation funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Safer Tourism Foundation M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Safer Tourism Foundation
What does Safer Tourism Foundation do?
Safer Tourism Foundation is an independent UK charity that improves traveller safety through the Safer Tourism Pledge certification programme for travel operators and the annual Travel Behaviour Risk Index research combining anonymised safety incident data with traveller behaviour surveys. It runs targeted safety campaigns (She Travels Safe, Pack Safe Appeal, Put the Nuts Away, Bodyboard Like a Pro, Stick Together) and provides travel safety guidance for UK consumers.
Is Safer Tourism Foundation a public or private company?
Safer Tourism Foundation is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Safer Tourism Foundation founded?
Safer Tourism Foundation was founded in 2016. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Safer Tourism Foundation based?
Safer Tourism Foundation is headquartered in Guildford, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Safer Tourism Foundation make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Donations are the primary driver. The others are pledge Partner Contributions and initial Funding.
Who are Safer Tourism Foundation's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Responsible Travel, Travelife, Tourism Cares, Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) and Tourism Concern. Broad incumbents are International SOS, ABTA (Association of British Travel Agents) and Crisis24 / GardaWorld Travel Risk. Emerging players are ChildSafe International and Riskline.
Does Safer Tourism Foundation have an API?
No public API is recorded for Safer Tourism Foundation.
What industry is Safer Tourism Foundation in?
Safer Tourism Foundation's product category is Travel Safety Charity Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAAANAA, Eco-Certification, Auditing & Standards (Green Lodging, Tour Operator Certification), with a secondary code of THAAANAN, Impact Monitoring, Verification & Reporting (MRV) Tools (Impact KPIs, Compliance Reporting). Its NAICS code is 561591.