The Association of Independent Tour Operators (www.aito.com) recently worked with The Travel Foundation to conduct a Responsible Tourism (RT) audit of a member company to gauge its green credentials. Martin Randall Travel (two-star RT status) was the tour operator chosen due the nature of its business, i.e. cultural tours that are, in the main, European based – not perhaps the type of sector one would naturally associate with good RT practices.

It’s a common misconception that companies can only operate a strong RT policy if they run trips to the developing world, but operators with itineraries in developed nations can also have a meaningful RT policy. Julie Middleton of The Travel Foundation conducted the RT audit of AITO member Martin Randall Travel and was impressed with what she found. The company proved to be more RT orientated than it had thought, yet some straightforward recommendations could improve its green credentials even further. For example, looking at its supply chain to ensure the use of RT-conscious hotels, ensuring its tour leaders promote a message of sustainability, getting involved in community-based projects and setting RT targets and measuring progress towards these targets were amongst the ideas raised.

Derek Moore, AITO’s Chairman, reckons that RT can be embraced by all tour operators : “We encourage all our members to adopt best current sustainable practices in their businesses and insist that they meet minimum levels as a condition of membership. Many companies in the travel industry use the nature of their business as a ‘cop out’ but this audit demonstrates that, if RT can be incorporated into the modus operandi of a cultural tour operator with a mainly European programme like Martin Randall Travel, then everyone should be able to do so. Excuses will no longer be tolerated! I would like to thank The Travel Foundation for working with AITO to conduct this audit, and feel that it will provide a useful green benchmark in future.” Ian Bradley.