A group of travel agents has launched a new collective to provide colleagues with the knowledge, skills and commercial tools they need to sell more sustainable holidays.
Founder Ashley Quint of TravelTime World said the Responsible Travel Advisor Collective (RTAC) will cover wildlife protection, support local communities and raise climate and carbon consciousness.
“Responsible advisors are not all the same, we all run different business models, but what we share is a singular dedication to creating a positive impact,” he said. “Whether it’s a passion for animal welfare or a drive to solve common overtourism problems, we want to go further than we’ve been able to individually and speak with a collective voice, ensuring travel advisors are at the forefront of future of travel.”
RTAC has 19 agent founding members. Ashely said that although agents account for £20 billion of sales, they have been ‘left on the sidelines of the sustainability conversation’
“Currently, much of the industry’s sustainability infrastructure focuses on tour operators, supply chains and reporting, and RTAC has identified a significant gap: the need to empower advisors on the front line with the knowledge, skills, and commercial tools in order for us to make a greater contribution,” said Ashley.
The RTAC charter includes campaigning to bring an end to captive animal attractions, making sure lower-
“We want future generations to experience the world just as we have,” added Ashley. “But for that to happen, we believe responsible travel must become the foundation of every holiday, not just an after thought.”
The collective plans to work with industry leaders to provide specialist training and collaborative learning experiences.
“With more knowledge, comes more responsibility, and we’ll campaign for what we believe to be right,” added Ashley. “Whether that’s specific areas like trying to stop the sale of captive cetacean attractions, or more broader policy like overtourism, we want to be involved in that conversation. alongside building stronger relationships with our partners.
Advisors interested in joining the collective can find out more here.
