RT Marketing

November 16, 2022September 1, 2023

How to Promote Sustainability Through Your Travel Brand

Blog, marketing, Responsible Tourism, RT Marketing

By Tom Mcloughlin, Founder, SEO Travel There’s been a significant increase in interest in sustainable travel in the past few years. As protecting our planet becomes an increasing priority, many ... Read more

May 21, 2019May 23, 2019

My four least favourite phrases that tourism should stop using

Responsible Tourism, RT Marketing

Last Friday, the Guardian newspaper announced that it was updating its style guide “to introduce terms that more accurately describe the environmental crises facing the world.” The paper’s editor Katherine ... Read more

August 14, 2018

Is helping people find a better work life balance part of responsible tourism?

RT Marketing

What difference does tourism make to our daily lives? We create memories and enable people to rest and unwind. These are important things, but of themselves, all they do is ... Read more

June 19, 2018June 19, 2018

Help your favourite hotel or tour company win a World Responsible Tourism Award

Blog, Responsible Tourism, RT Marketing

Have you been on holiday recently and been amazed at what your hotel was doing for the local community, or perhaps taken a tour that really impressed you for the ... Read more

May 30, 2018May 30, 2018

World Responsible Tourism Awards 2018: Leaders in Responsible Tourism

Blog, RT Marketing

The World Responsible Tourism Awards to be presented at WTM London in November are now open for nominations and applications. They close on 6th August and are free to enter. ... Read more

May 1, 2018

Taking responsibility for sustainability is now a business imperative

Development, RT Marketing

Recent research published by TUI clearly shows that consumers expect the industry to take responsibility for ensuring that their product is sustainable. Research by booking.com found that 87% of global ... Read more

April 24, 2018April 30, 2018

How Tourism can rapidly eliminate single use plastics – Earth Day inspiration from around the world

Carbon & Water, Development, RT Marketing

For a somewhat obsessive follower of tourism industry news like me, the spike in press releases that mark the annual Earth Day celebrations provide a quick reference point to the ... Read more

April 3, 2018April 25, 2018

Responsible Tourism & Market Demand

RT Marketing

As Jane Ashton, then with First Choice, said in a newspaper interview back in 2006 “‘The product we sell is the people and environment – so we have an obvious ... Read more

March 20, 2018March 20, 2018

Making a Difference with Every Holiday

RT Marketing

Thomas Cook has just launched a new three-year sustainability strategy, promising to “Make a Difference with Every Holiday”. Their ambition is to make a positive contribution to the destinations they ... Read more

March 13, 2018March 13, 2018

How to engage tourists in sustainable tourism (Part 2): redesign the loyalty scheme

Carbon & Water, Development, Hospitality, RT Marketing, Social Economy

Last week, I spent a night in a hotel in Brussels that has taken a circular economy approach to redesigning the way its loyalty scheme works. Following on from my ... Read more

February 27, 2018

How to engage tourists in sustainable tourism – make them feel proud to come

RT Marketing

What connects most of the recent high profile campaigns to make tourism more responsible? Stop riding elephants. Don’t swim with dolphins. Avoid handicrafts made from endangered species. No selfies with ... Read more

December 12, 2017

Social Media – a curate’s egg for tourism?

RT Marketing

The concept of the “curate’s egg” was first used in the British satirical magazine Punch by George du Maurier in November 1895. The curate was too timid to complain of ... Read more

June 6, 2017September 18, 2017

Pandora’s Paradox: social media, tourism and FOMO

Carbon & Water, Responsible Tourism, RT Marketing, Social Media

Last week, a village in Switzerland got loads of press coverage for banning tourists from taking photos of its scenery and sharing them on social media. According to the local ... Read more

March 28, 2017September 18, 2017

Tourism will be the future’s most important industry. We aren’t ready.

Carbon & Water, Overtourism, Responsible Tourism, RT Marketing, Social Economy

Last weekend I paid for my shopping at a self-service till. I swiped my credit card across the automatic turnstile on the Underground. I streamed a movie from my Netflix ... Read more

March 15, 2017September 18, 2017

Why it matters what stories tourism tells to promote destinations

Human Rights, Responsible Tourism, RT Marketing, Social Economy

Museums and Heritage Advisor doesn’t sound like a particularly radical or controversy-seeking website. Described as “The ultimate news, product and opinion resource for museum, gallery, cultural and heritage visitor attraction professionals”, ... Read more

February 21, 2017September 18, 2017

Should destinations focus on yield rather than arrivals?

Development, Overtourism, Responsible Tourism, RT Marketing

From a consumer or traveller perspective there are many answers, but it is not difficult for a traveller or holidaymaker to say why they are travelling. It could relate to ... Read more

February 14, 2017September 18, 2017

Will Transformative Tourism be more than the latest travel trend?

Development, Responsible Tourism, RT Marketing, Trends

Industry leaders are discussing why ‘Transformative Travel’ will be the travel trend of 2017 after Vogue released this article in January. While 2016 was all about experiential travel, this year ... Read more

November 9, 2016September 18, 2017

WTM London 2016 10 years of Responsible Tourism

Development, Overtourism, Responsible Tourism, RT Marketing

Simon Press, Senior Exhibition Director World Travel Market, toasted the ten years of Responsible Tourism at WTM and thanked all those who have become part of the WTM Responsible Tourism ... Read more

November 8, 2016September 18, 2017

Ten years of promoting responsible tourism at WTM

Carbon & Water, Development, Responsible Tourism, RT Marketing

Today World Travel Market celebrates the 10th anniversary of World Responsible Tourism Day with a programme that assesses the past, present and future of efforts to make the industry more ... Read more

September 6, 2016September 18, 2017

Tourism has to stop worrying about how to spin sustainability

Responsible Tourism, RT Marketing

I am sitting inside a campervan, sheltering from the rain on day 12 of a road trip around England and Wales. I have stayed in 4 different camp sites, and ... Read more

July 5, 2016September 18, 2017

Communicating Responsible Tourism

Development, Responsible Tourism, RT Marketing

At this year’s WTM in London we shall be looking back at 20 years of Responsible Tourism in South Africa and in the UK – critically assessing how much progress ... Read more

June 14, 2016September 18, 2017

How to engage over 100,000 people in your responsible tourism campaign in under a month

Responsible Tourism, RT Marketing, Technology

A few months ago I was contacted by Anna Mckeon, the co-ordinator of the Better Volunteering Better Care initiative. She was seeking my advice on how to raise the profile ... Read more

March 22, 2016September 18, 2017

Airbnb, Blockchain, and the tourism reputation economy

Development, Responsible Tourism, RT Marketing

Three recent stories about Airbnb’s future growth hold considerable interest for anyone concerned about the impact of such technology upon tourism and how the industry might develop along more responsible ... Read more

March 15, 2016September 18, 2017

Sustainability and Fairy Tales – this is more serious than greenwashing

Carbon & Water, Responsible Tourism, RT Marketing

I have been reminded of the feel good 1969 tv musical Silver Skates – it popularised the story, first published in 1865 by American author Mary Mapes Dodge, about the ... Read more

October 20, 2015September 18, 2017

What responsible tourism marketing could learn from food communication

Food Tourism, Responsible Tourism, RT Marketing

For anyone seeking to communicate the benefits of a responsibly run holiday to potential guests, a good place to look for inspiration is the local supermarket. or restaurant, market, or ... Read more

January 27, 2015September 18, 2017

Is a good Tripadvisor profile now more important than a good hotel website?

Certification, Responsible Tourism, RT Marketing, Technology

I have just stayed at a wonderful homestay on the Malaysian island of Langkawi. My traditional wooden rice cottage had been saved from demolition, transported here and rebuilt. The food ... Read more

January 27, 2015September 18, 2017

Is a good Tripadvisor profile now more important than a good hotel website?

Blog, Responsible Tourism, RT Marketing

Would you stay in a place with a rubbish website if it had a great Tripadvisor profile? What about if it had a great website, but that Tripadivsor profile was ... Read more

December 29, 2014June 2, 2020

#justonerhino shows bloggers and companies can collaborate for conservation

Blog, Responsible Tourism, RT Marketing

100 bloggers are writing a blog each over 100 days to raise funds for rhino conservation. Might the #justonerhino campaign show a way media and the travel industry can work ... Read more

October 29, 2014September 18, 2017

WTM 2014 Responsible Tourism programme speakers’ twitter addresses

Blog, Responsible Tourism, RT Marketing

Join in the discussions at WTM’s responsible tourism programme on twitter and comment on what speakers are saying using this list of twitter addresses

October 14, 2014September 18, 2017

What do you get if you cross sustainable tourism with a sense of humour?

Blog, Carbon & Water, Responsible Tourism, RT Marketing

Could humour help engage guests and staff in your efforts to act responsibly? What examples are there of the use of humour in sustainable tourism communications?

September 15, 2014September 18, 2017

How to create great holiday experiences by engaging with sustainability (this recipe includes fish)

Blog, Responsible Tourism, RT Marketing

It’s easy to excite tourists about your efforts to act more responsibly if you can connect your work with their pleasure. All it takes is a good story.

July 7, 2014September 18, 2017

How to make a difference using social media marketing for tourism

Blog, Carbon & Water, Responsible Tourism, RT Marketing

Social Media gives travel companies an incredible opportunity. How can we use the tools better and provide leadership as well as noise?

June 24, 2014September 18, 2017

20 beautiful words which remind me why I love travel

Blog, Responsible Tourism, RT Marketing

Across the world, different cultures have perfect words that capture the essence of why we travel. This is language designed to inspire better holidays

May 28, 2014June 2, 2020

The art of destination marketing: inspirational storytelling to sell responsible tourism

Responsible Tourism, RT Marketing

The New ‘Reconsider South Africa’ destination marketing video is causing a stir online. Is this viral hit greenwash, or an example of excellent tourism marketing?

April 2, 2014September 18, 2017

New report says responsible tourism good for business. So why am I not celebrating?

Carbon & Water, Responsible Tourism, RT Marketing

The Center for Responsible Tourism’s new report says it has the statistics to prove responsible tourism is good for business. So why isn’t it using them?

March 17, 2014June 2, 2020

Why you need to stop selling tourism products (and start telling better travel stories)

Blog, Responsible Tourism, RT Marketing

A new report says top trends for travel 2014 include ‘green’ and ‘meaningful’. How can responsible tourism businesses capture this growing market?

December 12, 2013September 18, 2017

Why do good guides matter for responsible tourism?

Blog, Responsible Tourism, RT Marketing

Good local guides reveal secrets about the places we visit, connect us to unique experiences, and help preserve the places they love as a result.

September 2, 2013September 18, 2017

Tourism marketing: getting the guests you want

Blog, Responsible Tourism, RT Marketing

How should responsible hotels and lodges manage their tourism marketing so as to attract the sort of guests that appreciate and enhance what you are trying to do?

July 1, 2013September 18, 2017

RT makes business sense in Kerala – and elsewhere

Development, Responsible Tourism, RT Marketing

An international conference in Kumarakom, Kerala, reviewing progress made in the state since the International Conference on Responsible Tourism in Destinations launched their local economic development initiative in 2008. ... Read more

June 24, 2013September 18, 2017

How to get responsible tourism communications right

Blog, Responsible Tourism, RT Marketing

How should RT companies connect when people don’t click on responsibility statements, and wouldn’t know whether your ‘village visit’ is an add on fig leaf of fake ethical respectability, or ... Read more

February 26, 2013September 18, 2017

Sustainable stories and tourism marketing

Development, Responsible Tourism, RT Marketing

Responsible tourism companies need to get their sustainable stories out there for market advantage and to build trust and brand loyalty.