The Travel Trust Association will this weekend unveil a tie-up with Responsibletravel.com to train members in sustainable tourism and give them access to more green products.

TTA Worldchoice managing director Simon Hargreaves said the online sustainable tourism pioneer had proved that green tourism could pay, so the link would be of commercial benefit to members.

The two organisations have combined to adapt The Travel Foundation’s Make Travel Greener training programme to members’ needs. An
example of this is including more details about greener transport options.

TTA Worldchoice also hopes its 800-odd members will be able to sell the strictly-vetted properties listed on Responsibletravel’s website through their own systems.

Responsibletravel founder Justin Francis said some technical problems needed to be overcome for that to happen, but once in place the move would expose the properties to a much wider distribution network.

TTA managing director Simon Hargreaves said members needed to be able to identify and sell more green products as they became more in demand from consumers.

“This is a personal thing for me and I think we should all be taking the issue seriously. But Responsibletravel has shown how to make money out of responsible tourism,” he said.

Full details of the tie-up will be released at TTA Worldchoice’s annual conference, being held at a Heathrow hotel this weekend.

Hargreaves added that about 100 new businesses had joined the TTA over the past year.

Responsibletravel joined TTA Worldchoice a year ago when it changed part of its business model to sell like a traditional travel agent rather than provide referrals to suppliers’ websites in return for commission.


Allbury signs new deal with TTA/Worldchoice (18 Nov 2009)
Responsible Travel withdraws offset tool (15 Oct 2009)
Simon Hargreaves delivers recession tips (2 Mar 2009)