Responsible tourism in England
We believe that for English tourism to be sustainable, it requires responsible management of popular destinations to ensure they are not overwhelmed by visitors.
Our England Vacations
Devon eco lodge accommodation, England
Quirky eco lodges, 1 with Hot Tub, on a Devon nature reserve
Devon self catering cottage in England
Cottage with lake view & wood burner on Devon nature reserve
Devon sea kayaking vacation in England
Price per family with exclusive barn house accommodation
Lake District hike on the Cumbria Way, England
Hiking vacation in England's Lake District
York to Fountains Abbey hiking vacation, England
The Prior Richards way self-guided 12th century hike
Cornwall and Isles of Scilly vacation
Admire England's south-western corner car-free
Winchester to Canterbury Pilgrims way, England
Walk the Pilgrims Way from Winchester to Canterbury
Isle of Wight cycling vacation in England
Short UK cycling break with plenty of sightseeing
England tour by train
Explore England's diversity and fascinating history by train
Shakespeares Way walking vacation, Cotswolds to London
From Stratford-upon-Avon to The Globe Theatre
Lands End To John O'Groats biking trip
Britain's classic cycling challenge
Tour of Britain by train
Explore England and Scotland's cities & landscapes by train.
Thames Path walking vacation in England
Self guided walk along the River Thames Oxford to Windsor
Fowey accommodation in Cornwall, sleeps 2, England
Cottages looking down the valley towards Fowey and the sea
Wye Valley hiking vacation in Wales
Secluded charm, ancient woodland and the river Wye.
The Leeds and Liverpool Canal hiking vacation, England
Northern England self guided hiking vacation
Electric bike cycling vacation in Sussex
E-bike through the best of Britain's vineyards
Northumberland walking vacation in the UK
A walking and sightseeing tour in Northumberland
British wildlife tour on the Isle of Man
A short weekend wildlife adventure to the Isle of Man
Pilgrims Way Rochester to Canterbury self guided walking tour
Discover Kent's history, its landscape and its people
The Nidderdale Way walking vacation in Yorkshire, UK
North Yorkshire, bordering the Yorkshire Dales National Park
Devon barnhouse accommodation
Self catering Barn House set in 15th Century Devon orchard.
Dartmoor and Exmoor walking vacation, England
Self guided walking between the Dartmoor and Exmoor National Parks.
Peak District cycling vacation, England
Cycle in one of Engalnd's most dramatic landscapes
Dorset and the Jurassic coast walking vacation
Dramatic coastline and ancient wooded valleys.
The Pennine Way walking vacation, England
The challenging Pennine Way is an absolute classic
Cotswolds cycling vacation
Gentle cycling in the English countryside
Coast to Coast self guided walk in England
Self guided walk along the famous Coast to Coast trail
South West Coast Path walking vacation, England
Minehead to Barnstaple walk on the South West Coast Path
St Cuthberts Way walking vacation, England & Scotland
A long-distance path that was established in 1996
People & culture
Grockles, botox & bodice-rippers


Cornwall is a perfect example of an English ‘honeypot’ destination that has been over-promoted for years at the expense of others. In key locations such as Falmouth, Newquay and St. Ives, as well as popular beaches, local people are massively outnumbered by tourists in July and August with a corresponding detrimental effect on their communities and the environment.
Meanwhile, over the last few decades English vacationmakers have taken advantage of cheap flights and the strong pound, and inbound tourism has been concentrated on Cornwall, London and a select few other destinations. Many of England’s lesser-known coastal communities have been left to fade away.
Responsible Travel’s home base, Brighton, is one of the few to escape that fate, largely thanks to its proximity to London. In general however, the country’s seaside towns are seriously struggling.
Regenerate, regenerate
Many parts of England, particularly seaside towns and other coastal areas, are heavily dependent on tourism, an industry renowned for seasonal, low-paid employment. They’re steadily being hollowed out as young people seek opportunities elsewhere, leading to deprivation which in turn affects tourism numbers. In countries such as England where the main tourist season is quite short, earning a sustainable income year-round can prove difficult. Resorts including Hunstanton, Blackpool, Bournemouth, Skegness and Scarborough retain plenty of historic charm, but underfunding and inaccessibility, combined with a shift of focus to destinations elsewhere, has allowed them to fade.How you can help
Simply put: don’t follow the crowds. Skip the city breaks, and give England’s crowded tourism hotspots a swerve, instead looking to idyllic, isolated accommodations in the countryside. If you do really want to see the Tower of London, or the beaches of Cornwall, then consider visiting outside the busy summer months instead when you’ll have a more pleasant experience, and tourism businesses will benefit from income in low season. And next time you fancy a visit to the seaside, remember there are many other attractive resorts around the English coast that aren’t Brighton and Falmouth.
Wherever you go, think: spend local. Much of the English tourism industry is small-scale, making it quite easy to inject money into the domestic economy. You’ll get a warmer welcome from a locally owned bed and breakfast than you will from a faceless international hotel chain. You’ll eat fresher (and better) dishes with local produce, and also dramatically slash your vacation’s carbon footprints. And the money you spend will stay for longer in the local area, boosting the community and providing employment prospects for local people.
Environment
Bringing wilderness back
Growing pains
One of the most controversial infrastructure developments of recent years in England (including Boris Johnson’s characteristically ridiculous Garden Bridge fiasco) is the ongoing saga of the Heathrow Airport expansion. The project, due for completion in 2026 assuming it goes ahead as planned, will involve rerouting the M25 motorway, diverting rivers and the demolition of over 700 homes in order to construct a new runway, while the airport’s other expansion plans will cost billions and take some 30 years to complete. The proposed economic benefits of Heathrow expansion, disputed by some, are taken to be around £5.5 billion a year, but of course the cost to the environment, as well as the surrounding community, will be calamitous.The world is facing a climate crisis. With the aviation industry one of the fastest growing contributors to greenhouse gas emissions, the plain fact is that we need to be encouraging people to fly less, not more. Responsible Travel is one of the few travel companies to oppose Heathrow expansion, and we continue to believe that this misguided project will, eventually, have to be abandoned in the face of cold reality and public disapproval.
Of course, Heathrow is not the only airport thinking about expansion. Another London airport, Stansted, wants to increase its own passenger volume by five million a year. When the council delayed the project, there were inevitable complaints from tourism officials who claimed “the move could prevent tourism growth”.
We say growth at the expense of the environment, and local communities, is the height of recklessness. It’s high time that the English tourism industry, along with the government, started to focus on sustainable management of the numbers and destinations we already have, not rampant expansion and profit that jeopardises all of our futures.