Frequently asked questions

How does Responsible Travel operate?

Responsible Travel works in partnership with a number of teams who organise and run our trips on the ground for us. To make holiday planning easier for you, we put you in direct contact with those teams, so that they can help you plan the perfect trip. Again to make it easier for you, when you are ready you can book directly with our partner.

All trips have been meticulously screened to ensure they preserve nature and give back to local communities and are a win: win for you and the local places and communities. You can read more about how we screen our holidays.

I need to cancel my holiday - can I get a refund?

The best option is hopefully for you to re-book your trip for a later date; we highly recommend this option, as it means that you still get to go on your holiday, and that our partners aren't negatively impacted by a cancellation. Most of our customers take this option.

If, however, you are unable to re-book, the company you have booked with will be able to discuss the option of a refund or a credit note with you. Contact our partner you have booked with to find out more (and do let us know if we can help at any stage). How much you are able to be refunded will depend on the cancellation terms in your contract with our partner running the trip, how close to your departure date you cancel and if our partner is able to recover any costs already incurred in securing your trip for you.

If they are unable to refund you please consult with your travel insurers and/or your credit card company for any help they are able to offer.

How is my holiday protected?

Your money is completely secure when you book through Responsible Travel. In the highly unlikely event that your holiday does not operate because one of our partners goes out of business, then subject to our terms and conditions, we will refund you thanks to our Responsible Travel Financial Guarantee.

For our partners based in the UK or the EU you are fully covered if you are booking a package. Outside these areas many of our partners have good financial protection in place to refund you if they go out of business and can't deliver your holiday or refund you. We strongly urge you to check what financial protection is in place with your holiday provider before you book, as well as take out your own good travel insurance which includes cover for supplier failure or cover for unrecoverable monies and pay by credit card or Paypal if possible as these can also provide additional protection for your money, depending on where you live. Read more

How do I book in a callback with your Travel Team?

Please use this link to book in a callback time convenient to you.
Or to contact us in another way, like over WhatsApp (messages only) please find this here.

I enquired about a holiday and haven't heard anything back yet - what should I do?

Please get in touch directly with our partner who runs the trip, or let us know and we will help you: rosy@responsibletravel.com

How are your holidays 'responsible'?

You can read about us and our holidays.

Why doesn't Responsible Travel boycott?

At Responsible Travel we promote holidays rather than countries and don't generally boycott countries. The reason for this is that we screen holidays very carefully for responsible travel, and its possible for a holiday to deliver real benefits to communities, conservation and social projects in places with poor human rights records (conversely, it's also possible for holidays in countries with the best human rights records to be very damaging).

However, we have decided to stand with the people of Ukraine and have suspended Russia and Belarus from the site. The declaration of war by one country on another without any grounds or justification is something that we believe the world must come together to oppose.

Our position on and history with boycotts.

Do you arrange flights?

Only our UK based partners can usually sort flights for you from the UK. We recommend you book your flights as part of a package where possible to ensure they are covered by any financial protection such as ATOL in the UK. If this is not possible then sites like Skyscanner are good at finding you the best prices and direct routes on newer aircraft which are lower in CO₂ emissions.

Do you offer a visa service?

We do not offer a visa service and we recommend that you contact your own government for travel and visa advice, as well as the government of the country you are visiting, either directly or via their embassy/consulate in your country.

How do I use my loyalty discount voucher?

Once you've found the holiday you want to book, please provide the relevant discount code at the time of booking to our partner. They will deduct the amount off the cost of your trip. If you are using a loyalty discount code given to you by a friend or family member you must use the version of the code that ends with an 'F'.

How can I use my gift voucher?

Find out how to use your gift voucher.

How long are gift vouchers valid for?

5 years (apart from charity vouchers that are valid 2 years).

How do I claim my booking gift?

Here are the rules about how to use your loyalty, gift or recommend a friend vouchers.

How can I sign up to your newsletter?

You can sign up here.

How can I unsubscribe from your newsletter?

There are unsubscribe links at the top and bottom of each newsletter. Click on one of these then click on the unsubscribe button. Alternatively, email rosy@responsibletravel.com with your request.

Do you have a shop front or can I pop in and see you?

We would love to see you! You can call us to make an appointment to see us in our office in Brighton on the south coast of the UK during the week: 01273 823 700.