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Travel agent drives 15% increase in responsible tourism sales

Owner of southwest London agency Travel Matters, Karen Simmonds has seen an increase of up to 15% in responsible tourism sales after promoting the market through her shop.

Simmonds decided to specialise in the niche sector after a trip to India last autumn opened her own eyes to the need to care more for destinations.

Now, not only is she actively driving sales through her agency, but she has also dedicated a section of her website to ethical tourism, and is driving more consumers there having bought the web address maketravelmatter.co.uk.

She said: “We need to show respect for a destination, rather than just getting on an aircraft, staying in big resort and not interacting with the people who are there. It is about selling holidays with a heart.”

Simmonds said since her return, she has begun working more closely with tour operators promoting ethical tourism whose prices compare well to those of mainstream tour operators.

She believes customers are willing to embrace the market, adding: “A lot of our market is the family market.

“Children are being educated about things such as recycling and social skills, and they are passing it on to their parents.”

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