More than 6,000kg of rubbish was collected by almost 2,000 people during Abta’s Make Holidays Greener month, double the amount collected in 2015.
A total of 125 beach cleans were organised in 23 countries and included 68 Travelife certified hotels.
Further beach cleans have been planned for August and September to help keep more rubbish out of the marine ecosystem.
Last year, 108 beach cleans were organised worldwide, involving 68 organisations and over 1,000 people. Beaches were cleaned in 20 countries and 3,000kg of rubbish was collected.
Make Holidays Greener month also encouraged holidaymakers to make a greener holiday pledge, with more than 700 greener holiday collected. Recycling water bottles, re-using hotel towels and walking more were among the most popular pledges.
Abta destinations and sustainability director Nikki White said: “It is fantastic to see so many people taking part in a beach clean and showing that they care about their environment.
“Cleaner, greener beaches are good for tourism, and our industry is uniquely placed to make a difference to coastal regions and beaches globally.
“Of course, beach cleans can take place all year round and I would encourage anybody thinking of taking part to join in.”
Manos Loumpakis, manager at the Family Life Creta Paradise in Crete, who organised two beach cleans this year said: “It is so important to not just claim that you ‘think green’ but also to act on it too.
“We are proud of our second successful effort which was achieved by staff and guests. We will continue contributing to environmental conservation in any way we can.”