Sir, Your report (“Globetrotter Palin brought down to earth by eco-lobby”, Jan 14) might imply that the sustainable travel and tourism movement in the UK is disapproving of high-profile travellers such as Mr Palin, and indeed of travel itself. The Travel Foundation takes a more positive and practical view.
The Travel Foundation is the charity set up by the UK outbound travel industry with the blessing of the Government under its sustainable tourism initiative, to promote sustainability in tourism and “care for the places we love to visit”.
Mr Palin’s TV programmes celebrate travel and the good it can do in the understanding of other cultures, which should not be forgotten, and in supporting the economies of many developing regions whose people are dependent on tourism. Travel itself can be a powerful force for good in the world and in this age of globalisation, stopping travelling is not a realistic option.
What we ask is that every traveller, by his or her own behaviour, minimises the negative impact of each journey, and takes further steps, including offsetting their carbon emissions and making a financial contribution to sustainable tourism projects such as those we support worldwide.
Of course, all travel generates carbon emissions, but the Travel Foundation supports Mr Palin in trying to get across the message on sustainable travel and tourism to a huge and receptive audience. His media profile can make him a very powerful ambassador for good practice by travellers.
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The question we would ask is not “how many miles will he fly in making his next series?”, but “will the carbon emissions of his own travel be offset, and will he explain why?” Well-known travellers such as Michael Palin can do much more good than harm by genuinely practising — and widely promoting — the principles of sustainable travel and tourism.
It is not a question of “to travel or not to travel”, but of how to travel and at the same time respect other cultures and peoples, reduce global poverty and protect our environment and its wildlife. We welcome every recruit to, and advocate of, this most valuable of causes.
DAVID WESTON
Company Secretary
The Travel Foundation