In their first collective act, joint managing directors Richard Skinner and Tim Williamson said that despite Barclays’ support during the pandemic, Responsible Travel could not overlook the $16 billion the bank reportedly invested in fossil fuels during 2022. The operator has become Unity Trust Bank’s first travel client.

"We’re a values-led company," said Williamson. "It’s more pressing than ever to ensure those values are baked into every area of our business – and this is one of them."

It comes after operations director Skinner and customer director Williamson were named joint managing directors of Responsible Travel, with founder and chief executive Justin Francis stepping back into an executive chair role designed to allow him to dedicate more time to activism, speaking and advisory work.

He is also biodiversity lead from the UK’s Council for Sustainable Business and a board director of Responsible Travel partner Saruni Basecamp.

Williamson said every business should review where its cash is being held to ensure it isn’t being used to fund or fuel the climate crisis.

"Divesting from banks and energy suppliers that invest in fossil fuels are two impactful ways we can help cut carbon and support nature," Williamson continued. "It’s a powerfully positive but often simple act to support renewables, not fossil fuels.

"Barclays supported us through the pandemic when we needed that, but they also invested more than $16 billion into fossil fuels in 2022 alone. Investing with them made us part of that problem.

"The world of ethical banking is small, though growing, and it took time to find the right alternative – but the investment values at Unity Trust Bank are a great match for us."

Responsible Travel last year published its first major impact report and rolled out carbon labelling to its nearly 500 global tour operator and accommodation members; it currently places carbon labels on nearly 900 of the holidays it offers on its site.

The business does not support or promote carbon offsetting, and instead encourages customers to fly less and choose trips that are lower carbon by design, or that support nature and local communities.

Francis revealed Responsible Travel surpassed 200,000 annual passengers last year, and hailed 2023 "by a very long way" the operator’s "best ever year".

"As a business, and as travellers, we’ve followed Robert Frost, who said: ’Two roads diverged in a wood – I took the one less travelled by, and that has made all the difference’.

"The road ahead for Responsible Travel and our industry will face many more forks, and I’ll be spending more time externally celebrating our achievements and advocating for better tourism."

Skinner joined Responsible Travel in 2006 and brings more than 30 years’ experience to his role managing relationships with new and prospective members.

Williamson, meanwhile, joined Responsible Travel in 2014 after serving as a non-executive director on the company’s board. He is a previous director of Monarch Airlines, chief executive of Irish operator The Travel Department, customer director of Tui UK and Abta board member.