In celebration of World Earth Day 2025, we are delighted to spotlight some of our members who have placed sustainability and responsible tourism at the heart of their business.
Rabbie’s Tours offers a wide range of small-group tours across the UK and Ireland. The company has received B Corp certification for its commitment to sustainable travel practices. In this feature, Rabbie’s Tours explores what sustainability means to the business, how it educates visitors to be more environmentally conscious, and why collaboration with local communities is vital for creating a positive impact.
What does sustainability mean to Rabbie’s Tours, and why is it so important?
One of our principal values is that ‘We Care About There’. Our aim is to examine social and environmental impact, and we try to use a broad lens that covers the diverse range of topics under the sustainability umbrella. From ‘Leave No Trace’ or waste reduction policies to volunteering and donations, to health and safety, and employment rights and benefits. Sustainability is about responsible tourism that has more positive than negative impacts for the people and places we meet.
Rabbie’s gained B-Corp certification last year – what were some of the key changes or initiatives the company had to undertake to achieve this?
Rabbie’s has a history of good practice in the areas covered by the BCorp assessment, which meant that we began from a good place! We had to work to get better documentation for some of our good work, particularly the efforts of our CSR team. Since certification, this has meant that we share more internally and externally, and we aim to publish our Sustainability Report on our website this year.
How do you measure the impact of your sustainability efforts?
Measurement takes many forms. Some are more straightforward, such as GHG Mapping and Carbon Reporting, which we undertake annually through a third party. We have a Gender Pay Gap Report published on our website and use other metrics to measure topics related to employment and Health and Safety internally.
How do you educate and encourage your guests to be sustainable during their trips?
We have information on our website to help our customers travel responsibly. A Leave No Trace policy is available online, and we share messages about responsible tourism through our various marketing channels. However, our best option for education is our fabulous customer-facing team, particularly our Driver Guides, who brief customers on topics such as littering, respecting wildlife, and other sustainability issues. They also have litter pickers on their buses to actively manage the waste they see on the roads. This also starts a valuable conversation with guests and sets a good example for managing waste, showing respect for both the local community and the environment.
What can the industry do better to encourage and promote sustainable travel?
Education and the sharing of information are key, as is working with the local community and environmental organisations to advise on best practice.
