Holiday company Responsible Travel has deleted its Twitter/X account after 15 years on the platform, citing its incompatibility with company values.

Founder and executive chair, Justin Francis, said: “At Responsible Travel we believe in free speech, not hate speech, disinformation, or incitement to violence. There was no justification for Elon Musk's assertion that “civil war is inevitable” in response to a post blaming the violent demonstrations in the UK on the effects of “mass migration and open borders”.  The heart of responsible tourism is respect, and we're a global, diverse and inclusive community. But instead of a safe and positive space for engagement and connection, X has increasingly come to feel like a platform for abuse. Perhaps enough people taking a stand might eventually help to change that. We hope to see you instead on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Threads. 

Notes:

• For more information, email Jenny Williams at jenny@responsibletravel.com
   
• Earlier this year, Responsible Travel severed ties with Barclays bank amid fossil fuel concerns, becoming the first travel client of Unity Trust Bank.
   
• In 2023, Responsible Travel launched its first major impact report and rolled out a carbon label option to its 479 global tour operator and accommodation members. The company now offers almost 900 carbon-labelled holidays on its site. It does not support or promote carbon offsetting - instead advising customers to fly less and choose responsible trips that work to reduce carbon, support nature and benefit communities.

About Responsible Travel

• Responsible Travel is the world's first and largest responsible holiday company.  Every trip is screened to maximise its benefits to local communities and the environment, and reduce negative impacts.
• Founded in 2001, the company offers almost 6,000 trips across more than 180 countries, from 479 specialist travel partners around the world and has published more than 730 online responsible travel guides.