Being a responsible traveller is a bit like buying bananas. Until recently, few
shoppers would question their source, where bananas were bought, how they were shipped or how much someone got paid for growing them. Things have changed in the holiday industry too. Now travel companies are catching up with the food and clothes industries by showing that they are trying to make a difference. Not just to the environment, but by making sure that the local people gain financially from our
tourist pounds.

The world we like to call our oyster is actually someone else's home. Many of us understand it's not right to trample all over them and use up all their resources. After all, we expect tourists visiting our country to treat it with respect.

But it's not all doom and gloom. There are many companies and governments who are changing the face of tourism, and making it greener and fairer. We just need to inform ourselves a little before taking those holiday decisions, be it in Cornwall, Cannes or Cambodia. Travel is one of life's most rewarding and inspiring pursuits and doing it more responsibly does not mean you have to give it up altogether.

Wildlife watch

With the British weather so notoriously unpredictable, Whitelee Holiday Cottages offers an opportunity to relax and watch the local wildlife from the comfort of one of its four-star properties.

Situated in Northumberland National Park, guests have the chance to watch badgers, barn owls, foxes and other wildlife through infrared cameras that deliver live pictures directly to TVs.

Thanks to funding from Northumberland National Park and North Energy, the central heating for two of the holiday cottages has been converted to a greener system, where some of the electricity is generated by solar panels, which also serve to heat the water supply.

Paradise not lost

Doing your bit for the environment doesn't mean that you can't still splash out on an exotic holiday in the sun. By taking into account the type of resort you stay in, it's easy to put something back into the local area, so you can sit back and relax without having to feel guilty.

Discovery at Marigot Bay resort and spa on St Lucia's stunning west coast is an idyllic setting and the perfect example of how you can have a guilt-free magical trip.

Owned and run by environmentalist Judith Verity, who is keen to raise awareness of the beautiful bay's fragility, this boutique resort has introduced a number of hassle-free measures to help holidaymakers become aware and responsible for their surroundings.

Measures such as ensuring that waste water is filtered and used for irrigation (rather than into the bay) have been introduced. Locally made paper and
other products are used, where
possible, to cut back on transportation costs and pollution.

Beach regeneration is also important, as Discovery is keen to protect the famous Labas beach and work with the community in setting up an environment committee to build protective reefs, as well as to control the use of boat traffic. And the bay even has its own solar-powered ferry, so you can take in a boat ride around the lovely harbour in good conscience.

Conserving Cornwall

Why not discover some of the UK's spectacular landscapes while working on projects to maintain the habitats and the wildlife they support. Volunteer holidays are a great way to unearth some of the UK's hidden treasures.

Responsible Travel offers a variety of volunteer holidays in far-flung places like Costa Rica and Ecuador and destinations nearer home, such as Scotland and Wales, where you can have a rewarding trip assisting with the conservation of the area.

Try your hand at a week's coastal conservation in Cornwall, where you can enjoy some of the area's gorgeous beaches around The Lizard Peninsula and Falmouth Bay. Conservation here entails collecting litter to be surveyed and bagged, enabling you to gain an invaluable insight into the impact marine pollution has on the local environment. Throughout the week there are talks by professionals (from Penzance's Silver Dolphin Centre) and locals who are involved in protecting marine wildlife and who raise awareness about the whales and dolphins that visit the region's shores.

You'll stay at Tregedna, on a traditional Cornish working farm in a converted listed barn, where you can enjoy some of the Southwest's enticing beaches. And you can tuck into locally sourced organic produce from nearby farms.