Before 2001, ‘responsible tourism’ was a little-known sustainable tourism management strategy practised by few; today it is widely recognised and the application of it is global. There is now a market specifically for responsible tourism products and services, and many countries and destinations have adopted these strategies as key tools in their drive towards sustainable tourism. There are ever-growing numbers of tourism businesses and organisations who practise and advocate responsible tourism, and there is an internationally recognised World Responsible Tourism Day, as well as several academic responsible tourism institutions around the world.

Responsible tourism’s rise in prominence has been dramatic. The beginnings of this rise can be traced to a single event known as the Cape Town Declaration of 2002, when responsible tourism was effectively launched into a worldwide arena. Since then, the reach of responsible tourism, plus the interest and uptake in the concept, has grown considerably and it is now widely recognised throughout the tourism industry and by a significant proportion of the travelling public.