According to this report in the Travel Trade Gazette, the publication of my book The Final Call (or rather the extracts published in the Guardian) has triggered a “travel trade backlash”…

An industry think-tank is to be set up following a blistering attack on travel’s green credentials in a national newspaper this week. Justin Francis, co-founder of responsibletravel.com, said he had decided to set up the group in response to a “sustained attack” from the green lobby. He said an article in The Guardian on Monday which claimed the travel industry not only pollutes the environment but also exacerbates social problems such as poverty and prostitution was “the final straw”.

To be honest, I’m thrilled. After all, one of my main hopes for the book – as those in the industry knocking it will discover when/if they actually deign to read it – is that it challenges the industry to look long and hard at its negative impacts and do everything humanly possible to minimise or eradicate them. I just hope the “think-tank” being hastily put together concentrates on facing up to these issues rather than simply attempting to deny them. To be continued…