A tourism strategist has called for tourism businesses to adopt fresh attitudes towards the environment and corporate social responsibility.

Anna Pollock, chief executive of London-based travel consultant DestiCorp, said companies should look to move beyond ‘reluctant compliance with green regulations’.

Pollock said: “It’s now apparent that leading companies are turning to environmental care to build brand loyalty, add shareholder value and drive new levels of competitiveness and innovation.

“In this context of rapid change, it’s vital that tourism leaders do not drag their feet or risk losing credibility and damaging reputations.”

According to figures from the Pasific Asia Travel Association (PATA), 68 per cent of chief executives interviewed by the IBM Institute of Business Value survey said they were focusing on corporate social responsibility (CSR) to create new revenue streams.

Over half believe that their CSR activities are giving them a competitive advantage.