Check a company, such as TUI or BA – what is their involvement in sustainable tourism initiatives? How much do they do to follow, and to what extent do they follow, the guidelines/underlying philosophy of CSR as outlined above? Although now a part of United Airlines, following a merger in 2012, Continental provides an excellent example of the ways in which airlines can respond to the challenges of CSR.

Since 2008, CO2 emissions have been around 1–1.5% per passenger mile, following a reduction of 38% per passenger mile since 1997. This was achieved through fleet renewal with more energy efficient aircraft (weight reductions, new designs and aerodynamic additions), operational improvements (taxiing using only one engine, runway design) and biofuel development. In addition, the company embedded CSR within its office operations, employing dedicated environmental management staff and promoting recycling within office environments.