Simpson Travel becomes first specialist villa operator to adopt Safer Tourism Pledge
We’re pleased to kick off 2025 with the announcement that leading independent villa and boutique hotel operator Simpson Travel has officially partnered with the Safer Tourism Foundation by signing up to the Safer Tourism Pledge. The collaboration underscores Simpson Travel's unwavering commitment to prioritising the safety and well-being of its valued customers.
Since its launch in 2018, the Safer Tourism Pledge helps travellers identify travel companies that not only have excellent safety systems and protocols in place but also put collaboration ahead of competition when it comes to customer safety.
Babu Signature Villa in Meganissi, Greece
"We are proud to join forces with the Safer Tourism Foundation in embracing the Safer Tourism Pledge," said Operations Director, Mark Speight. “At Simpson Travel, our commitment to delivering exceptional holiday experiences starts with ensuring our guests' safety and security at all stages of their journey. Our concierge team conducts initial onsite inspections and audits of all our properties, and the overseas team receive Health and Safety training. Before and during the holiday, our concierge is available to resolve any health and safety issues for guests in person and responds promptly to their concerns. This also takes the pressure off agents and gives them peace of mind knowing their clients are well cared for by such a supportive team. We are constantly seeking ways to improve our approach to safety, and our adoption of the Safer Tourism Pledge reaffirms our dedication to maintaining the highest standards of safety excellence as a critical part of that service.”
Founded in 2002 by travel industry veteran Graham Simpson, Simpson Travel offers a superb range of holidays to handpicked villas and boutique hotels in Greece, Turkey, Mallorca, Italy and France, including Corsica. The company prides itself on their first-hand knowledge and their local expertise, ensuring they can tailor holidays to each traveller’s unique requirements. It was this combination of on-the-ground knowledge and in-destination support that impressed the Safer Tourism Foundation during their assessment of the operator’s safety procedures.
Katherine Atkinson, CEO of the Safer Tourism Foundation, praised Simpson Travel's commitment: "We are delighted to welcome Simpson Travel as a Safer Tourism Pledge partner. During the validation process, we were particularly impressed by the operator’s concierge programme, with experienced in-destination professionals who know the local area inside and out and can respond to any safety concerns in real time. The company’s commitment to traveller safety aligns perfectly with our mission to prevent harm and promote safety awareness among UK travellers, wherever they holiday."
Safer Tourism reviews the safety management systems of travel companies wishing to participate, and Pledge partners in turn agree to adhere to the Pledge’s six commitments.
To date, more than a dozen leading UK travel providers – from major tour operators to specialist travel providers – have signed up to the Safer Tourism Pledge. Pledge Partners commit to share their travel incident data with the Safer Tourism Foundation, which the charity analyses on an annual basis to uncover major trends and growing areas of concern when it comes to traveller risk.