About 75 per cent of sales on one of the UK’s leading on-line sustainable tourism agents — www.responsibletravel.co.uk — are to women, even though the founder of the site had never realised this before Times Travel asked him to break down his bookings. Justin Francis, of Responsible Travel: “I had no idea the trend was so strong. But there it is: women seem to care more when they go on holiday.”

Most are in their twenties, thirties and forties — a youthful lot indeed. Here we talk to five “eco- travel babes”.

SARAH YEARSLEY, 37, THERAPIST, LEWES, EAST SUSSEX

In 1992 I was working for a large marketing company. I hated it. I realised that I was in the wrong job; just selling things to people. I quit and went backpacking for three years. When I was in Africa I came across this great eco lodge. Everything was sustainable — eco-wise electricity, local products, and much of the profits spent on building local homes, schools and medical centres. Hundreds of people benefited.

I started working in one of the lodges, for a company called CC Africa, which ran them. I was a hostess, encouraging guests to visit villages near by and spend money in the shops. I ended up working for the company for two years, doing marketing and PR.

Now I’m back in the UK, I generally don’t go long distance in planes — I go walking in the UK and Europe. Although I did go on my honeymoon to an eco hotel called Nihiwatu on Sumba island in Indonesia. It’s very, very primitive, but very nice. A large chunk of the profits goes to a foundation that pays for children’s education and hospitals. Yet the place itself is so romantic.

My eco-tips

RACHEL BURGESS, 29, CHARTERED ACCOUNTANT, WOKING

Often when you go on holiday you can’t help but be keenly aware that the money you spend goes into Western corporate pockets rather than helping the local economy.

For example, my husband and I once went to this beautiful hotel on Bali which had its own swimming pool, but as soon as we ventured outside we were bombarded by people begging. The locals had to contend with cracked footpaths and weren’t even allowed to walk on their own beach.

Recently we wanted somewhere that was operated from a more ethical stance and so we settled on a farmhouse in the Algarve countryside.

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