CAS Trips, a full-service educational travel operator specializing in international school programs, has been awarded the Gold Responsible Tourism Award in the Championing Cultural Diversity category at the 2026 ICRT Europe Responsible Tourism Awards. The awards were presented on 23 June in Brussels at the Press Club Brussels Europe. The recognition highlights CAS Trips’ Community-Led Service (CLS) program, a pedagogical framework currently delivered across 10 destinations including Peru, Vietnam, Finland, and Zanzibar – that places local communities at the center of the student experience.

Unlike traditional youth service travel models, the CLS program begins not with action but with listening. Before any service activity takes place, students complete a structured pre-departure curriculum and participate in a live video call with representatives from the host community.
Upon arrival, local partners facilitate a Needs Analysis Workshop, where students engage directly with community members through interviews and dialogue to co-design a response to locally identified priorities.

In 2025, students who completed CLS programs reported a 56% increase in their self-assessed understanding of local culture and community issues. More than 87% of participants reported developing a stronger sense of what constitutes responsible, ethical community engagement.

“Travel has the power to genuinely change how young people see the world, but only if the experience is built around real connection, not assumption,” said Simon Armstrong, Founder of CAS Trips. “This award is a recognition of the communities who trust us enough to open their doors to our students, and the educators who believe that listening is the first act of service.”

The ICRT Judges stated, “You only have to take the briefest look at CAS Trips’ website to realize that this is a very different travel company offering school trips abroad. We were very impressed by this alternative approach and the way it ensures that the needs and aspirations of the local community are prioritized over those of the students and provides the students with a deep experience of the other. We hope that this approach will inspire others.”

The ICRT Europe Responsible Tourism Awards are organized by the International Centre for Responsible Tourism and recognize businesses and destinations that demonstrate measurable progress in making tourism more economically, socially, and environmentally responsible. As
Gold winners in their category, CAS Trips will now advance to the Global Responsible Tourism Awards, with winners announced at World Travel Market (WTM) London in November 2026.