There is still time for the travel industry to get involved in next month’s Make Holidays Greener annual sustainable tourism initiative.

Beach cleans will be taking place around the world as part of the month-long event throughout July. The campaign is being run by travel association Abta for the first time in 2016, working alongside Travelife and The Travel Foundation.

Abta is urging travel companies to take part in beach cleans during the month, which last year saw 108 beaches in 20 countries cleared of around four tonnes of rubbish.

Nikki White, Abta’s director of destinations and sustainability, said that it was taking the lead on Make Holidays Greener this year because it recognised the “importance of talking to customers on sustainability in a user-friendly way”.

Abta has also conducted a survey of 2,000 British consumers, which found that a clean beach is the most important factor for nearly two-thirds (65%) of holidaymakers.

Almost all (99%) respondents also said it was their responsibility to take rubbish away from the beach.

There have already been 21 beach cleans around the world so far this year as part of Make Holidays Greener, which have collectively removed nearly 3,000 kilogrammes of rubbish. Clean-ups have taken place in destinations such as Cyprus, Thailand, Tunisia and Cambodia.

Thomas Cook staff and customers at Nissi Beach Resort in Ayia Napa, Cyprus, were among those who helped to collect 20kg of rubbish.

Tina Dobbins, Thomas Cook quality manager and beach clean co-ordinator, said: “We are working in partnership with Nissi Beach Hotel. Sustainability and the environment matter to us, which is why we got involved in the Make Holidays Greener campaign 2016.”

Salli Felton, chief executive of the Travel Foundation, said: “For the first time Abta has taken the lead this year, and it’s really exciting to see how they’ve built on the successes of previous years to grow the campaign.

“We have obviously worked carefully with them to ensure a smooth handover and will very much continue to support the campaign by promoting it through our channels and providing examples of good practice in sustainable tourism relating to beaches, coastal and marine environments.”