Responsible Travel is part of a million pound tourism initiative in the South-east aimed at boosting tourism revenue while protecting local environments.
Responsible Travel is the private sector partner for the initiative and will host a new website - Our Land.
The money, provided by the Rural Development Programme for England and administered by Defra, will be invested over two-and-a-half years.
Funds will go towards the creation of the Our Land web platform, a five-strong product team to advise businesses within the nine regions involved on sustainability and, on and offline sales and marketing.
The Our Land website enables users to browse the regions, search for and book a holiday, consult a panel of local experts and view suggested itineraries.
It also incorporates social media elements enabling tourists to share holiday experiences.
Local businesses will be able to sign up to the website free of charge or at a discounted rate if they demonstrate a commitment to the environment and agree to the Our Land promise.
VisitEngland boss James Berresford describes the initiative as a good example of the strategy of balancing growth with sustainability in action and hopes it will develop beyond the South-east.
Responsible Travel says it is committed to running the project once the funding has ended and is providing a team of eight employees for Our Land.
Earlier this year Responsible Travel unveiled its own initiative to provide a platform for local businesses to promote experiences and sell product.
After two-and-a-half years the hope is for the initiative to continue as a successful commercial entity in its own right.