Tourism Cares, a global nonprofit that works to advance sustainability within the tourism industry, is expanding its Meaningful Travel Program this year. The Meaningful Travel initiative fosters partnerships with destinations in order to create positive impacts “for the people and places of travel” — encompassing training, resources and experiences with a focus on community-centric efforts that benefit locals and the environment.
The expansion of the program is part of Tourism Cares’ 20-year vision, a mission statement that was released during its 20th anniversary celebration last December.
The global tourism industry is at a critical juncture where sustainable practices are not just desirable but imperative.
"The global tourism industry is at a critical juncture where sustainable practices are not just desirable but imperative,” said Greg Takehara, CEO of Tourism Cares. “Our Meaningful Travel Program provides travel companies with the proper tools to enact positive change in their operations to help transform our industry, where people, places and the planet not only survive, but thrive. We look forward to fostering more partnerships with destinations and other businesses in the travel trade that make a lasting difference in travel."
New to the program this year is VisitScotland, the latest destination to join and the first European destination to launch a Meaningful Travel Map, a tool that features vetted, ready-to-book experiences for travelers with organizations that are making positive social and environmental impacts. Scotland is among 15 other destinations that are part of the program.
“Our vision is for Scotland to be a globally recognized responsible destination,” said Malcolm Roughead, chief executive of VisitScotland. “We want to inspire and influence visitors to make sustainable choices at all stages of their travel journey, and joining the Tourism Cares member community represents another example of our efforts to achieve this. We know that over half of international visitors to Scotland book through intermediaries, which is why it is important that we engage with the travel trade.”
We want to inspire and influence visitors to make sustainable choices at all stages of their travel journey.
In addition to adding new partners, Tourism Cares’ plan for 2024 includes launching fam tours, which will provide intimate, in-destination experiences that connect the travel trade with impactful experiences, sustainable companies and community-led offerings. The first trips will be hosted in collaboration with the Tourism Authority of Thailand and the Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau.
John Sutherland, senior director of community impact at Tourism Cares, notes that the fam trips will help destinations “share their communities’ stories while also creating more economic opportunities for purpose-driven companies by engaging them in the tourism supply chain.”
Finally, the organization will host two Meaningful Travel Summits this year. As with past summits, the events will educate industry professionals on best practices for sustainability and community-based tourism, as well as connect them with local changemakers. The Global Meaningful Travel Summit will take place June 1-6 in Panama, while the North American Meaningful Travel Summit will be held Sept. 30 to Oct. 2 in Oregon’s Willamette Valley. Both host destinations will create Meaningful Travel Maps as part of the program.
