Imagine hiking into a forest to observe Asian elephants in their natural habitat in Thailand’s Kindred Spirit Elephant Sanctuary and staying with a family in a traditional tribal village that is dedicated to the survival of these majestic creatures.
Or on a visit to Jordan, how about joining “Underground Amman,” a walking tour led by local artists that brings the city’s street art and graffiti to life, or learning traditional arts such as paper-making, weaving and cooking at the Iraq Al-Amir Women Cooperative Society, which provides employment for local women and helps preserve local heritage.
For the travel industry, selling sustainable travel products is not just the right thing to do, it is good business. Even for clients who don’t seek out “sustainable” activities, these “authentic” experiences are often just what they want. “Meaningful,” which shifts the focus to the visitor experience, is a word many in the industry use.
In Virtuoso’s 2024 survey, 45% of clients surveyed said that traveling sustainably enhances their vacation experience – up nine-points compared to 2023’s survey; 58% are willing to pay more to travel responsibly if they know how the funds are being used, up five points from 2023. Plus, more than 30% said they would be encouraged to travel more responsibly if they had a clear understanding of their options and guidance from a trusted source such as a professional travel advisor to help them get started.
That’s where Tourism Cares comes in.
Tourism Cares, a non-profit whose membership spans the global travel community, works to develop, vet and promote sustainable travel products. It has partnered with ASTA, AAA and other groups and provides tools and training for travel advisors who want to promote “meaningful” travel.
“We consider ourselves a pioneer in the meaningful travel movement – driving the industry to conduct business in a way that directly benefits host communities, protects cultural and environmental assets and engages guests in a deeper, more responsible way,” said Greg Takehara, CEO, Tourism Cares. “Through innovative programs such as our Meaningful Travel Summits and the Meaningful Travel Map we have been able to generate significant impact for local communities and social enterprises around the world.”
“Tourism Cares strives to inspire and activate travel companies — and individuals — to use their business and influence as a force for good by equipping them with tools, best practices, connections and resources,” said Jessica Flores, Tourism Cares’ Chief Experience Officer.
To fully experience a destination—meet its people, taste its food, immerse in its culture—that’s what travel is all about, Flores said. “Selling travel as a way to create genuine connection, and mutual understanding helps to remind clients of why they should travel in the first place and makes a travel advisor stand out.”
“At the same time, selling and marketing authentic experiences led by community members, where the money stays in local hands, both improves the community and makes our tourism product stronger,” she noted.
Flores suggested that advisors add a question about sustainability to their intake/fact-finding process. “For guests who don’t think much about sustainability, include meaningful travel experiences by emphasizing how authentic and unique they are, including information about impact as secondary. For those that really care, provide more detail about the positive impacts.”
“Travel advisors have a direct line to consumers and to destinations. They can help to drive demand so that the greater travel and tourism industry makes meaningful changes,” she noted.
ASTA has been a longtime supporter and sponsor of the good work Tourism Cares does and sits on their board, said Erika Richter, ASTA’s Vice President of Communications. “The Tourism Cares community believes that we can change the world through travel, and we at ASTA share their commitment and commend their work in educating and supporting travel advisors. Their tools arm travel advisors with the information they need to elevate their clients’ trips with sustainable experiences.”
AAA, a strategic partner of Tourism Cares has strong sustainability goals and is working with Tourism Cares to bring the industry together around sustainable, meaningful travel and educate its travel advisors.
“Tourism can create lasting change in a destination. We want to empower our travel advisors to help their clients make informed decisions and understand the benefits of choosing sustainable options,” said Paula Twidale, AAA’s Senior Vice President of Travel.
Joseph Rowe, a Sarasota, FL-based AAA travel advisor who completed Tourism Cares’ study program via AAA - Auto Club Group’s learning platform, praised the training and tools. “They help me to transform my clients experiences to be more immersive and more satisfying.”
Sustainable travel can be a complex and overwhelming topic to the uninitiated, acknowledged Debbie Haas, Vice President of Travel for AAA – The Auto Club Group (serving 14 midwest and southeastern states) and a Tourism Cares board member. “Our advisors tell us the training we provide in conjunction with Tourism Cares arms them with the knowledge and tools to sell sustainable and meaningful travel experiences. Plus, it makes them feel good about AAA as their employer to know we value and support this important area of need.”
Abigail Kochevar, a Boulder, CO-based AAA advisor who also took the Tourism Cares/AAA training, agreed. “I am encouraged to see what a positive impact travel can make in the world. I love knowing that there is an organization like Tourism Cares that helps us give back to communities and places we visit and ensures that future generations will get to enjoy them. And I’m proud and excited to be working with a company that has a strong partnership with such an important cause.”
Tourism Cares Provides the Tools
