The People of Travel

Tourism Cares connects the people of travel - those who work in it, and who rely on it.

Travel has the incredible power to connect people around the world, fostering diverse perspectives and building inclusivity and understanding.

With support from members and supporters, we provide investment in social and environmental impact organizations that provide real and sustainable change and many direct economic benefits for communities globally.

Hover and scroll on the images below to see how Tourism Cares has supported the people of travel:

Featured in our Inspiration Exchange event, LIKE A LOCAL believes here is no better way to know a neighborhood and savor its unique charm than by walking in the shoes of its residents. Showcasing NYC and Brooklyn neighborhoods through food, fashion, art, and history, Like a Local brings immersive experiences that will leave you with awesome memories and a deep understanding of the area.

A featured social enterprise during Tourism Cares with Puerto Rico, FUNDACION CORTES is a non-profit rooted in educating and inspiring, specifically around the arts of the Caribbean and Latin America. When the pandemic hit, the foundation teamed up with Chocobar Cortés, a farm-to-bar gastronomic chocolate family restaurant to pivot their model and develop food distribution programs for the San Juan community.

MOSHI MAMAS is a craft cooperative and social enterprise business developed by Give a Heart to Africa that was awarded a Tourism Cares grant in 2019. Give a Heart to Africa (GHTA) is a local non-profit organization which provides women in Tanzania free business and entrepreneurship training.

Tourism Cares with Jordan introduced our community to IRAQ AL AMIR, resulting in one of our members being so inspired he gave them a significant financial grant towards capacity building and capital improvements. The cooperation exists to keep their culture alive, protect the environment, and to provide meaningful employment for local women in the village.

 

The MAASAI STOVES + SOLAR project was featured during our 2018 Travel Exchange and on the Meaningful Map. It is an initiative of the International Collaboration for Science, Education, and the Environment (ICSEE), a501(c)(3 that designs and installs clean-burning and efficient wood-burning stoves in East Africa. The ICSEE's mission is to help people organize to reach a better life and puts empowerment at the core of every aspect of the work.

WORLD CENTRAL KITCHEN, a partner of our 2019 Meaningful Travel Summit, was provided with a Destination Disaster Recovery Grant to support Puerto Rico’s Plow to Plate program – supporting the revitalization of farming through grants, capacity-building and training. The Grant helped build out a community kitchen at the Centro de Microempresas de Tecnologia Sustentables (CMTAS), hosting community cooking and training classes for local entrepreneurs. The CMTAS kitchen played a vital role in 2020, helping WCK’s feeding network in response to seismic activity in the south of the island, distributing over 400,000 meals.

CAFE RECONCILE, a featured partner during our 2018 event, transforms the lives of young adults and the community by encouraging personal growth, providing workforce development and training, promoting entrepreneurship, working with businesses, nonprofits and people to build strong communities through community economic development.

SASANE Sisterhood Trekking and Travel, a featured experience on our Meaningful Map, aims to create a responsible tourism company, which trains female human trafficking survivors as trekking guides to lead tours through rural mountain villages of Nepal, in order to reduce - and ultimately eliminate - further trafficking, gender-based violence and child marriage in those communities.

#BEACHANGEMAKER is a campaign lead by Impulse Travel, supporting 15 high impact community leaders and their communities across Colombia. Grant funding will support access to remote, digital training, skill-building, and leadership training for their community-level tourism experiences, as well as, emergency stipends and resources during the COVID-19 pandemic.

BRACKEN'S KITCHEN is a 501(c)(3) organization based in Orange County, California. Founded in 2013 they are committed to recovering, re-purposing and restoring both food and lives. Tourism Cares chose Bracken's as their official caterer during the IP…

BRACKEN'S KITCHEN is a 501(c)(3) organization based in Orange County, California. Founded in 2013 they are committed to recovering, re-purposing and restoring both food and lives. Tourism Cares chose Bracken's as their official caterer during the IPW event in 2018, ensuring money spent on the event stayed locally.

Calyan Wax Co., featured during Tourism Cares’ Meaningful Marketplace at the NTA Travel Exchange, crafts incredible candles that help to put an end to human trafficking in America. Each candle sold provides vital funding to nonprofits working to give freedom, justice, and empowerment to survivors.

Squamish Lil’Wat Cultural Centre was provided support on behalf of Globus Family of Brands to support ongoing mentorship, build capacity and foster resiliency for Indigenous community members through meaningful employment. The grant funds will also be used to develop a new guided tour called ANCIENT MEDICINES, enriching and connecting the cultural identity of the Indigenous Youth Ambassadors and Cultural Ambassadors the Centre works with.

SPOTLIGHT: PEOPLE + PLACES OF TOURISM CARES

Give a Heart to Africa | Tourism Cares Grantee

After a Kilimanjaro climb fundraising campaign led by Board Member Arnie Weissmann, Tourism Cares awarded a grant to the “Moshi Mamas” program, a craft cooperative developed by graduates from the non-profit, Give a Heart to Africa. The women earn income from tourists who visit to purchase handmade jewelry, clothes, bags, household items and arts & crafts.