Discover five actionable ways to travel responsibly in 2025, from supporting local communities to building meaningful cultural connections. Learn how your travel choices can protect the planet, uplift communities, and create authentic, impactful experiences.

During our recent North American Meaningful Travel Summit in Eugene, Oregon, I had the honor of meeting Randy and Edith Woodley, co-founders of the Eloheh Indigenous Center for Earth Justice. This incredible organization, a valued partner featured on Tourism Cares’ Meaningful Travel Map, is dedicated to preserving Indigenous knowledge and sustainable ways of living.

Climate change poses a significant challenge to the travel industry, with extreme weather, rising temperatures, and shifting patterns disrupting travel and harming communities worldwide. While the industry is taking steps to reduce emissions, climate justice highlights the unequal impacts of climate change on marginalized communities, who often suffer the most despite contributing the least.

Changing the way travel and tourism foster positive impact for communities requires patience to see these efforts come to fruition. Hear from Tourism Cares CEO Greg Takehara as he reflects on examples of positive impact in Panama that were both immediate and in need of nurturing, illustrating the diverse and ongoing nature of our work.

For tourism to thrive in destinations, communities in those destinations must also thrive. To achieve this, the industry needs to listen and engage with locals, and empower them with opportunities to tell their own stories, authentically share their own cultures, and fully benefit from their tourism experiences. Learn how community-based tourism enhances travel for visitors while empowering communities to have full ownership and control of their tourism offerings.

Discover how Exodus Adventure Travels is leading the way in Nature Positive Tourism. Learn how tour operators can align with global biodiversity frameworks to give back to nature and minimize environmental impact. Join us in protecting our planet while creating unforgettable travel experiences.

As we step into the new year, many travelers will begin to make vacation plans for the coming year. As companies set their 2024 goals, we must align our business objectives with sustainability goals. To help you plan your 2024 sustainability goals effectively, here are four key tips to guide you through the process.

Kickstart your destination stewardship journey with these ten important steps.

So, I didn’t get dirty or suffer from sore muscles on this Tourism Cares Summit, but I was just as exhausted – and exhilarated --as I have been in other years. I was exhausted from learning so much more about the challenges we face to be sustainable in our businesses and our own lives and to be inclusive and respectful of the cultures we experience when we travel. I was reminded that I have to be better at researching the places I visit so that I can honor the people who live there, understand and respect the wildlife and nature that call us to visit there and the history that may, or may not be so pretty.