Tourism Cares, a leading non-profit dedicated to advancing sustainability within the tourism industry, is proud to announce the launch of its ‘Get on the Map’ campaign, a month-long initiative running from October 1 through October 31, 2024. The campaign is designed to inspire travel professionals to integrate more responsible and impact-driven organizations into their travel itineraries and product lines by sourcing from Tourism Cares' Meaningful Travel Map, a powerful travel trade tool that provides a list of vetted sustainable experiences, tours, accommodations, and organizations worldwide.
As part of the 'Get on the Map' campaign, Tourism Cares will provide free virtual sustainability consultations to any travel professional throughout October. Usually only available to Tourism Cares members, these consultations are led by the organization’s team of meaningful travel practitioners who help guide participants on how to integrate sustainable practices into their business operations and tour offerings.
“The industry is at a critical juncture where we are now experiencing more and more negative impacts from the growth and mismanagement of tourism, including overcrowding, extreme weather patterns due to climate change, and economic disparities,” shared Greg Takehara, CEO, Tourism Cares. “By providing all travel professionals with the opportunity to participate in our virtual sustainability consultations, we hope it creates a space to collaborate, share knowledge, and build sustainable tourism strategies together. During this month and beyond, we encourage everyone to ‘Get on the Map’ so that we can advance a model of tourism that gives more than it takes.”
Initially launched globally in 2023, the Meaningful Travel Map connects the tourism industry with locally led or owned impact organizations to integrate them into the tourism supply chain, especially in diverse and smaller communities. This global resource enables travel professionals to uncover authentic, often overlooked experiences that promote economic growth, social change, cultural preservation, and environmental sustainability in their destinations.
“For these businesses, gaining visibility and partnerships with the global travel trade can be extremely transformative,” continued Takehara. “The Meaningful Travel Map offers everyone a seat at the table, driving sustainable tourism growth while advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion, preserving cultural heritage, and protecting our planet’s natural resources.”
The Map has seen impressive growth over the last year, expanding by nearly 50% to include almost 400 organizations and tripling the number of destination marketing organization (DMO) partners to over 30 globally. Major tour operators and advisor groups have also begun incorporating Meaningful Travel Map partners into their current and future itineraries, including Avanti Destinations, Intrepid, AAA, Goway, Kaleidoscope Adventures, and Club Adventures.
Tourism Cares is also encouraging travel professionals to participate in a special sweepstakes as part of the ‘Get on the Map’ campaign throughout October, offering one lucky winner a complimentary registration for its 2025 Global Meaningful Travel Summit in Thailand. This invitation-only program presents a unique opportunity for attendees to engage with industry leaders and innovators in sustainable tourism and experience first-hand several partners included on Thailand’s Meaningful Travel Map.
