What is Meaningful Travel?

Meaningful travel ensures direct benefits for host communities, protects cultural and environmental assets, and connects guests with destinations in a deeper way. Tourism Cares defines meaningful travel as:

• Being hosted and managed by local communities and generating sustainable economic benefits for host communities, especially those not already positively impacted by tourism.

• Valuing people from diverse backgrounds and perspectives.

• Protecting and preserving local cultural heritage assets, both tangible and intangible.

• Including non-profits, social enterprises (businesses with social/environmental impact as their primary purpose), B Corps, and other organizations related to the tourism industry that focus on impact.

• Aligning with Nature Positive Travel & Tourism principles to conserve and improve nature and the environment, enhance biodiversity and reduce carbon emissions. 

• Impacting guests in a way that is experiential and immersive and engages them in a deeper understanding of people and place. 

Map Criteria for Organizations

Base Requirements:

To be included, Impact Partners must:

• Have a tour, sell a product, or host an experience relevant to travelers/tourists.

• Be at least “visitor ready”, i.e. respond to inquiries, maintain a website or social media page, operate legally (licenses, permits, etc.)

• Be positioned to benefit from additional marketing and connection to the tourism industry. We favor small businesses, up-and-comers, and community-level organizations.

• Follow the ChildSafe Guidelines

• Ensure you conform to Tourism Cares’ animal welfare policy if experiences involve animals, whether in captivity or in the wild.

Eligibility Options

Impact Partners should be using their business to drive impact in the local community or environment.

To be included, Impact Partners must meet at least two of the following:

• Disburses the economic benefit of travel to communities that haven’t traditionally received tourism dollars, while building local capacity (i.e. community tourism)

• Disburses the economic benefit of travel to historically excluded community members (Black, Indigenous, ethnic minority, LGBTQIA+, people living with disabilities).

• Is a registered non-profit, social enterprise (business with social/environmental impact as their primary purpose), community-owned business/cooperative, women-owned, or Certified B Corp.

• The organization has one of the following as central to their business model, mission and messaging:

• Sustainability/regenerative principles

• Diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility practices

• Protection and preservation of local cultural heritage assets

Criteria for Hotels and Accommodations

To be included, hotel and accommodations should meet the following criteria:

• Be a small, locally or regionally owned business (fewer than 50 employees).

• Have mostly local employees and all employees are paid a living wage.

• Regularly engage with the community, creating positive impact.

• Have a sustainability plan in place that includes mitigation of harmful environmental and social impacts, as well as tracking and reporting of meaningful impact created within the local ecosystem.

• Staff are engaged in the development and implementation of the sustainability plan, including but not limited to:  

• Received proper and regular training of sustainability initiatives. 

• Informed and trained about the natural and cultural heritage of the local area. 

• Encouraged (or required) to share environmental and cultural best practices with guests.  

Tourism Cares reserves the right to approve or deny any submitted Meaningful Map pins. For instance, an organization that otherwise qualifies but receives significant negative feedback from the community or creates environmental degradation is likely to be disqualified. If there are questions regarding your pin entries, our team will be in touch to gather more needed information.