Travel
MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experiences are immersive impact experiences offered by The Travel Corporation (TTC) family of brands. MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experiences are chosen with great care based on the positive social or environmental impact they have on their communities and those who experience them. Using a proprietary assessment tool endorsed by industry experts and developed exclusively for TTC’s family of brands, MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experiences are assessed against a robust set of criteria directly tied to the UN Global Goals. Travelers can identify these experiences across our brands by locating the MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experiences seal.
Visit Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Kenya
On Trafalgar’s ‘Wonders of Kenya’ trip, guests learn firsthand from the rangers at Ol Pejeta Conservancy about its endangered wildlife and ecosystem conservation efforts. Ol Peteja is home to 2 of the world’s last remaining northern white rhinos and is a sanctuary for over 110 critically endangered black rhinos. This experience directly advances UN Global Goal 15: Life on Land through its significant contribution to anti-poaching initiatives.
Visit Sheroes Café in India
On Insight Vacations’ ‘Classical India with Nepal’ trip, guests can visit the Sheroes (She Heroes) Café, supporting and run by acid attack survivor women. Sheroes Café is so much more than a great local hangout. Not only does the organization actively empower women and girls through community investment and provide secure employment for vulnerable women, it also raises awareness of the prevalence of acid attack cases in India. The experience directly advances UN Global Goal 5: Gender Equality, aimed at empowering all women and girls.
Go on a Refugee Voices Walking Tour in Berlin
Contiki’s Berlin Refugee Voices Walking Tour is included on its ‘Berlin to Budapest by Train’ itinerary. Refugee Voices is a social enterprise made of a team of activists turned guides who organize walking tours around Berlin to explain the human story and root causes behind the headlines of the refugee crises and why so many are forced to flee. The experience directly advances UN Global Goal 10: Reduced Inequalities by employing refugees in Berlin, an underrepresented population.
Meet the Incredible Women of Iraq Al-Amir in Jordan
On Uniworld’s ‘Splendors of Egypt & the Nile Jordan Extension’ river cruise, guests will visit the Iraq Al-Amir Women’s Cooperative, managed and run by local women. This former TreadRight project provides employment and training to more than 150 women from nearby villages. The experience directly advances UN Global Goals 4 & 5: Quality Education & Gender Equality by empowering local women and girls.
Visit Stonehenge in England
On Evan Evans’ ‘Windsor Castle, Stonehenge & Bath’ trip, guests will visit and learn about this prehistoric monument. The site’s Visitor Centre is not connected to a main water supply. Instead, water is drawn from a borehole. The centre employs a number of methods to preserve this precious natural resource and thereby directly advances UN Global Goal 6: Clean Water & Sanitation.
Visit the Chobe Game Lodge in Botswana
On African Travel, Inc.’s ‘Chobe, Valley of the Elephants’ trip, guests take part in an eco-safari with an all-female guiding team. More than 65% of the staff are women, including the all-female team of professionally qualified guides – a successful initiative aimed at increasing the number of qualified female guides within the Botswana guiding fraternity, which is usually male dominated. This experience advances UN Global Goal 10: Reduced Inequalities through its employment of women.
Explore the Pudakul Aboriginal Cultural Experience in Australia
Pudakul is a 100% Aboriginal owned and operated family business which offers cultural and nature-based experiences. On AAT Kings’ ‘Northern Territory Explorer’ trip, guests engage with local Aboriginal people, and learn about the local environment and wildlife. This experience directly advances UN Global Goal 10: Reduced Inequalities by actively recruiting people from underrepresented populations and educating guests on Aboriginal culture.
Visit Shamwari Game Reserve in South Africa
On Lion World Travel’s ‘Tented Safari in Style’ trip, guests will visit the Shamwari Wildlife Rehabilitation Center, which is dedicated to caring for sick, injured or orphaned animals, and in doing so are able to learn about the plight faced by at-risk wild in the region, and the organization’s conservation and anti-poaching efforts. Through its work to protect and conserve wildlife and their habitat, this experience directly advances UN Global Goal 15: Life on Land.
Visit Giant’s Causeway in Northern Ireland
On Brendan Vacations’ ‘Northern Dream’ trip, guests can stand on the shoulders of the past and sink into stories from a guide who channels the spirit of the seanchaí on this walking tour of the majestic Giant’s Causeway. With a backdrop of craggy castles and jutting landscapes, the Giant’s Causeway is nature at its wildest. This experience directly advances UN Global Goal 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities through its educational and preservation efforts to protect natural and built heritage sites.
Fruit, vegetables, hand-made trinkets and treasures, explore the sights and delights of Chinchero Sunday Market with a local guide. During this MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience, learn (and taste!) the importance of market life to Peruvians and the types of local fruit and veggies, including Peruvian potatoes, with more than 4,000 varieties across the country.
Join a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience as you meet the ladies of Pink City Rickshaw who will take you on a tour of Jaipur. Hear their stories from growing up in the slums to becoming part of this unique initiative where they have become shareholders in their own company.
See Historic Rock Art in South Africa
Bushmans Kloof Wilderness Reserve & Wellness Retreat, part of the Red Carnation Hotels Collection, is the custodian of over 130 unique rock art sites, some as old as 10,000 years. Guests can view the sites on the reserve and learn about how Bushmans Kloof has been dedicated to protecting these extraordinary treasures. This experience directly advances UN Global Goal 11: Sustainable Cities & Communities, by protecting natural and built heritage.
Stay at EcoCamp in Torres del Paine
On Adventure World Travel’s Torres del Paine W Trek, stay in EcoCamp, located in the heart of Torres del Paine, which consists of tented igloo-type domes built to minimise environmental impact while providing a comfortable setting and maximum exposure to nature. 95% of the energy used at EcoCamp is supplied from renewable energy sources. This experience directly advances UN Global Goal 13: Climate Action.
Checklist
Our MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Checklist for every journey.
- Choose tour operators, airlines, and accommodations with a commitment to responsible travel and to minimizing the footprint of their offices and operations. Learn how The Travel Corporation is addressing its impact on the planet, people, and wildlife through its sustainability strategy anchored to the United Nations Global Goals
- Consider traveling during shoulder seasons, or if you can’t, then seek out less popular areas
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Fly direct; take-off and landing are the most fuel-intensive portions of the flight
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Compare flight emissions when booking to select the one with the lowest emissions
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Go waste-free, and replace single-use items with reusable water bottles, cutlery, shopping bags, straws, toiletry bottles, shampoo bars, and plastic-free reusable razors
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Use a UV water bottle or filter to avoid single-use water bottles
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Learn local recycling protocols in your destination
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Find water refill stations near you: Try the Tap app, or an available alternative in your destination
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Lighter luggage means less fuel emissions. Master the art of carry-on travel: Waste-free detergent sheets mean you can wash your clothes on the go
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Switch to these sustainable options: ‘reef-safe’ sunscreen that doesn’t damage coral reefs, biodegradable dental floss and bamboo toothbrush, solar powered equipment like chargers and torches
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Opt for public transport for lower emissions and an affordable, local experience. Research ahead for options to and from the airport
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Try out the local bike share program, book a ride share, or go electric/hybrid
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Choose hotels that use renewable energy, and have waste, water conservation, and recycling programs
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Watch your energy consumption the same way you would at home: take shorter showers (avoid baths), turn off all lights, heat/AC, and TV when you leave your room, save on water and energy: extend the use of your towels
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Go meat-free for more environmentally-friendly dining
- Visit a local farmer’s market and meet the growers of your food
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Source dining, shopping and activities that support local communities, especially those owned and operated by underrepresented communities. Try a guided tour, with a local expert
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Honor local customs, immerse yourself in the local culture and listen intentionally to local community members
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Avoid any purchase of wildlife products
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Turn off location GPS when on safari
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Avoid wildlife selfies or close wildlife encounters
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Do not touch, walk with, or ride wild animals including elephants, ostriches, and dolphins
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Research wildlife venues and be sure they adhere to reputable animal welfare guidelines
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Find local volunteer efforts you can join