10 Trends Shaping the Future of Impactful Tourism

Kind Traveler surveyed over 1,000 of its consumers and interviewed 64 partner hotels, charities and destinations across sixteen different countries to create the ten trends that are influencing the future of impact tourism in its 2022 Impact Tourism Report.

A stunning 96 percent of consumers surveyed noted that it's either slightly important, fairly important, important or very important that the money they spend traveling makes a positive impact wherever they go.

Nearly half of all respondents (48 percent) also noted that the hardest challenge about traveling sustainably was finding a sustainable accommodation, with another 37 percent identifying reducing or eliminating their carbon footprint as the hardest part of sustainable travel.

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The ten biggest trends that were identified in the report are expected to take center stage as responsible and sustainable travel continues to grow.

Hotels Innovate Creative Ways to Motivate Giving

Hotels can have a profound impact on the communities in which they are located; by participating in community initiatives like hosting on-site experiences for guests that benefit from these projects, recommending experiences and tours that make a direct impact on local communities or even by using sustainably sourced foods or offering locally made products for purchase, hotels can be a force for local good.

Transparency for Guests Is Necessary

As more and more travelers are becoming increasingly curious about sustainability measures, hotels (and other travel and tourism companies) must become more transparent. When they easily publish data and details on their waste reduction, renewable energy and other sustainability or charitable initiatives, it makes more travelers not only aware of these programs, but they can be the reason why a guest chooses a specific hotel over another. Even better: giving guests the opportunity to get involved in these initiatives themselves, whether that be helping plant baby coral in a coral nursery or providing them with reusable water bottles to limit single-use plastics.

Hotels and Local Charities Are Catalysts for Destination Wellbeing

Destination wellbeing goes beyond making a place desirable for travelers to visit: it’s about making it a desirable place for all, including residents and wildlife. Hotels have a responsibility to partner with local charities to empower local communities to do good, whether that be hiring or training at-risk communities, championing diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives and providing training to combat human trafficking or providing guests with voluntourism activities or supporting conservation and wildlife regeneration projects.

Opportunities for Hotels to Be Regenerative Powerhouses

Hotels employ hundreds and welcome thousands of guests each year; how much better would the world be if all of them focused on educating guests and employees on sustainability initiatives like banning single-use plastics, providing only locally sourced food, transitioning to renewable energy and more? From offering invasive fish species up to eat in tropical locales to building schools and offering workshops for guests to learn how to upcycle some common household items, hotels can truly produce waves with a ripple effect that lasts longer than a guest’s hotel stay.

Measurable Sustainability Metrics: More Important Than Ever

Related to transparency in sustainability initiatives is offering measurable sustainability metrics. These help guests understand the impact a hotel’s initiatives are making over time, but they also help a hotel easily measure what more needs to be done and other possible initiatives they should be making. For example, measuring energy consumption at a resort can lead to a greater awareness of how renewable energy can impact and reduce not only energy costs but also carbon emissions.

Charities’ Financial Support Still Suffering after COVID-19

One sad effect of the COVID-19 pandemic is the loss of funding for many charities worldwide. The CAF America Report found that 91 percent of charities reported “devastating” economic losses due to the pandemic, which may take years to recover from. From loss of government support to workforce challenges, the travel industry should be poised to offer partnerships to benefit these struggling charities.

Charities Create Positive Impact Experiences

Partnerships with charities can create lasting, memorable and positive experiences for travelers. Some unique examples include meditating with sheep, participating in wildlife conservation initiatives like river cleaning or participating in a cultural immersion activity. All of these can directly support local initiatives, charities and communities while providing unique opportunities for travelers.

Storytelling, Virtual Platforms and Strategic Partners Are Key Motivators

Going virtual doesn’t just have to be pandemic-induced. In fact, using social media and virtual events can broaden the scope of a charity or initiative’s audience. Hotels and tour operators can offer virtual events or magazines highlighting their responsible travel offerings and partnerships, which engage travelers in education on these important issues before they even arrive at the hotel.

Destinations are a Key Resource for Travelers

Sustainability should be a destination-wide focus, too. Cities or countries should offer a greater breadth of educational materials and resources for not only travelers to peruse as they consider one destination against another, but also for travel advisors wanting to specialize in sustainable travel. From marketing materials to online workshops, events, content and initiatives, destinations can show just how far they’ve come in their sustainability programs.

Stewardship Pledges are Critical Roadmaps to Good

Related to a destination’s sustainability goals and available resources are stewardship pledges. More destinations are expected to take their own stewardship pledges this year and beyond, committing to more sustainable practices, offering greater transparency and offering their visitors a chance to go green by committing to reducing single-use plastic consumption while in the destination or participating in at least one voluntourism initiative.

The travel industry has a unique responsibility to the communities and the environments it impacts. Impact tourism should also be top-of-mind for travelers as we head into Earth Day 2022 and beyond.