Kind Traveler's Every Stay Gives Back Program Helps Plant Trees in San Luis Obispo

by Mia Taylor
Last updated: 2:40 PM ET, Fri March 29, 2024

Eco-friendly travel on California’s central coast just took an important step forward.

Visit San Luis Obispo and Kind Traveler have announced that they’ve joined forces to launch an innovative new tourism model designed to accelerate the destination’s efforts to meet a 2035 carbon neutrality goal.

The new effort involves supporting tree-planting through Kind Traveler’s Every Stay Gives Back program and San Luis Obispo’s “Keys for Trees” program. As part of the new effort a portion of the proceeds from every guest stay booked through Kind Traveler at any of 42 hotels in the city will go toward planting new trees in the city with The Environmental Center of SLO (ECOSLO).

Kind Traveler and Visit San Luis Obispo join forces for new tree planting program

The partnership between San Luis Obispo (often referred to as SLO) and Kind Traveler will also result in the creation of live impact reports on the progress of the tree planting effort and new communication tools - all of which can make it easy for visitors to check in on how their travel dollars are creating a positive impact in SLO.

Hotels participating in the program will also display wood plaques at their front desks, that include a QR code guests can scan to link to the tree planting program’s live impact report. The plaques will provide visitors with details about SLO’s Keys for Trees program and invite them to celebrate the fact that their stay has made a positive difference.

All of the communication and education associated with the unique new project, (along with third-party) validation, provides transparency around the funds raised from every guest stay and allows destination visitors to more actively participate in SLO’s journey toward carbon neutrality.

“San Luis Obispo prides itself on being a longtime trailblazer of sustainability efforts,” Molly Cano, Economic Development & Tourism Manager for the City of SLO, said in a statement. “We were the first city in the U.S. to ban indoor smoking, we’re home to the first solar-powered movie theater, and we have no drive-thrus. Partnering with Kind Traveler to help share Keys for Trees and our big dreams of making a small difference for the planet is a natural and exciting step for us.”

Since Keys for Trees launched in 2021, more than $50,000 has been donated to EcoSLO, resulting in dozens of trees planted throughout SLO.

A responsible travel platform that connects travelers with stays that give back to local communities, Kind Traveler launched its Every Stay Gives Back program in 2023 following a six-month pilot in which 15 boutique hotels raised $73,000 in donations for seven charities. The ESGB collection of hotels available on the Kind Traveler platform offers travelers a new way to stay responsibly, with participating hotels giving back to a variety of local charities across destinations around the world.