In a strategic partnership between leading non-profits dedicated to sustainable travel, Tourism Cares, the Center for Responsible Travel (CREST), and B Tourism have announced a joint effort aimed at positively transforming the tourism industry.
“Nurturing the sustainable travel movement is a necessity for the future of our planet and the places we enjoy,” said Greg Takehara, CEO of Tourism Cares.
“Any travel professional has a responsibility to ensure that operations leave a positive impact on the environment and the cultures encountered. By prioritizing mindful and regenerative tourism through partnerships such as ours with CREST and B Tourism, we can create an experience that enriches both the traveller and the destination, fostering a world where tourism acts as a force for good.”
The partners say their collaboration will advance a shared mission of promoting regenerative practices within the sector while empowering travel companies to adopt and implement sustainable practices that will promote the resiliency of destinations.
With over-tourism, climate change, and both social and environmental injustices continuing to plague the travel industry, this partnership is focused on mitigating problems and charting a path where travel companies can become part of the solution.
While the three groups have worked together in the past, they say that this new formal agreement represents a renewed, intentional commitment to the work that needs to be done in order to help tourism businesses use travel as a force for good.
One of the core efforts planned is the Sustainability Workshop Series, a cohort of executive-level leaders and tour operators who will be guided through structured learning sessions that not only expand their knowledge but also empower them to develop comprehensive sustainability plans tailored to their unique needs and goals.
B Tourism Executive Director Winnie Mulamba will join leaders from Tourism Cares, MaCher, NTA, and USTOA as a coach focused on the B Corp Certification, a designation rooted in accountability and transparency with a goal of using the power of business to better people and the planet.
While the B Corp model has proven successful for nearly 200 travel companies globally, interest in the certification across the industry continues to grow and has proven to be a valuable measurement exercise for workshop participants.
To date, the Sustainability Workshops have engaged 12 travel companies, estimated at 75 hours of training. A new cohort group will begin in fall 2024 and interested companies can submit an interest form on the Tourism Cares website.
B Tourism and Tourism Cares will also be supporting CREST’s upcoming 7th Annual World Tourism Day Forum in Atlanta on September 24-25, 2024.
“Collective action is critical to advancing an equitable and sustainable tourism market,” said Wes Espinosa, Executive Director of CREST.
“By uniting with Tourism Cares and B Tourism, we are only strengthening our networks and the impact we can have across tourism. There is power in numbers, especially when those represented have shared goals and missions. I’m confident that this partnership can help facilitate meaningful change in tourism, and I am looking forward to the journey.”