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Image: Tawesna teahouse in Aït Benhaddou, Morocco provides local women with a living wage. | Shu Lin/Intrepid Travel
To provide experiences that enrich destination communities and travelers alike, the new initiatives span 16 countries and include activities such as meals at local establishments supporting women, migrants and seniors; and immersive tours preserving Indigenous and ethnic minority legacies.
Intrepid Travel, the B Corp-certified tour
operator with a mission to create positive change through the joy of travel, has
added 22 new “impact initiatives” to its itineraries in 2022. The company
defines these as activities that directly support environmental or wildlife
conservation, preserve Indigenous culture or support marginalized social groups
— bulking up an already robust portfolio of sustainable and ethical travel
experiences around the globe.
Recent research shows that travelers are increasingly wanting their travels to
have a positive impact. A 2022 Travel Trends Report from
Expedia
states that travelers are more willing than ever to “go big” on their next trip
and wring every bit of richness and meaning out of their experiences. While
Booking.com’s 2021 Sustainable Travel Report
revealed that 84 percent of travelers believe increasing cultural understanding
and preservation of cultural heritage is crucial, and 69 percent of travelers
will actively avoid popular destinations and attractions to mitigate
overtourism
and ensure they are doing their part to disperse the positive benefits of travel
to less frequently visited destinations and communities.
Intrepid is one of the travel operators at the forefront of the trend toward
more conscientious tourism — introducing over 40 decarbonized tour
options
and a global vaccine-equity
campaign
in 2021. The majority of Intrepid’s top trips already contain ‘impact
initiatives’ — the company says the addition of 22 more in 2022 is proof of its
ongoing commitment to operate trips that give back to both people and the
planet. Airbnb has also been working to increase community enrichment
through its operations — the company partnered with UNESCO in
2021
to promote less-traveled experiences and itineraries that engage with and
benefit the host destinations and communities as much as the travelers.
Examples of Intrepid Travel’s new ‘impact initiatives’ for 2022 include:
-
Authentic teahouse experience in Morocco supporting local women — Intrepid travelers on the company’s 13-day Morocco
Uncovered,
10-day South Morocco
Discovery,
15-day Premium Morocco
In-Depth
and 12-day Premium Morocco
Explorer
tours will visit Tawesna — a
community-run teahouse on the river in Aït Benhaddou that provides local
women with a living income. The women use natural ingredients sourced from
local cooperatives to prepare tea and pastries, taking great pride in
sharing their stories and giving visitors an authentic Amazigh
experience. -
Carbon-neutral whale watching in Iceland — On Intrepid Travel’s Premium
Iceland
tour, travelers will board a carbon-neutral electric boat to spot minkes and
humpbacks with an expert whale-watching guide. The silent boat keeps a
respectful distance from the whales, allowing visitors to observe them in
their natural environment without disturbing them. -
Paper crafts class supporting the local deaf and mute community in Hue,
Vietnam — During Intrepid’s Vietnam Family
Holiday,
travelers will visit a local NGO that supports Hue’s deaf and mute community
by providing training, employment, support and a place to connect with
others. Here, visitors will meet members of the community and join them for
a traditional paper flower-making class – a fun and interesting way to get
to connect with the hosts without exchanging words. -
Treats at a generation-bridging café in Vienna — On Intrepid’s 15-day Best of Central
Europe
trip – which visits Austria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland
and Slovakia – travelers indulge in kaffe and kuchen (coffee and
cake) at Vollpension — also
known as “Granny’s public living room” — a generation-bridging café in
Vienna whose mission is to create meeting and learning areas for new
types of cooperation and togetherness among generations, providing support
to seniors on their way out of financial poverty and loneliness. -
Heritage tour in South Dakota to help preserve the Lakota community’s
legacy — Visit the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation to tour the Heritage
Center with a local expert Lakota
guide on Intrepid’s new South Dakota Lodge
Stay.
The Heritage Center, one of the first cultural centers and museums located
on a reservation, helps Lakota artists to preserve their artistic heritage,
improve their economic situation and share their traditional arts and crafts
with the world. Travelers will also enjoy lunch at a Lakota-owned restaurant
that specializes in traditional foods.
“The tourism industry is it at a pivotal moment with the gradual resumption of
travel.
Businesses such as ours have an exciting opportunity, not to mention a
responsibility, to find more ways to contribute in a positive way to the places
and people we visit,” said Erica Kritikides, Senior Product Manager at
Intrepid Travel. “Intrepid’s sustainable, experience-rich style of travel allows
people of all nationalities and backgrounds to connect through immersive,
hands-on experiences. Being more intentional with the experiences we offer our
travelers allows us to collectively make a greater positive impact in our shared
world.”
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