With pandemic-strengthened values of sustainability and community, US travelers are seeking eco-oriented vacations, looking to support local economies and slow down the pace of their adventures to enjoy the journey as much as the destination. What can brands do to cater to these ethical explorers?
- Sector
- Location
Kelley Louise is a travel entrepreneur passionate about storytelling and social good. She’s the executive director and founder of Impact Travel Alliance, the world’s largest community for socially and eco-conscious travelers. She’s also the head of content marketing at Fora Travel and serves as one of 30 global leaders on the World Economic Forum’s Global Futures Council on Sustainable Travel and as an advisor to the Future of Tourism Coalition.
Mira Shaw is a social impact professional who has traveled extensively around the world and now works at 60 Decibels – a social impact measurement organisation. After engaging in many voluntourism activities, and leading a voluntourism fellowship program with Pollinate Group, Shaw has spent years deconstructing the industry and its implications to further understand what it means to be an explorer and contributor.
Vicky Smith has worked in travel since the mid 90s, in sustainable tourism since the mid 00s, and is the founder of Earth Changers, winner of Travelmole UK's Best Responsible Travel & Tourism Website 2019. She is a trustee for the charity SEED Madagascar and is on the global council for SUNx climate resilience in tourism. She also helps to develop the Global and European Ecotourism Networks, and has been an Ambassador for the Year of Green Action for the UK’s Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs. She's also a trained safari guide in Africa, has managed ski resorts, hiking holidays, volunteer tourism and charity challenges, and has an MSc in Responsible Tourism Management.
Meleah Moore is a Brooklyn-based writer, photographer, and communications consultant for social enterprises. She holds a degree in sustainable development from the University of St Andrews.
