Photo via Chris Lawton
In partnership with the UN Foundation and +SocialGood, Travel +SocialGood (TSG) was born in 2013 from the idea that travel could be a catalyst for social good. Now celebrating four years and having seen major organic growth, the volunteer-run organization brings together a community of over 15,000 changemakers united by a love of exploration and doing good.
Their three initiatives include: their Media Network, a platform for purpose-driven travel stories; TSG Hubs, local chapters around the world transforming cities into capitals for sustainable travel; and their infamous global summit, the first of their three initiatives annually bringing together 150 innovators to collectively tackle a single issue facing the travel industry.
This year, TSG is promoting the theme of transparency at their annual global summit, and teaming up with sustainable travel leaders to do so. Organizations include Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC), Sustainable Travel International (STI), Center for Responsible Travel (CREST) and Tourism Cares. Taking place on November 16th and 17th in New York City, this year’s global summit challenge is aimed at increasing accessibility and awareness of sustainable tourism worldwide.
The global summit agenda thus far begins with a tour of New York, highlighting the city as a capital for sustainable travel, paired with workshops, speakers and one-on-ones. Expect to hear from industry leaders such as Jessica Blotter, CEO of Kind Traveler, be tossed into hackathons with summit participants, and dive into innovative ideas with travel professionals onsite.
The goal of the global summit is to empower travelers to think critically of business efforts in sustainable management, and impacts on local economies, environments and cultural heritage at home and while abroad. To accomplish such an ambitious goal, TSG is working alongside their summit partners to bring forth tools for travelers to showcase sustainability options for consumers. They look forward to developing and sharing these resources online post-summit.
