As the travel industry continues to grapple with the COVID-19 pandemic, Impact Travel Alliance (ITA), a global community for socially and eco-conscious travelers, is asking its network to actively participate in building a better industry.
ITA, an independent 501(c)3 nonprofit with more than 25 local chapters in cities around the world, will launch four challenges for its community throughout 2021: In February, April, September and November. Each month-long campaign aligns with a cause-based theme—diversity and inclusion, protecting our planet, supporting locals and mainstreaming sustainability—and will ask travelers to take a specific, measurable action that promotes long-term change.
“The challenges are centered around some of the biggest issues that the travel industry is facing today, pandemic or not,” ITA founder and executive director Kelley Louise said in a press statement. “We see these issues as important opportunities for travelers to advocate for change.”
In the February challenge, ITA is requesting that travelers identify and support a diverse-owned, impactful businesses. Filling out this form will log their activity and dollars spent. ITA will aggregate a total dollar amount across all submissions and release the final amount at the end of the month. In the form, ITA says: “The business you support is up to you—it can be Black-owned, Indigenous-owned, LGBTQ+ owned, owned by a woman (BIPOC encouraged), or owned by a person with a disability. Part of the fun is exploring what diversity means to you! We've developed the challenge with our global community in mind to keep it accessible to all.”
Added Louise: “Yes, we’re in a pandemic, but travelers can still take real action, be a part of a bigger movement and inject tourism dollars directly into these businesses. It’s a fun way for a traveler to experience the joy of travel from home and show that travelers care about a more diverse industry. Voting with your dollars is an important way to advocate.”
Details on the other 2021 challenges will be released as each month approaches. Inspiration, blog posts with more resources and upcoming events can be found at www.impacttravelalliance.org.
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