Traveling the world is an excellent way to not only experience new cultures and places, but it can also be a fantastic opportunity to support humanitarian efforts and help those in need. Fortunately, many travel companies have made this their mission and have worked hard to ensure that they are making a positive impact on the world. And though a large number of companies have given back to humanity, there are a few that we wanted to highlight for their strong humanitarian efforts. From GOOD Travel to Lokal Travel and more – here are some travel companies that have given back to humanity in a big way.
5 Travel Companies That Have Given Back to Humanity
1. Undiscovered Mountains
Each tour that Undiscovered Mountains creates is carefully thought out and tries to include experiences that help out the locals that live there. They do so by pairing you with local guides and setting you up in accommodations run by locals, amongst other things. Another great thing that this company does is only offer activities that have a minimum impact on the environment, such as hiking, biking, and rafting.
2. GOOD Travel
This travel company offers personalized trips worldwide and ensures that the tourism companies they partner with help support local communities. When deciding on which tourism companies to work with, they look at what each company is doing to support the local economy, check that they are taking steps to be environmentally friendly, and so much more. Some other amazing things that GOOD Travel does is donate to a local charity for each sale they make and offset the carbon emissions of each of their GOOD guides.
3. Conscious Adventurist
This next company is focused on helping protect the environment and giving back to the Earth as much as possible. Conscious Adventurist helps people plan custom travel itineraries while also helping them become more eco-friendly travelers. Some other fantastic things this company does is donate a portion of each sale from its website to support environmental initiatives, and they have even partnered with Protect Our Winters.
4. Lokal Travel
Lokal Travel helps you create the perfect itinerary for your trip while also ensuring that most of the money you spend goes back to the local community. For example, instead of booking a stay at a chain hotel, they will try to find you a locally-run hotel or bed and breakfast. They will also help you book activities with local tour companies and arrange transportation for you that benefits the community.
The final travel company to make our list helps people find volunteer opportunities while traveling abroad. International Volunteer HQ (IVHQ) offers fully-hosted volunteer experiences, and if you want to take part in one of these volunteer experiences, you must pay a fee. Then, IVHQ sets up a travel itinerary for you to travel abroad and volunteer to help a local community in need. The fee covers your cost to be hosted abroad, and part of it even gets invested in the local community.
Ways You Can Give Back to Humanity While Traveling
1. Volunteer
One way that you can give back while traveling is to volunteer. So many organizations around the world run solely off volunteers, and you could be making a huge difference by donating your time. You could work with kids and help them learn English, help a community build a well, clean up litter around a city, and so much more.
2. Bring Supplies to Donate
Another excellent way to give back is to bring supplies to donate. To do this, get a piece of luggage and fill it with supplies such as books, clothing, diapers, toiletries, and outerwear, amongst other things. If you can’t bring supplies along with you, consider making a small money donation if possible.Â
3. Eat at Local Restaurants
One very important thing you can do is support local restaurants rather than eating at chain restaurants. Families usually run local restaurants, and these families rely on customers eating at their establishments to make a living. So, when researching where to eat, search for local, family-run restaurants, or better yet, ask the locals where they enjoy eating.
4. Be an Eco-Friendly Traveler
Whenever you go on a trip, always try to be an eco-friendly traveler. Although you will only be visiting your destination for a short time, people live there, and you need to take care of their home. Some things you can do to be an eco-friendly traveler include:
- Offset your carbon emissions
- Avoid single-use plasticsÂ
- Reuse your bath towel
- Recycle
- Bring a reusable water bottle
5. Stay at Locally-Owned Accommodations
Last but not least, only stay at locally-owned accommodations when possible. Many families run small bed and breakfasts or other accommodations, and you can help them by choosing to stay at their establishment rather than staying at a large hotel chain. Plus, many bed and breakfasts are cheaper and more quaint than resorts.
No matter where you plan on going, research your destination, and find companies that focus on giving back to humanity. Additionally, do your best to give back to humanity while traveling, too – you could be making a huge difference in the lives of others!
If you need a passport or visa for your upcoming trip, we can help! You can start the application process by going to our website. If you have any questions along the way, please contact a member of our team. No matter where you plan on going, we’ll get you there!
