Celebrating five years of impact
Five years ago, amid an unprecedented global crisis, five small, purpose-driven travel companies came together with a shared vision. Seeing local communities and conservation projects severely affected by pandemic travel bans, they felt compelled to act — and so The Conscious Travel Foundation was born.
From those humble beginnings, we’ve grown into a passionate community united by a belief in tourism's power to positively transform destinations, support local livelihoods, protect wildlife and ecosystems, and champion meaningful, regenerative travel.
In just five short years, so much has changed:

Makingtrax Foundation: Revolutionising Inclusive Adventure Cycling in New Zealand
Introducing the Makingtrax Foundation, one of the two recipients of our 2024/5 Community Impact Fund grants. Spearheaded by Jezza Williams, a trailblazer in inclusive tourism and adaptive adventure, the Adaptive Aotearoa project is set to revolutionise adaptive cycling in New Zealand’s South Island. Read on to learn more about the foundation, adaptive adventures and how Jezza’s expertise is helping travel businesses across the world embrace the spirit of inclusive adventure.

Fundación Green Apple: turning waste into opportunity
Introducing Fundación Green Apple in Cartagena, Colombia — one of the two new recipients of our Community Impact Fund. In this blog post, we speak with the team behind this inspiring social enterprise to learn more about their journey, the impact they’re making, and how both tourism businesses and travellers can support their mission.

DRAWING NEW FUTURES: INSIDE THE ÀNI ART ACADEMIES
During our recent stay with ÀNI Private Resorts in Sri Lanka, we visited the ÀNI Art Academies, a quietly transformative initiative shaping futures through art and education. Founded by ÀNI’s creator, Tim Reynolds—a philanthropist, artist, and fierce believer in the power of education—the academies are more than art schools. What struck us most was how this model gently but powerfully reimagines what education and opportunity can look like, providing the students not not with technical skill, but economic potential, creative expression, and the agency to carve out a future on their own terms.

mastering the art of impact reporting
TCTF mentor, Julie Cheetham, shares invaluable insights on crafting compelling, credible, and effective impact reports. From defining key metrics to using storytelling techniques that engage and inspire, she also highlighted gold-standard examples of reporting done right.

CONSCIOUS QUESTIONS: A GUIDE TO WHAT TO ASK AND WHY WHEN SEEKING SUSTAINABILITY IN TRAVEL
Conscious Questions was created by The Conscious Travel Foundation in collaboration with our members and Juliet Kinsman from BOUTECO. It is easy-to-follow guide for professionals in the travel industry, covering the essential questions we should be asking about impact—and be prepared to answer.
Redefining Adventure: Insights on Creating Inclusive Travel Experiences
In a recent conversation with Sophie Morgan, renowned disability campaigner, wheelchair user, travel writer, broadcaster and proud The Conscious Travel Foundation mentor, we discussed how the travel industry can use its creativity and resourcefulness to make every travel experience extraordinary—for every traveller, no matter their needs or requirements. In this post, we’re excited to share some powerful insights from that inspiring session.

The Conscious Travel Foundation Announces Landmark Partnership with ÀNI Private Resorts
The Conscious Travel Foundation announces a new partnership with ÀNI Private Resorts, marking a significant milestone as the first collaboration of its kind for the Foundation. The partnership celebrates shared values of philanthropy, inclusivity and community, and includes a 3-year sponsorship of the Foundation.

How to Sell Sustainable Travel: What the Data Tells Us and Who Is Doing It Right
We recently had the pleasure of hosting an insightful session with Edmund Morris, a data storyteller, TED speaker, and founder of Equator AI, to discuss the future of sustainable travel, why travellers say they want to make more sustainable choices but often don’t, and how we can better market sustainable travel moving forward. Here were some of the key takeaways from his talk.

INTRODUCING OUR philanthropy committee for 2024
We are excited to introduce The Conscious Travel Foundation’s Philanthropy Committee for our 2024 grant cycle. Comprising members, mentors, and friends of the Foundation, this change-making group brings invaluable hands-on experience, as well as deep expertise in grant-making and fundraising.

Making Your TRAVEL Website Accessible: Why It Matters and Top Tips to Get Started
In today's digital landscape, ensuring your website is accessible is not just a necessity but a step towards inclusivity. Imagine it as building a virtual ramp, welcoming everyone, regardless of their abilities, to navigate seamlessly through the vast online terrain.

TRANS STORIES BRASÍLIA: CREATING OPPORTUNITIES FOR ATTITUDINAL CHANGE THROUGH COMMUNITY-LED STORYTELLING
A beneficiary of our 2023/24 Community Impact Fund grant, TransStories Brasília is creating alternative opportunities for Trans women and giving them a platform to share their stories and experiences with the world.

PHAPLU MOUNTAIN BIKE CLUB: THE HIMALAYAN COMMUNITY TAKING THE MOUNTAIN BIKING WORLD BY STORM
Introducing Phaplu Mountain Bike Club — one of the recipients of our 2023/24 Community Impact Fund. Here we speak to Ang Tshering, project founder and project director, Mingma Sherpa, to talk about the club and their plans for the future.

TOP TIPS TO REDUCE THE CARBON FOOTPRINT OF YOUR TRAVEL BUSINESS
Top tips from The Conscious Travel Foundation and ecollective on how to reduce the carbon footprint of your travel business…

INDIGENOUS TOURISM
Notes from our co-hosted discussion with The Long Run on indigenous tourism, with special guests Tara Kennaway from Intrepid, Nadine Toe Toe, Uncle Mark Koolmatrie and Elisa Spampinato, moderated by TCTF mentor, Nina Karnikowski.

MEET THE MENTOR: SOPHIE MORGAN
Broadcaster, author, campaigner and award-winning advocate for disability rights, Sophie Morgan joins The Conscious Travel Foundation’s mentorship team to help support our members and the wider industry in becoming effective ambassadors and curators of inclusive travel.

OUR 2021 CARBON REPORT
We’re thrilled to announce that we have published our 2021 Carbon Report! We worked with carbon consultancy ecollective to measure the carbon footprint of our entire business in 2021, and have collated it into an easy-to-read report that we hope helps you understand our emissions and plans for the future.

INTRODUCING OUR AMBASSADORS
From wildlife conservationists and LGBTQ+ activists, to sustainability champions and advocates for accessible travel, we are thrilled to introduce our new Ambassadors.

SUSTAINABILITY CERTIFICATIONS
The road to certification is a rigorous one that can help us redefine the way we do business, for the better of both people and planet. We spoke with The Long Run, B Corp, and the Global Sustainable Tourism Council to demystify the world of sustainability certifications.

HOW TO BE AN ACCESS CHAMPION
From creating an accessibility guide or employing a disability consultant, to appointing an ‘access champion’ – there are a multitude of ways travel businesses can improve their facilities and make positive changes to become more welcoming, suitable and flexible for every visitor through their doors.