Wednesday, May 29, 2024
Tourism Cares, a prominent non-profit organization dedicated to promoting sustainability in the tourism industry, is set to launch its Global Meaningful Travel Summit in collaboration with Visit Panama from June 1 to 6. The event will take place in various locations across Panama, including Panama City, the Pacific Riviera, El Valle de Anton, and Achiote in Colón. The summit will bring together over 40 travel and tourism industry leaders, including tour operators, advisors, media, and industry associations, to explore the intersection of community, connection, and conservation in tourism.
The Meaningful Travel Summit aims to empower communities through tourism by inspiring collective action among travel professionals. The summit will highlight local Panamanian changemakers who are making a positive impact through tourism. Participants will engage in hands-on workshops, immersive tours, and panel discussions to learn how different segments of the travel industry can contribute to sustainable development and environmental stewardship in Panama and beyond. The goals of this year’s summit include:
Attendees will be encouraged to create takeaways and commitments on how they can make positive changes in their personal and professional lives and within their communities upon returning home.
“Tourism Cares’ Global Meaningful Travel Summit is a one-of-a-kind industry program where travel professionals from all sectors come together, share insights, and collaborate on solutions that will protect the future of our industry and the communities we serve,” shared Greg Takehara, CEO, Tourism Cares. “Panama has done a tremendous job embracing a sustainable tourism model that places its local people and environmental assets at the center of its future growth. We look forward to uplifting these local changemakers throughout the Summit to inspire our attendees to create positive change within their own organizations.”
Fernando Fondevila, CEO of Visit Panama, echoed Takehara’s sentiments, emphasizing the importance of responsible tourism in driving positive socio-economic and environmental outcomes. “Panama is a country rich in cultural heritage, biodiversity, and natural beauty. We believe tourism can be a force for good by uplifting communities and preserving our resources. By hosting the Global Meaningful Travel Summit with Tourism Cares, we hope to forge new partnerships with the trade and showcase how we’ve empowered community-based tourism to drive positive impact back to our indigenous regions.”
As part of Visit Panama’s commitment to the Tourism Cares Meaningful Travel Program, the country has launched the Meaningful Travel Map. This interactive tool showcases vetted, sustainable, community-led enterprises, products, services, accommodations, and tours across Panama. The map features 20 local organizations that promote cultural heritage, environmental conservation, Indigenous communities, and regenerative practices. Summit attendees will engage with several of these impact partners through immersive tours and experiences, including Trapiche Tio Evello, Organización Ecoturística Amigos de San Lorenzo Los Rapaces, Movimiento Cultural Identidad, and Biomuseo.
“To help travelers become better destination stewards, the industry must guide them to travel differently by incorporating more sustainable options within their offerings,” shared John Sutherland, senior director of community impact at Tourism Cares. “We are excited to launch Panama’s Meaningful Travel Map and make it easier for industry professionals to source vetted organizations and experiences that are already positively impacting their communities. This program not only fuels local Panamanians with more economic opportunities but it creates a better experience for travelers, too.”
Additionally, to support impact-driven organizations in Panama, Tourism Cares has invested $18,000 in grant funding to three Panamanian organizations through the Tourism Cares Impact Travel Fund. Supported by the Tauck Ritzau Innovative Philanthropy (TRIP) Foundation, the grant recipients are Biomuseo (the Museum of Biodiversity), Fundacion Los Naturalistas (The Naturalists Foundation), and Fundación Panameña de Turismo Sostenible (The Panama Foundation for Sustainable Tourism /APTSO). This grant program aims to help these organizations expand their social and environmental impact and become more market-ready for the tourism sector.
The Tourism Cares Global Meaningful Travel Summit with Panama is made possible through the support of host sponsors: Visit Panama, Accor, American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA), Bob Whitley Memorial Fund, Delta Air Lines, the Eric Friedheim Foundation, MMGY Global, National Tour Association (NTA), Simpleview, TRIP Foundation, and Trip Mate.
Tags: community empowerment, Conservation, cultural exchange, Meaningful Travel Summit, sustainability, sustainable tourism, Tourism Cares, Tourism news, travel industry, Travel news, Visit Panama
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