Let’s reinvent travel.
Leisure Lab is a think tank and media lab to promote sustainable tourism, or as we like to call it BREAK-EVEN TOURISM. In this LAB REPORTS section we publish news articles and create inspirational travel stories to help bring about positive change in the way we travel.
Community-based tourism: how your trip can make a positive impact on local people
Community-based tourism can reap great rewards. Done well, it enables local organisations to protect precious habitats, preserve unique culture and empower grassroots employees, says Francisca Kellett from National Geographic.
Meet [the] cultural leader keeping Costa Rica's endangered Bribri culture alive
The Bribri leader explains how, in her village of Yorkin, just upriver from the Caribbean coast, she’s brought back the Bribri language from the brink of extinction, creating a sustainable tourism destination in the process, says Jamie Lafferty from National Geographic Traveller.
How to Honor Indigenous Communities When You Travel
Today, [in what we now call the United States,] there are 546 federally recognized tribes. Here’s how to engage respectfully and thoughtfully with Indigenous cultures […], says Iona Brannon from AFAR.
A 105-Year-Old Tattoo Artist Is Teaching Girls to Ink for Independence
Filipino tribal tattooist Fang-od Oggay has built an economy on the back of skin art. Lynzy Billing from Atlas Obscura paid her a visit.
Greenland Is Approaching Tourism Slowly – And Taking Lessons from Iceland
As the changing climate alters livelihoods across Greenland, the territory needs travelers more than ever, says Stephanie Vermillion from Condé Nast Traveler.
Reviving Travel: [9] Stories of Innovation from Destinations and Tour Companies
Around the world, travel destinations and tour providers have been busy […] reinventing themselves. Through a mix of individual and corporate efforts, well-deserved attention is falling on the most important aspects of travel – those areas that are ultimately responsible for tourism's healthy future, says Kristin Henning from Travel Past 50.
5 Tour Operators That Are Working Toward a More Sustainable Travel Future
More and more tour operators provide their customers with authentic experiences […], allowing travelers to not only connect with people living in the places they visit but to better understand their daily lives and cultures, says Shane Nelson from TravelAge West. And perhaps more importantly, many of these encounters offer […] clients a chance to spend their vacation dollars on community-focused and sustainable tourism products.
52 Places for a Changed World
The New York Times highlights places around the globe where travelers can be part of the solution.
This Colombian Tour Company Wants You to See the Medellín Beyond “Narcos”
On its Medellín community tours, Impulse Travel wants to showcase the city’s vibrant, uplifting culture, Jennifer Flowers from AFAR reports.
Hawai‘i Is Not Our Playground
For years, Hawai‘i has been packaged as a picturesque paradise. A place where […] travelers could forget the worries of home. The problem? Hawai‘i’s land, history, and people are often ignored or trampled. Chris Colin from AFAR reports on the locals who are pushing back.
The World’s Oldest Rainforest Was Just Handed Back to Its Indigenous Owners
The world’s oldest tropical rainforest has been given back to its traditional Indigenous owners in a historic deal with Australia’s Queensland state government, says Gavin Butler from VICE.
Sustainable tourism – now is the time to change the way we travel
The pandemic has altered how we think about tourism. Chris Haslam from The Times assesses the impact of our holidays on the environment, and knows the organisations and initiatives that will help you make informed choices
Are We Doing Vacations Wrong?
Radicalize your travel by being a better guest in someone else’s homeland, Bani Amor from YES! Magazine suggests.
Community development through tourism in Northeast-Uganda
Through sustainable tourism, Kara-Tunga aims to improve livelihoods of the indigenous communities and preserve cultural heritage in the Karamoja region.
Decolonizing Travel: Going Ethically to Under-Resourced Countries
Traveling is more at our reach than ever, and while we can all agree on the positive aspects of that, it also makes it necessary to place real thought onto our privileges and duties as travelers, says Mavi Parra from Passion Passport.
Meet the Travel Company Lifting Up Local Businesses
Over the pandemic, says Emily Buder from Here Magazine, entrepreneurs Alexis Bowen and Craig Zapatka co-founded Elsewhere, a new travel company that puts destination welfare and authentic experiences first.
Ways to Support Small Businesses When You Travel
As travel transitions from wanderlust wishes to booked flights, we have an opportunity to make a difference simply by the way we plan our trips. In all corners of the world, businesses have been hit with pandemic-related revenue losses […]. The good news, says Kristin Braswell from AFAR, is that we can help.
Airbnb [and] UNESCO Partner [up] to Promote Cultural Tourism – Starting in Mexico
According to Sustainable Brands, the initiative will promote destinations and experiences outside the traditional tourist circuit – engaging local tourist communities, integrating the creative and cultural sector into local tourism value chains, and contributing to the development of responsible tourism.
Post-Covid, Safari Companies Rethink Who Should Stay at Their Lodges
Some operators are turning the classic business model on its head in hopes of increasing margins and better funding their conservation work. But doing so is a risky move all its own, says Mary Holland from Bloomberg.
How Do I Know If a Tour Company Actually Supports Local Communities?
In [their] Ethical Traveler advice column, [Condé Nast Traveler tackles] the tricky moral dilemmas and questions that arise when traveling during a pandemic.