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, Positive impact, An even distribution of money, An even distribution of people, An even distribution of knowledge, An even distribution of experiences Tom Aussems Community-based tourism, Positive impact, An even distribution of money, An even distribution of people, An even distribution of knowledge, An even distribution of experiences Tom Aussems

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.

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Palau's world-first 'good traveller' incentive
An even distribution of experiences, An even distribution of knowledge, An even distribution of people, Nature conservation Tom Aussems An even distribution of experiences, An even distribution of knowledge, An even distribution of people, Nature conservation Tom Aussems

Palau's world-first 'good traveller' incentive

In a world-first initiative, visitors to Palau will be offered exclusive experiences based on how they treat the environment and culture, not by how much they spend, says Lindsey Galloway from BBC.

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Meet [the] cultural leader keeping Costa Rica's endangered Bribri culture alive
An even distribution of knowledge, An even distribution of experiences, An even distribution of money, An even distribution of people, Community tourism Tom Aussems An even distribution of knowledge, An even distribution of experiences, An even distribution of money, An even distribution of people, Community tourism Tom Aussems

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.

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What is 'extractive tourism' and what can we do about it?
An even distribution of people, Extractive tourism, Overtourism Tom Aussems An even distribution of people, Extractive tourism, Overtourism Tom Aussems

What is 'extractive tourism' and what can we do about it?

Facilitated largely by the advent of budget travel, the world has never been more accessible and affordable to explore, says David Walsh from Euronews Travel. But […] there is a human, environmental and ethical cost to our lifestyle choices – especially when it comes to travel.

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Reviving Travel: [9] Stories of Innovation from Destinations and Tour Companies
An even distribution of money, An even distribution of experiences, An even distribution of people, Responsible travel Tom Aussems An even distribution of money, An even distribution of experiences, An even distribution of people, Responsible travel Tom Aussems

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.

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Amid a mass exodus, could ethnotourism save Dagestan’s mountain villages
Ethnotourism, An even distribution of people Tom Aussems Ethnotourism, An even distribution of people Tom Aussems

Amid a mass exodus, could ethnotourism save Dagestan’s mountain villages

Thousands of young people are fleeing Dagestan's isolated mountain villages in a bid for a better life in towns and cities, says Philipp Lausberg from The Calvert Journal. But can the region's rich culture be used to lure paying guests and livelihoods to these diverse enclaves – before it’s too late?

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Hawai‘i Is Not Our Playground
An even distribution of knowledge, An even distribution of people, An even distribution of money Tom Aussems An even distribution of knowledge, An even distribution of people, An even distribution of money Tom Aussems

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.

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The World’s Oldest Rainforest Was Just Handed Back to Its Indigenous Owners
An even distribution of money, An even distribution of people, First Nations, Climate change Tom Aussems An even distribution of money, An even distribution of people, First Nations, Climate change Tom Aussems

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.

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Unexpected traditions protected by UNESCO
Cultural heritage, An even distribution of knowledge, An even distribution of people Tom Aussems Cultural heritage, An even distribution of knowledge, An even distribution of people Tom Aussems

Unexpected traditions protected by UNESCO

[…]. In 2008, UNESCO decided to expand its reach and created a List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The list includes performing arts, rituals, traditions, social practices, knowledge, and crafts. But it goes well beyond festivals and dances. Rachelle Pretto from Travel Tomorrow shares 10 curious traditions inscribed on the [list].

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Community development through tourism in Northeast-Uganda
An even distribution of people, An even distribution of money, An even distribution of knowledge, An even distribution of experiences, Community tourism Tom Aussems An even distribution of people, An even distribution of money, An even distribution of knowledge, An even distribution of experiences, Community tourism Tom Aussems

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.

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Airbnb [and] UNESCO Partner [up] to Promote Cultural Tourism – Starting in Mexico
An even distribution of people, An even distribution of money, An even distribution of experiences, Cultural tourism Tom Aussems An even distribution of people, An even distribution of money, An even distribution of experiences, Cultural tourism Tom Aussems

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.

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The Italian gardens hoping to change tourism
Overtourism, An even distribution of people, An even distribution of experiences Tom Aussems Overtourism, An even distribution of people, An even distribution of experiences Tom Aussems

The Italian gardens hoping to change tourism

With destinations slowly opening up for tourism again, […] travels that take in the great outdoors look set to boom post-pandemic. It's in that brave new outdoor world, CNN’s Antonia Mortensen and Sharon Braithwaite say, that Italy's gardens are seeing a resurgence.

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The Good Traveler – A Mental Packing List
An even distribution of experiences, An even distribution of knowledge, An even distribution of money, An even distribution of people Tom Aussems An even distribution of experiences, An even distribution of knowledge, An even distribution of money, An even distribution of people Tom Aussems

The Good Traveler – A Mental Packing List

Thanks to the pandemic and the climate emergency, traveling, especially long-distance travel, has become far less commonplace and far more considered. But that is not necessarily a bad thing. Design Hotels has shared a mental packing list that allows us to travel better.

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These UNESCO World Heritage sites could lose their status due to environmental damage, development or overtourism
UNESCO World Heritage Sites, Overtourism, An even distribution of people Tom Aussems UNESCO World Heritage Sites, Overtourism, An even distribution of people Tom Aussems

These UNESCO World Heritage sites could lose their status due to environmental damage, development or overtourism

From Australia’s Great Barrier Reef to the city of Budapest and the watery wonderland that is Venice, several gorgeous sites risk losing their treasured UNESCO World Heritage status because of environmental damage, excess development or overtourism, Lifestyle Asia reports.

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Intrepid Travel’s Overtourism Antidote for Europe Focuses on Hyperlocal and Remote
An even distribution of people, An even distribution of experiences, An even distribution of money Tom Aussems An even distribution of people, An even distribution of experiences, An even distribution of money Tom Aussems

Intrepid Travel’s Overtourism Antidote for Europe Focuses on Hyperlocal and Remote

Intrepid Travel, considered a leader in the sustainable tourism space with its low carbon footprint and locally-led small group tours, showed it was moving past platitudes by launching a new kind of conservation-focused tour that aims to be the antidote to those big crowds visiting the same places in southern Europe, says Lebawit Lily Girma from Skift. It’s partnering with the MEET Network to do that, an association of protected areas in the Mediterranean that creates sustainable tourism products with the goal of benefitting conservation and communities.

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