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.
The World’s Ten Best Ethical Destinations 2021
Our 2021 Ethical Destinations is an attempt to inspire new models of travel – models that empower local people and help them steward and grow their environs. […]. Though all our winners have suffered badly during the pandemic, they have managed to keep their priorities straight and offer a smarter, more sustainable path forward. […].
Meet the Gen Z Campaigners Fighting for Environmental Justice
Young advocates across the continents have become a collective force in the fight for environmental justice.
Mindfulness and Travel: 4 Tips For A More Fulfilling Experience
Recent focus on mental health amidst the pandemic has further popularized the practice of mindfulness. But what exactly is it, and how can we integrate mindfulness in our future travel experiences and everyday lives?
Travel is coming back with a vengeance
The term "revenge travel" is starting to trend in the industry, referring to the projected boom travel sellers expect to see once the pandemic is safely behind us and border restrictions are lifted. The term refers to the notion that people whose travel plans in 2020 were canceled or delayed will take to the skies with a vengeance once they can.
9 travel trends for 2021
With travel thrown thoroughly off-course in 2020, we’re sure you’ve been thinking about what next year might bring. Rough Guides dug a little deeper to unearth nine travel trends for 2021.
Vegan Tourism Set to Be Travel’s Greener Shoot With a New Emphasis on Health
Responsible Travel commissioned a study last year that found that emissions associated with food are potentially greater than a trip’s transport emissions. Veganism has emerged as a tool to combat these emissions.
The New Era of Transformative & Sustainable Tourism
While the future of travel and tourism is largely unknown, there are some travel trends and indicators that have remained. Traveler preferences related to wellness, sustainability, solitude, experiential travel, affordable luxury, and “off-the-beaten-path” travel are likely to expand over the coming years, and transformational travel may be a polestar that clues us in to what the future holds, says Jeremy Wells from Longitude°.
The Netherlands made the world’s first flight on sustainable synthetic kerosene
For the first time worldwide, a passenger flight partly flown on sustainably produced synthetic kerosene, was carried out in The Netherlands.
Recall of the wild: South America's new era of nature-led tourism
Macaws, jaguars, tapirs and woolly monkeys are just a few of the critically endangered species being reintroduced as part of Latin America’s rewilding drive, says Chris Moss from the Guardian.
'From now on, we want quality tourism'
The coronavirus pandemic has forced famous tourist destinations to question their business model.
The ‘overview effect’ can trigger a new environmental consciousness
So far, few human beings have looked down on Earth from a great distance. Of those who have, many report a significant shift in their thinking. In this article, we explore a phenomenon called the overview effect, and how seeing the world from space can change one’s perspective on life.
New Zealand Jokingly Tells Tourists to Stop Copying Social Media Influencers' Photos
The country's tourism agency is encouraging people not to travel “under the social influence”.
The Slow Travel Trend Is Here to Stay
In response to the pandemic, operators – and travelers – are adopting the principles of the movement, says Elaine Glusac from Condé Nast Traveler.
20 good things that happened in 2020
Let’s be real: 2020 has been a year like no other. But while the trials and tribulations the world has faced have had the attention, the team over at Intrepid Travel is going to talk about the good things – from the little wins, to the moments of growth and self-discovery, as well as some of the bigger silver linings that have come out of the year.
The key to saving the world’s wildlife
From poaching to habitat loss – according to Dickson Kaelo, CEO of Kenya Wildlife Conservancies Association, local communities and indigenous people are vital in the fight to save wildlife. ‘When communities see wildlife as an asset, rather than a cost, conservation efforts begin yielding fruits.’
The Best Sustainable Travel Destinations for 2021
Travel has taken a back seat in 2020 and may well take a while to fully recover. But when it does, sustainability should be at the forefront of our minds. There’s a growing trend to blend the fun of a trip abroad with the pressing need for ecofriendly travel that makes you feel good. Here are Culture Trip’s picks of dreamy destinations that will provide much-needed wanderlust in 2021, and help you limit your carbon footprint in the process.
"New Big 5" project wants to change how we think about wildlife conservation
An international conservation effort wants to do away with the traditional “big five” concept in wildlife – originally based on the animals on the African savanna that were the hardest to shoot and kill. Instead, says Lonely Planet writer Alexander Howard, the “New Big 5” project aims to create a new list of the top five animals not for hunting, but for photographing.
A 10-step guide to decarbonising your travel business
In case you’ve missed it … Here’s a quick start guide to decarbonizing your travel business, made available by responsible tour operator Intrepid Travel.
Introducing the Promadic Traveler
By the end of the coming decade, a fresh, self-actualizing impulse will drive a new generation of travelers. Together with world-leading foresight consultancy The Future Laboratory, Design Hotels embarked on a year-long study to better understand this emerging mindset.
The Future Of Travel Post COVID-19: Truths, Not Trends
This past year has been a remarkable examination of how our world responds to crisis. Each and every one of us, wherever we are in the world, has had to face the unexpected, unprecedented trauma of COVID-19. Gavin Tollman from Karryon.com.au, the number 1 Australian travel industry website, has defined nine perspectives on the changes we will see in the future.