The Hottest New Travel Trends
Doing Good While Going Abroad
Responsible tourism in all its guises, from ecotourism and indigenous travel to volunteerism and green hotels, continues to gain in popularity. One New York travel company called GoPhilanthropic weaves altruism into tailor-made trips to popular international destinations. “Our basic premise is that we can’t travel to five-star hotels and not acknowledge the poverty outside the window,” says founder John Dean. “Instead of handing out money or giving the wrong kind of gift, we work with local nonprofits or NGOs and support their ongoing efforts.” Some of GoPhilanthropic’s clients have gone to Hoi An, Vietnam, to deliver textbooks to a local school. Others have visited a village in Cambodia, where their dollars have helped to build a much needed well, or traveled to Elephant Nature Park in Thailand (pictured). “It’s not volunteering,” says Dean, “but meeting and having real exchanges with local people and contributing in a meaningful way.”