Sustainable Travel Innovators: T+L's 2024 Global Vision Awards (2024)

TheTravel + LeisureGlobal Vision Awards recognize the many companies, individuals, destinations, and nonprofit organizations that are leading the way in developing a more sustainable travel industry. This annual celebration, timed to coincide with Earth Month, aims to encourage further creativity and spark change.

This year's 26 award winners — an extraordinarily diverse bunch — are notable in their own right. But they're just a few of the many forward-thinking problem solvers helping to make travel better for the planet and its communities. As always, the hope is that these Global Vision Award winners will inspire the next generation of problem solvers looking to make a positive impact.

Companies

Dento

Many visitors to Japan are eager to learn more about the country’s traditional arts and crafts, such as ceramics, textiles, handmade paper, and metalwork. But it can be hard to know where to look —and harder still to navigate the language barrier. Enter Dento, a new company that aims to open those doors. It’s supported in part by the Kyoto-based travel agency Windows to Japan, whose founder and CEO Avi Lugasi recognized the need for a more equitable relationship between master craftspeople and the travelers keen to meet them. "One of the big issues has been, if a visitor is there talking with the craftsman, that takes the concentration out of what they're doing," Lugasi explains. The solution? Compensating the professionals for their time — as well as creating an online shop that helps expand the market for these one-of-a-kind goods. Dento also operates a foundation that recruits and pays apprentices. "We're supporting the next generation that will carry on these crafts," Lugasi says. — Elaine Glusac

Paka

It’s fair to say that Kris Cody’s backpacking trip through Peru in 2015 changed his life. After seeing firsthand the care and craftsmanship that goes into alpaca-wool garments — many of which are still handmade in the Andes Mountains — Cody decided to give up his neuroscience studies and, instead, create an activewear brand. Today, as founder and CEO of Paka, he makes sure every sweater bears the signature of the woman who made it on an interior hem; there’s also a QR code for those who want to learn more. "From the beginning, Paka was about connecting people to where the things come from, what they’re made of, who made them," Cody explains. "Traceability was the next step in being able to see the coordinates, literally, of where that fiber was shorn in the Andes." — Elaine Glusac

Trafalgar

Guided-tour company Trafalgar may be best known for taking travelers to more than 70 countries, but it also has a robust slate closer to home. "People think that, to have a deep cultural experience, you need to travel abroad," says company president Melissa DaSilva. “But you only need to travel as far as your backyard.” Trafalgar has spent the past five years working closely with Indigenous communities across North America to connect travelers with tribes and places that have often been overlooked. Today, more than 60 percent of Trafalgar’s U.S. itineraries include at least one Native business, whether it’s a walking tour in the Canadian Rockies with a Cree guide or a day spent at the Oglala Lakota Living History Village, in South Dakota. "Where we’re including these experiences," DaSilva adds, "a hundred percent of the proceeds go back into those communities." — Elaine Glusac

Luke's Lobster

It started with a humble lobster-roll shop in New York City, back in 2009. Since then, Luke’s Lobster has grown into an international restaurant group, with 22 outposts across the U.S., plus 10 locations in Japan and Singapore. Even so, cofounders Ben Conniff and Luke Holden keep a close eye on their home waters in Maine, where they’re working to safeguard the future of lobstering. The company’s Lift All Boats project offers paid student apprenticeships that introduce teens from diverse backgrounds to lobstering, an industry that’s almost exclusively white. "We’re trying to create a well-rounded experience to teach these students about the industry and open up horizons for them," Conniff says. "We want them to feel like they belong on the waterfront." — Hannah Selinger

To'ak

Launched in 2014, To’ak is a boutique chocolate company based in Ecuador that has big plans. It has partnered with Third Millennium Alliance, a conservation foundation, to train farmers in sustainable agroforestry practices, including the use of native shade trees and prioritizing soil health. To’ak also pays its growers as much as eight times the typical fair-trade rate for cacao, specifically a variety known as Nacional, which nearly disappeared in a 1916 blight. "The only way that we can increase our impact is by buying more cacao at better prices and by supporting more farmers to do regenerative farming," says James Le Compte, CEO of To’ak. The result of all that effort is a decadent product with a meaningful environmental upside. — Hannah Selinger

SAS

When the Swedish airline SAS announced a series of experimental, all-electric flights, set to take off in 2028, every last reservation sold out in just 20 seconds, says Ann-Sofie Hörlin, the airline’s head of sustainability. That’s in spite of the fact that SAS didn’t reveal where the planes would go. Such is the demand for anything that can help the fossil-fuel-guzzling industry transition to something greener. Hörlin is quick to acknowledge that batteries aren’t yet a viable alternative when it comes to long hauls, at least with today’s technology. But electric planes could prove a game changer for quicker hops within Scandinavia. "We have a lot of short routes," Hörlin explains. "All of a sudden, aviation will be the most sustainable way to get there." — Hannah Selinger

Tempo Cooler

The Tempo Cooler may be the last one you’ll ever buy. With vacuum-insulated walls that are a third of the thickness of those in popular plastic models, the aluminum chest can accommodate more stuff in a smaller space. And it does so without any loss of frostiness, says Ian Sandmael, cofounder of Oyster, the Norway-based startup behind the innovative product. Even better, you don’t need to add ice: simply load the Tempo with cold drinks, and they will stay that way for hours. Forged from anodized aluminum, the chest is also meant to last, basically, forever — though Sandmael is quick to add that the product is actually fully recyclable. "If you think of plastic straws as being a problem," he says, "then plastic coolers are a much bigger one." — Elaine Glusac

Journeys With Purpose

There’s no such thing as a typical trip for Journeys with Purpose, an "impact travel company" launched in 2019. Instead, each itinerary is designed to showcase the wonders of a specific ecosystem, such as the caves of Chiquibul National Park, in Belize, or Argentina’s Rincón del Socorro, a 75,000-acre reserve in the wildlife-filled Iberá Wetlands. What’s more, each departure is hosted by the conservationists who are helping to protect these priceless places. As a member of 1% for the Planet, an organization that encourages corporate giving, Journeys with Purpose contributes up to 20 percent of a trip’s cost to local partners. As founder and managing director Duncan Grossart explains, "the more people travel with us, the more our mission will be fulfilled." — Hannah Selinger

Ponant

Though it has long lagged other sectors, the cruise industry has lately stepped up its investments in sustainability. French expedition line Ponant is perhaps at the forefront: in 2021, it deployed a hybrid-electric icebreaker, Le Commandant Charcot, that’s able to operate for short periods on battery power and that uses renewable onshore energy sources when possible. Ponant has also announced a completely carbon-neutral vessel that could launch as soon as 2030. Plans for the 100-cabin prototype, currently named Swap2Zero, call for sails, solar panels, and liquid-hydrogen fuel cells. "This is much more than a new ship," says CEO Hervé Gastinel. "We want to actively contribute to the decarbonization of the maritime sector." — Paul Brady

LifeStraw

Today it’s known for its lineup of chic, reusable bottles and adventure-ready filters. But the original mission of LifeStraw is humanitarian relief. Back in 1994, the company developed a mesh water filter that would protect people from Guinea worm disease, at the time a scourge across Africa. "Since then, we’ve provided more than 41 million straws to the Carter Center," says Tara Lundy, LifeStraw’s chief brand officer. (The Carter Center, an NGO founded by the former president and first lady, counts the eradication of Guinea worm disease among its goals.) Like many Global Vision Award winners, LifeStraw is certified as a B Corp and continues to distribute its water filters and aid to those in need: the company has recently sent rapid-response teams to sites of natural disasters, such as Morocco’s Atlas Mountains after the 2023 earthquake, as well as to conflict areas across the globe. Travelers who support the brand are also contributing to the effort, as LifeStraw devotes a portion of all proceeds to future clean-water projects. — Hannah Selinger

Nonprofits

EcoAlbania

Albania’s Vjosa River runs roughly 169 miles from the Greek border to the Adriatic, carving gorges and providing critical habitat to more than 1,100 species, including the Egyptian vulture and the Ionian sturgeon. When a series of hydroelectric dams was proposed for the Vjosa in 2014, activists created an NGO, EcoAlbania, to defend the waterway. Their goal was to protect it in perpetuity. (EcoAlbania was eventually joined in the effort by the apparel company Patagonia, as well as other advocacy groups.) Last year, in response to the nine-year campaign, the Albanian government created the Vjosa Wild River National Park, where adventurous visitors can go rafting, climbing, and hiking. "The Vjosa is one of the last free-flowing rivers in Europe," says EcoAlbania spokesperson Besjana Guri. "It’s a jewel, and we’re very lucky to have it." — Elaine Glusac

Diving With a Purpose

Since it was founded in 2005, the nonprofit Diving With a Purpose has trained more than 500 divers, often during weeklong masks-on intensives that prepare explorers to seek out shipwrecks related to the global slave trade. Surprisingly, says Jay V. Haigler, the leading instructor, and a founding board member, these sites are often ignored by maritime archaeologists. "There’s great study of and focus on the Titanic, you know, but not the Guerrero," he explains, referring to a Spanish slave ship that sank off Key Largo, Florida. The hunt for that wreck sparked the creation of Diving With a Purpose, which has so far documented 18 vessels, including many from the 18th and 19th centuries. (The Guerrero remains lost.) In its ongoing efforts, the group partners with the Slave Wrecks Project, a research initiative backed by the National Museum of African American History & Culture that helps disseminate findings and spur further research. — Hannah Selinger

Discover Aboriginal Experiences

Australia is home to some of the oldest cultures on earth, but until recently, it’s been tricky to suss out high-quality outfitters and guides who come from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. That’s where Tourism Australia has stepped in, with a new initiative called Discover Aboriginal Experiences, which aims to connect visitors with those in the know. "This goes way beyond general sightseeing," says Nicole Mitchell, who runs the program in collaboration with around 50 different businesses, all of which are owned or led by descendants of the continent’s original inhabitants. One example is Narlijia Experiences, in Western Australia, which offers visits to the area’s mangrove forests led by owner Bart Pigram, who is part of the Yawuru community. The still-growing collective recently added several new members, including Budj Bim Cultural Landscape, a network of archaeological sites about 200 miles west of Melbourne. — Elaine Glusac

Polynesian Voyaging Society

The Oahu-based Polynesian Voyaging Society has been working to preserve ancient seafaring practices for more than five decades, in part by organizing extraordinary multiyear voyages aboard Hōkūle‘a, a double-hulled canoe that’s been sailing since 1975. But travelers needn’t be hard-core adventurers to learn more about Polynesian practices, such as navigating without instruments by using the stars and the motion of swells. The society welcomes volunteers for all sorts of tasks, such as helping with boat maintenance and organizing community events, either in Hawaii or in ports of call for Hōkūle‘a. "Getting involved is a wonderful, beautiful, life-changing journey for so many people," says Lehua Kamalu, whose title is voyaging director. "But we definitely put you to work." — Hannah Selinger

Zambian Carnivore Programme

This group is on a mission to protect some of the country’s most critical wildlife, including cheetahs, leopards, and lions. "Apex predators are rare, by their nature, but they’re hugely important for ecosystem dynamics," says Matt Becker, CEO of Zambian Carnivore Programme. The nonprofit takes a multipronged approach to conservation, partnering with safari operators such as Robin Pope Safaris and the Bushcamp Company to collect data and better manage habitats, as well as training a new generation of conservationists within Zambia. Last year, the organization had 48 students, who ranged from fieldwork newcomers to Ph.D. candidates. "The best way to make conservation sustainable," Becker notes, "is to ensure that the people leading these efforts are from the communities where this work is occurring." — Elaine Glusac

Grootbos Florilegium

One of the world’s most remarkable concentrations of plant life can be found along the Atlantic coast of South Africa. The Cape Floral Region is home to 20 percent of the continent’s vegetation, and the majority of what blossoms there is native to the region. All of which explains the art on view at the new Grootbos Florilegium, a collection at the Grootbos Private Nature Reserve in Gansbaai, South Africa, about two hours southeast of Cape Town. "Our exhibition is about making the plants sexy and beautiful so that people understand what we’re trying to protect," says Michael Lutzeyer, the founder of the reserve. To date, Lutzeyer and his team have commissioned more than 240 original artworks that depict not only the area’s distinctive plants, known collectively as fynbos, but also the insects, birds, and other wildlife that make the ecosystem so special. "It’s making visitors aware of the little critters we ignore." — Elaine Glusac

See Turtles

Since 2008, See Turtles has helped shepherd more than 10 million hatchlings into the sea in 25 countries across the Caribbean and Latin America. At the heart of its mission are volunteer trips to beaches in the region, where travelers work alongside conservationists to defend turtle nests and collaborate with scientists. "Just having a presence on the beach is a deterrent to the people who might want to come and take the eggs," says Brad Nahill, the nonprofit’s president. While the weeklong trips are often no-frills — many include stays at remote research stations — they do afford an unvarnished view of fieldwork, with time spent on both daytime wildlife-watching excursions and nocturnal beach patrols. In 2022, the group launched its See Shell App, which helps shoppers identify and avoid souvenirs made from the shells of the hawksbill turtle, an endangered species. —Elaine Glusac

Destinations

Singapore Green Plan 2030

One of the world’s smallest countries has some outsize ambitions. Armed with a sustainability strategy, the Singapore Green Plan 2030, it is on a mission to reimagine its own cityscape — and show the world that sustainable development is within reach. The plan’s bold targets include planting a million trees by 2030, phasing out all internal-combustion vehicles by 2040, and achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. The government-backed campaign is the latest evolution of formal climate-focused commitments that date back more than three decades.

In addition to those headline goals, Singapore is making strides on other eco-initiatives. Among them is increasing domestic food production — a challenge in a country that’s less than one-third the size of Rhode Island. One solution can be seen at 1-Arden Food Forest, a 10,000-square-foot urban farm situated 51 floors up in a Central Business District skyscraper. Visitors can stroll through its riot of fruits and flowers, enjoy spectacular views of the waterways that surround the city-state, and sample a freshly harvested bounty at the adjoining restaurant, Kaarla. For a deeper look, Tribe Tours has launched a "food sustainability tour" that combines elements of a traditional markets-and-hawkers itinerary with the chance to learn more about locally grown produce.

Another element of the plan centers on the expansion of the city’s already enviable collection of parks, with the goal of having every household be within 10 minutes of green space by 2030. Groups like Untamed Paths, a community of nature lovers, organize walks and cleanups to educate visitors about the importance of Singapore’s forest system, where creatures like flying lemurs and frogs can be spotted.

Not that you need be adventurous to see the city’s greenery: the famously design-forward Changi Airport Terminal 2, which fully reopened in November 2023, now has more than 20,000 plants, including orchids, ferns, and towering columns of vegetation.

New hotels in the city are also making sustainability a priority. Consider Pan Pacific Orchard, Singapore, which counts among its features solar panels, rainwater harvesting, and “low-emissivity” windows that conserve energy. (It also has an arresting Jenga-like design that is blanketed with nearly 130,000 square feet of foliage.) The Garden Pod, an unusual hotel that opened in 2022, was created from solar-panel-topped shipping containers. It offers views of the Gardens by the Bay and Singapore’s skyline from four glass-fronted duplex suites. Other new hotels, including Artyzen Singapore, Mondrian Singapore Duxton, and the Singapore Edition, put an emphasis on biophilic design, with a profusion of landscaping and indoor-outdoor gardens.

The plan also calls for a 30 percent reduction in landfill waste by 2030. To help make that happen, Singapore’s restaurants and bars are embracing the challenge in creative ways. The city’s first Michelin Green Star restaurant, Seroja, sources many ingredients from the island and neighboring Malaysia and uses vegetable trimmings to create nonalcoholic drinks, such as a refreshing co*cktail of watercress, sansho pepper, and water chestnut. Pangium is also on the vanguard of Straits cuisine, with a menu that spotlights lesser-known Asian herbs and hyperlocal preparations, such as sambal tempoyak, or fermented-durian sambal. The fine-dining restaurant Born models sustainability through its architecture: it’s located in a refurbished turn-of-the-20th-century rickshaw depot.

Lower-impact preparations and thoughtful design are also trending at bars such as Analogue, which offers plant-based bites alongside co*cktails served on a bar that was 3-D printed from recycled plastic bottles. At Fura, meanwhile, the drinks are shaken up with "ugly" fruits and vegetables that would normally be discarded — and, sometimes, invasive species, including jellyfish. Anything for the cause.

Relais & Châteaux

Decadent food and wine have always been nonnegotiable for Relais & Châteaux, a Paris-based association of nearly 600 hotels and restaurants in 65 countries. So it’s perhaps a surprise that the group has been working for a decade to reduce the environmental impact of its members’ culinary operations. Beginning in 2016, it partnered with the organization Slow Food on an annual campaign known as #FoodforChange, which aims to spotlight small-batch products and to encourage members to buy and serve them. (Last fall, 191 properties from the group participated, with a focus on raw-milk cheeses and biodynamic wines.) "We want to push our members even further when it comes to biodiversity," says Lars Seifert, the brand’s chief communications and sustainability officer. "If they embrace endemic products, they’ll keep them alive." The effort isn’t without its potential pitfalls, he concedes, but it opens a wider conversation with guests. "Maybe you won’t get fresh orange juice in February in the U.K., because we don’t have any oranges over there. But we’ll have something else delicious for you." — Hannah Selinger

Shorefast

It’s been more than 30 years since a moratorium on cod fishing struck a heavy blow to the economy of Fogo Island, off the coast of Newfoundland. In 2004, Fogo Islander Zita Cobb, along with her brothers Alan and Anthony, created Shorefast, a social enterprise designed to strengthen communities by creating new economic opportunities. Out of that work came Fogo Island Inn, a striking 29-room property that debuted in 2013 and consistently ranks among the best in Canada in the T+L World’s Best Awards survey. Drawing visitors to this remote corner of the country sustains not only the inn but the island writ large, says Amy Rowsell, director of special projects and impact for Shorefast. "Our mission is to help the local economy thrive in the global economy," she explains. "We’re harnessing the assets of this place to create a sustainable future for Fogo Island." — Hannah Selinger

Urban Villages

Denver’s forthcoming Populus might be the greenest hotel in America. Designed by the architecture firm Studio Gang, the 265-room property, which is slated to open this year, aims to be carbon positive. "We’ve constantly asked, 'Could we do it better?'" says Jon Buerge, president of Urban Villages, the developer. (The firm’s other sustainability-minded efforts include Denver’s Larimer Square and the Rail Spur district in Seattle.) At Populus, doing better has meant using a specialized concrete that incorporates fly ash, a waste product generated by coal-fired power plants. Rooms feature upcycled-wood furnishings and carpeting made from post-consumer materials. And instead of offering parking — there’s no garage — Populus will encourage the use of public transit. "We all have to start thinking more holistically," Buerge notes. — Elaine Glusac

Iberostar Hotels & Resorts

Iberostar Hotels & Resorts, a brand with more than 100 properties in 16 countries, has an ambitious plan to be carbon neutral by 2030. It’s a monumental task to achieve so quickly, admits Megan Morikawa, global director of sustainability for the Iberostar Group. The company has already slashed its annual carbon budget by half through an array of programs: to take two examples, Iberostar offsets its emissions through mangrove planting and coastal restoration in places such as the Dominican Republic, and it is transitioning away from fossil fuels in favor of renewables across the portfolio. Notably, the company has been a paragon of transparency throughout the process, with a website detailing the group’s progress — and challenges — in an effort to inspire others. "We need to be doing this in a way that can synthesize the best lessons," Morikawa says, "and be a tipping point for the sector at large." — Hannah Selinger

People

Princess Gauravi Kumari

Launched in 2013, the Princess Diya Kumari Foundation aims to improve the lives of women and girls. The princess, the granddaughter of Man Singh II, the last maharajah of Jaipur, India, now serves as deputy chief minister of Rajasthan. The foundation’s day-to-day rests with her daughter Princess Gauravi Kumari. “We now have seven centers across the state,” the younger Kumari says, each of which offers programs such as job training, digital literacy, health education, self-defense training, and legal aid. In the past decade, the group has helped tens of thousands of women, including those who have learned skills such as beadwork and block printing. Their artistry is available for sale in the foundation’s PDKF Store at the City Palace of Jaipur or online. — Hannah Selinger

Alvaro Silberstein

"In one sentence, we are the Expedia for accessible travel," says Alvaro Silberstein, cofounder and CEO of Wheel the World. Established in 2017, the website lists hotel rooms and tours in hundreds of destinations worldwide, along with comprehensive information about their accessibility, including, in the case of hotels, specifics such as bed height, bathroom turning ratio for those who use wheelchairs, and features like grab bars. The company verifies listings with a team of "mappers," who contribute extensive on-the-scene reports. That way, Silberstein says, "we can guarantee that a stay will exactly meet a user’s accessibility needs." — Hannah Selinger

Luke Bailes

When he opened Ebony Lodge in South Africa’s Sabi Sand Reserve in 1993, Luke Bailes believed that high-end, low-volume tourism could sustain environments and communities by attracting, as he calls them, "individuals who have influence." Since then, Bailes has grown Singita, the company he founded, into a conservation powerhouse with 16 lodges, camps, and villas in Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe. In the past 30 years, Singita has restored native habitat across nearly 1 million acres, worked to curb poaching, and established schools and vocational institutes in many of the communities where it operates. Still, Bailes says, his work continues. "Eighty percent of my time is dedicated to finding areas that have huge potential — that are pristine —so that we can increase our conservation impact by 2030, to help protect more of these vulnerable landscapes for future generations." Luckily, he has help not only from the team but also from a familiar face: his son, Jo Bailes, is now Singita’s CEO. — Elaine Glusac

Saengduean "Lek" Chailert

In 1991, Lek Chailert spent an agonizing night in a rainforest village in northern Thailand, listening to the screams of an elephant forced to haul logs by handlers using slingshots and knives. The harrowing experience inspired her to learn veterinary science, and, in 2003, she opened Elephant Nature Park, a roughly 300-acre sanctuary in Chiang Mai that today is home to more than 100 rescued and rehabilitating pachyderms. Though the country outlawed commercial logging decades ago, other risks to these animals’ well-being remain, including from unscrupulous tourism operators who continue to offer elephant rides and shows. By contrast, Elephant Nature Park welcomes visitors for full- and half-day tours spent observing elephants roaming the preserve; those interested in staying longer — and getting their hands dirty — can volunteer to assist with the feeding and care of the residents. Guests often also become ambassadors for the cause, Chailert says. "They help us to make a movement." — Elaine Glusac

The 2024 Global Vision Awards Panel

The Global Vision Awards is a year-round project that involvesTravel + Leisureeditors and outside contributors, who report on and interview experts about developments in sustainability and responsible travel. Each fall, a small team of T+L staffers convenes to discuss potential award winners. They are joined by an awards panel: these experts, including some past Global Vision Award winners, assist in the compilation of each year's list. (Panelists are always prohibited from submitting their own projects.)

After extensive discussion and additional reporting, T+L editors make the final determination on the winners, who are recognized in the April 2024 edition of the magazine as well as online.

Susmita Baral, Editor, T+L

Paul Brady, News Director, T+L

Alison Brooks, Vice President of Destination Experience & Advocacy, Visit Mesa (Arizona)

Elizabeth Cantrell, Senior Editor, T+L

Nina Caplan, Contributor, T+L

Samantha Falewée, Senior Editor, T+L

Jacqueline Gifford, Editor In Chief, T+L

Shawna Huffman Owen, CEO, Huffman Travel

Chris Imbsen, Director of Sustainability, World Travel & Tourism Council

Maya Kachroo-Levine, Senior Editor, T+L

Hemant Kumar Dixit, Senior Manager, Access Development Services

Fryda Lidor, Creative Director, T+L

Anders Lindström, Head of PR & Communications, The Americas, Hurtigruten Group

David Lowy, President, Renshaw Travel

Jeffrey Miller, Chef, Rosella

Heidi Mitchell, Contributor, T+L

Zandile Ndhlovu, Founder, The Black Mermaid Foundation

Beks Ndlovu, Founder & CEO, African Bush Camps

Thao Phuong, Founder, Textileseekers

Olga Placeres, Owner & President, Preferred Travel & Co.

Jen Salerno Yong, Contributor, T+L

Skye Senterfeit, Deputy Photo Editor, T+L

Jim Strong, President, Strong Travel Services

Flora Stubbs, Executive Editor, T+L

Sam Teicher, Cofounder & Chief Reef Officer, Coral Vita

Peter Terzian, Features Editor, T+L

Paul Tumpowsky, Founder And CEO, New Yonder