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New Online Club Lets Travelers Share Experiences, Learn How to Travel More Sustainably, and Gain Exclusive Benefits

The travel industry is coming together to help travelers more positively impact the places they visit and the people who live there

Seattle, WA (March 7, 2016) – Sustainable Travel International, the leading nonprofit working to protect environmentally and culturally sensitive destinations and improve the lives of the people who live there, today launched the “Travel Better Club” – an online club for travelers wanting to make more sustainable choices in how and where they travel and share experiences with other like-minded travelers. To enroll, travelers take a 30-minute online course that explains how the choices they make about everything from hotels and transportation to the activities they do and the meals they eat on their trips can more positively impact the places they visit and the people who live there. Travelers who complete the course receive a personalized Travel Better certificate and can become members of the Travel Better Club. In addition to offering an online community for sustainability-minded travelers to share experiences, members receive exclusive benefits and discounts on tours, lodging, travel gear, visa and passport processing, and more.

Travel Better launched in partnership with Founding Sponsor, G Adventures, and other travel industry supporters at Travel Massive’s ITB kick-off event in Berlin, Germany, on Tuesday, March 7.  The Travel Better launch is a 2017 International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development (IY2017) event, contributing to the UN Sustainable Development Goals and 10YFP Sustainable Tourism Programme.

With more than one billion people traveling each year, it is increasingly important that travelers be aware of the positive and negative impacts their choices can have on the destinations they visit and the people who live there. Some 60 percent of all leisure travelers in the United States have taken a “sustainable” trip in the last three years, according to a 2016 research report, “The Role of Sustainability in Travel & Tourism,” by Sustainable Travel International and Mandala Research. Compared to the typical leisure traveler, these travelers spend significantly more money, stay longer, and are more likely to believe they have a responsibility to ensure their trips don’t harm a destination’s people, environment, or economy. While an increasing number of travelers want to make a difference, many don’t know where to begin: Travel Better is that beginning.

“Achieving conservation goals and improving lives through the power of tourism requires that destinations, tourism companies, and travelers all do their part,” said Geoff Bolan, Sustainable Travel International CEO. “As an organization with more than 14 years’ experience protecting sensitive environments and improving living conditions in destinations around the globe, we wanted to use our expertise to equip travelers with the knowledge and tools they need to be a force for good. By making sustainable travel guidance and advice much more accessible through Travel Better, we hope this will help grow the community of travelers who feel empowered and inspired to take action that positively impacts the people and places they visit.”

“Employing almost 10% of the globe’s population, the travel industry touches an incredible number of environments, lives, and communities in all corners of the globe. Travel Better is an exciting opportunity to tap into the individual traveler, create a community, and use it for good. Now is the time for the travel industry to come together and work towards the common goal of helping travelers to positively benefit the people and places they visit,” said Rob Torres, managing director of Google Travel.

Sustainable Travel International invites the travel industry, other businesses, and consumers to join the Travel Better effort.  Companies wishing to promote the program to customers and offer special benefits to travelers will receive complimentary access to the Travel Better course and community. In addition, sponsorship opportunities are still available for the Travel Better program as a whole.

Travelers can access the Travel Better course and join the Travel Better Club online at travelbetterclub.org.  For more information, please contact Brian T. Mullis at [email protected] or +1-720-273-2975.

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About Sustainable Travel International. Sustainable Travel International is a non-profit organization working to improve the lives of people around the world and the environments they rely upon. By leveraging the power of travel and tourism and providing business and government leaders with the guidance, policies and solutions they need, we aim to ensure that the communities they’re engaged in thrive and their environments are healthy for future generations. For more information, visit www.sustainabletravel.org.

Media Contact:
Kaitlyn Brajcich
Sustainable Travel International
[email protected]

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