Dear Partners and Friends,
As a traveler, caring about the world means dream trips are all the more dreamy when you travel responsibly. AFAR’s ongoing commitment to making travel a win-win-win—or as our editor in chief wrote in our latest issue, “better for travelers, for the communities they visit, and for the planet”—is stronger than ever in 2021.
Today, the idea of responsible travel takes on new meaning in the era of COVID. I recently had the privilege of learning that first-hand in Costa Rica on the first international trip I’ve taken in more than a year. Fully vaccinated, tested, and traveling with a half dozen Abbot BinaxNOW at-home testing kits in our luggage, my family and I entered the country in what was a seamless process, one that is only getting easier as airlines and hotels help make testing more convenient. Costa Rica, like many countries around the world that rely on tourism for jobs, economic and political stability, and more, was incredibly welcoming to international travelers. The experience underscored how part of our duty as responsible travelers is to get out there and travel again when we're ready (sustainably and as safely as possible, of course).
The undeniably brighter future ahead for the travel industry will rely on what destinations, hotels, airlines, brands like AFAR, and others have done to make it through this time and how they rebuild for a sustainable future. We've learned that educating consumers about what responsible travel is, is just as important as helping them navigate the logistics (how vaccine travel works, how carbon offsets make a difference, or identifying crowd-free alternatives, for example). We’re proud of how our work with partners, including Utah, Puerto Rico, and Scotland, successfully tapped into data-guided insights and an empathy-led approach to communicate sustainable values and generate organic traffic wins.
Our recent survey shows that 95% of AFAR readers will travel by June, 73% are actively planning travel, and traffic to travel guide content on afar.com has his pre-pandemic levels—the first time in over a year. Call it “The Roaring 20s” or #TheGreatRecovery, the pent-up demand is real and means the travel industry needs to generate awareness and engage travelers now.
It also means that we need to continue to think globally. U.S. travelers may be in a good spot, but what about the rest of the world? Initiatives like this matching campaign, with Tourism Cares and Lindblad Expeditions in support of the Galapágos Island Relief Fund, help make Earth Day every day. By remaking travel through the lens of global stewardship, whether it’s about immersive travel, slow travel, or simply treading lightly, we can help ensure that travel is a force for good—from supporting communities and being sensitive to the effects on our planet to personal enrichment.
Kind regards, Bryan Kinkade VP, Publisher, AFAR Media Biking the Himalayas with a company that funds local NGOs is one way sustainable travelers give back when they travel The Future of Travel is Sustainable Which consumers are leading travel’s comeback and more from AFAR’s inclusion in the MMGY “Portrait of American Travelers” study.
Core to the future of travel, sustainable travelers not only contribute to a more sustainable future but are a highly desirable audience. That’s why we recently invested in a proprietary study with MMGY to better understand sustainable travelers and how they differ from the rest of American travelers.
AFAR’s 2021 Vanguard honorees are visionaries harnessing the power of travel to make a difference. Storytelling as a Force for Good How AFAR inspires, guides, and empowers travelers to make a positive impact on the world. Protecting the planet and supporting local communities isn’t just something we care deeply about, it captures the attention of AFAR readers too. We recently published a roundup of Epic Trips That Give Back and news like Mexico’s ban of single-use plastics was a top traffic performer earlier this year, while other stories, including Everlane’s new swimsuits made from recycled plastic, help guide travelers in shopping their values. And, Luxury Travel Magazine helped spread the word of our 2021 AFAR Travel Vanguard, which celebrates the visionaries working tirelessly to remake the travel industry for the better for all of us:
Partnerships with AFAR Creates leverage investments across multiple channels and efforts, like this guidebook for Visit California, to ensure content efficiency and effectiveness. Engaging Content That Grows Audiences AFAR Creates is your one-stop-shop for content marketing expertise. As consumer behavior becomes increasingly rooted in values, the way that brands show up makes all the difference in connecting with audiences for true ROI. AFAR Creates, our critically-acclaimed creative studio, uses the same purpose-driven, empathy-led approach that has made us the fastest-growing travel media brand to produce measurable and meaningful results for our partners. Led by a world-class team of editors, designers, strategists, and executives, this AFAR division has powered successful content strategies for the likes of Chase, Holland America Line, United, and Visit California, among others. Let us be your content partner and deliver seamless, custom solutions for you. Contact us here to learn more. Come together with sustainable travel heavyweights at the forthcoming sustainability-themed AFAR Live. Sustainability Unpacked You’re invited to learn about the travel industry and sustainability in our next online meeting of the minds. Sustainability is the topic on everyone’s mind as we plan for the post-pandemic future of travel. But what does sustainability really mean for those of us in the industry? Why is it so important? What are the financial benefits? And how do we make it easy to understand and take action? Please join us for the next installment of AFAR Live on Thursday, April 29 with an esteemed group of panelists. Cofounder of AFAR, Joe Diaz; Global Sustainable Tourism Council CEO Randy Durband; Shannon Guihan, The Travel Corporation’s Chief TreadRight and Sustainability Officer; and Anita Mendiratta, Special Advisor to the Secretary General of the United Nations World Tourism Organization will join us for a lively and informative conversation moderated by Annie Fitzsimmons, AFAR’s Advisor and Luxury Travel Editor.
Afar Media
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