A local guide from Panama educates a group of visitors about Panama’s biodiversity on the El Tragon Trail in Achiote, Panama. (Tarina Rodriguez / Tourism Cares)

Tourism Cares Launches Cutting-Edge Database Connecting Travel Industry To Sustainable Experiences Around the World

The Meaningful Travel Map features nearly 800 vetted partners and is continuing to grow.

Jenna Buege Published January 30, 2026

Fans of Tourism Cares’ Meaningful Travel Map rejoice, the global non-profit dedicated to advancing sustainability for the travel and tourism industry just launched a new, innovative digital platform and expanded website for the growing resource. According to the organization, it worked with tech company Boldest to rework the Map to include enhanced functionalities like interactive map-based discovery, stories behind every experience, reliable mobile browsing and practical tools for the travel trade. Pair this with a fresh, user-friendly interface, and it’s easier than ever for travel pros and conscious vacationers alike to utilize the Meaningful Travel Map to browse and support impact-driven tourism businesses across the globe.

“The Meaningful Travel Map has always been about connecting the heart of travel with the heart of communities,” said Greg Takehara, CEO of Tourism Cares. “At a time when it can feel harder than ever to identify and support truly sustainable options, this new platform gives travel professionals and travelers a simple, hopeful way forward. Every time someone uses the Map, they are choosing experiences that protect our planet, honor local culture, and sustain the people who welcome us. That is the kind of tourism our industry, and our world, needs more of right now.”

Since the beginning, Tourism Cares has seen its Meaningful Travel Map as an opportunity to give smaller, community-led businesses rooted in impact a “seat at the table” as they navigate a lightning-fast digital planning landscape, and according to the organization, the tool simplifies finding and acting on responsible choices while strengthening local tourism supply chains and communities.

“From social enterprises and non-profits to small-scale tour operators, accommodations, and artisans, every organization featured on the Meaningful Travel Map is vetted against clear criteria so users can trust that each experience is helping people and places thrive,” said Tourism Cares. “At a moment when many mission-driven travel organizations face economic headwinds, this evolution of the Map gives them a powerful, global-facing channel to reach travelers who care about their impact.”

The Meaningful Travel Map currently features nearly 800 vetted organizations across six continents with plans to expand in 2026. Tourism Cares encourages travel advisors, companies and destination partners to explore the new platform and consider ways they can integrate the resource into their businesses.

For more information or to visit the Tourism Cares Meaningful Travel Map, visit www.meaningfultravelmap.org

About the Author

Jenna Buege is a Milwaukee-based writer and editor who loves exploring the great outdoors, spending time with her two black cats and jetting off on exciting, sometimes strange, adventures. She joined the VAX VacationAccess team in 2018 and takes pride in being a reliable source for travel advisors as they navigate an ever-changing industry. Her favorite destination so far is Iceland, although Alaska and Germany are close seconds. She’s always adding new places to her ever-growing travel wish list.