When was the last time you felt truly connected to a person or place while traveling? Perhaps you felt at home after joining a locally operated walking tour that dove into the complex history and challenges of a new-to-you destination. Maybe you found comfort in a delicious dish served at a family restaurant, a super-secret recipe passed down from generation to generation. Or, if you’re really lucky, you may have even forged a lifelong friendship, the kind that can only be achieved through the magic of travel.
No one understands the value of opening yourself up to new people, places and experiences better than members of the travel industry, and travel advisors in particular have the unique opportunity to share the gift of connection when they center the concept of community-based tourism, travel experiences where the money earned goes back into the local economy, when planning itineraries for their clients.
“Community-driven tourism creates a more equitable model of travel, one where local communities have ownership, voice, and direct economic benefit from tourism,” said John Sutherland, senior director of community impact for Tourism Cares. “When communities lead or co-create experiences, revenue stays local, supporting livelihoods, cultural preservation and environmental stewardship. For travelers, the benefit is equally powerful. These experiences offer deeper cultural immersion, meaningful human connection, and a more authentic understanding of a destination. Rather than observing from the outside, travelers engage directly with local people, traditions, and stories, transforming travel into something more personal and memorable.”
According to research from ALL Accor, recent trends point towards vacationers’ desire for travel experiences that cater to emotion over destination with the company finding 84.5% of travelers are seeking deeper, more direct connections with others, while 59% associate wellbeing with moments of shared merriment. Similarly, at the end of 2025, Booking.com reported 93% of global travelers said they wanted to make more sustainable travel choices and “to some extent have done so,” according to the company.
“As demand for purpose-driven or sustainable travel grows, community-based tourism allows advisors to align their clients’ tourism experiences with their values, creating impact while enhancing the overall trip,” said Sutherland.
How To Find Community-Driven Travel Experiences
In a world where Google searches yield endless results, travelers might find it a bit tricky to determine which tourism experiences are truly “community-driven.” And, while advisors are certainly better equipped to tell what’s legit apart from what’s not, Sutherland says there are a few key indicators to look out for when seeking these types of experiences:
- Community Ownership or Leadership: The experience is owned, operated or co-created by local residents; not just outsourced to external operators.
- A Clear Local Benefit: The organization explains how tourism revenue supports community well-being, whether through jobs, education, conservation or cultural initiatives.
- Inclusive Storytelling: Local voices, perspectives and narratives are centered, not staged or commodified.
- Transparency and Partnerships: Credible organizations often highlight partnerships with community groups, non-profits or social enterprises.
“At its core, community-based tourism ensures that the community has real decision-making power and that tourism is intentionally designed to benefit the local people, culture and place,” he said.
If advisors really want to simplify the process, they can turn to Tourism Cares’ Meaningful Travel Map, an online resource accessible to both travel industry professionals and conscious travelers on the hunt for authentic, sustainable tourism experiences around the globe. Each experience listed on the map is vetted by the Tourism Cares team, and there’s even an option to filter by a “Community Tourism” category.
Similarly, Sutherland says advisors can choose to work with tour operators that prioritize community-based tourism, including Tourism Cares tour operator members Intrepid, EF Tours and EXO Travel. “In fact, last year, in coordination with the Tourism Authority of Thailand, we helped EF Ultimate Break launch nine new responsible tourism itineraries across Thailand, including an immersive community experience with the Ban Nai Nang Community in Krabi, Thailand,” he said.
Another company earning a shoutout from Sutherland is Planterra which he says is “a global leader in developing community tourism experiences by ensuring they are locally led, market ready and can deliver real benefits through its Global Community Tourism Network of 500+ organizations worldwide.”
“These tools and organizations help advisors and travelers confidently move beyond surface-level experiences and avoid greenwashing, ensuring tourism has a meaningful, measurable impact,” said Sutherland.
Resources and Advice for Advisors
According to Sutherland, community-based tourism isn’t a passing fad or niche. Instead, it’s the future of travel. “Travelers are actively seeking experiences that are authentic, responsible, and beneficial to the places they visit, with a majority wanting their travel spending to directly support local communities,” he said. For travel advisors, that means a shift in thinking to meet their clients where they’re at, something Sutherland says Tourism Cares can help with as the nonprofit offers a free online course dedicated to the subject of community-based tourism via its Meaningful Travel Training platform.
“Travel advisors can play a critical role in shaping this demand,” said Sutherland. “By prioritizing community-led experiences, building relationships with trusted partners, and preparing clients to engage respectfully, advisors can elevate both the traveler experience and the impact of tourism. Ultimately, every itinerary is an opportunity to shift from passive consumption to meaningful connection, and to ensure travel becomes a force for good, for both people and places.”
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