Arnie Weissmann
Throughout history, looking at representations of the world has inspired the desire to explore the real thing. It hasn't even mattered if the representations were wildly inaccurate; when 15th-century explorers looked at the-world-is-flat maps prepared by 15th-century cartographers, their curiosity was sparked nonetheless.
This phenomenon continues, even though -- coming full circle, so to speak -- spherical globes have largely been replaced by two-dimensional flat screens that merely simulate three dimensions.
Two organizations with travel connections are harnessing, in different ways, not only the desire to see the world but to see it in a way that changes lives and, incrementally, makes the world a better place.
The first uses a map, a "Meaningful Map of Travel," as a way to inspire a very specific type of exploration.
The map evolved out of a "Meaningful Map of Jordan" that was prepared five years ago by the industry nonprofit Tourism Cares in partnership with the Jordan Tourism Board. That map identified 12 social enterprises, ranging from an ecolodge to a collective of women who had fled Syria and now create and sell crafts.
I was a Tourism Cares board member at the time, and its potential to direct travelers to exciting and rewarding attractions that supported local community initiatives was readily apparent. In an industry where "authentic" and "immersive" had become little more than marketing buzzwords, here is a map that can inform the industry about where to direct travelers to truly authentic and immersive experiences. The project holds value for both residents and visitors, with travel advisors and tour operators connecting the dots for them.
The current iteration of the map is broader but still nascent, covering only 150 recommendations across Jordan, Colombia, Canada and the U.S. (including Puerto Rico). But it features a new format, one that increases its utility as a b-to-b tool, with capabilities to facilitate group bookings, to filter for category and review sustainability data.
The current strategy to grow the map's content includes reaching out to destination management organizations to join Tourism Cares and participate in filling in the blank spaces. Before an attraction is added, however, a vetting process will ensure that featured enterprises fit criteria that align with Tourism Cares' broader mission to make travel a force for good.
The platform, provided pro bono by Wander, allows easy downloading to a destination's website and other distribution channels. An application form and criteria are available to enterprises wishing to find out more.
A separate effort to inspire meaningful travel has also recently expanded. I Am Cultured is a nonprofit that works to introduce the joy of travel to under-resourced students at the exact time in their lives when they are becoming who they will be.
It does more than provide a trip abroad. What began as a two-year high school program to prepare kids to take an international trip has become a broader curriculum which begins in middle school. It has adopted a more expansive view of what it means to be cultured, including community service, mentoring programs and learning life skills that may be only indirectly related to travel.
The results have been phenomenal. Kids who never before had a passport have traveled with the organization to Italy, Ghana and Costa Rica and are preparing to go to Egypt this summer. Graduates of the program go on to college at a much higher rate than their peers.
I have become involved with this organization, connecting them with travel companies that I think share their vision for how travel can help shape lives for the better. Some of those companies have been inspired to sponsor and donate, and Internova went a step further: In partnership with I Am Cultured, it held a career readiness program that included representatives from Delta Vacations, Disney, Hyatt, AmaWaterways, Globus, Insight Vacations, MSC, the Singapore Tourism Board, Accor, Omni and others.
I had the opportunity to speak at I Am Cultured's gala last week and quoted Shelton Johnson, a Black national park ranger who figured prominently in Ken Burns' television series on the national parks.
Shelton reaches out to the Black community to drive home the point that all our national parks belong to all Americans. Similarly, I think I Am Cultured shows that access to the entire world is the right of all people, regardless of color, economic standing or even age. That's an incredibly powerful, and empowering, lesson for a young person to not only learn but to experience.
And once someone has been exposed to other cultures and ways of life, their internal landscapes become richer, as well.
Neither Tourism Cares nor I Am Cultured are run for profit, but both benefit the industry, and industry support is crucial to both. As you chart your course for giving back, you'll find these two organizations are themselves very much worth exploring.