Our mission is to transform tourism, supporting destinations and travel companies to place the needs of communities and the environment first.
With new partnerships, innovative pilot projects and ground-breaking research, the past two years have seen us support organisations in over 30 countries address their climate risks and ensure tourism works better for local people. We have a bold ambition: to reshape the future of travel.
Below are some of the highlights from the past year.
Advocating for change
We challenge the status quo – producing research that sets bold new agendas, supporting industry leaders to reframe success, and speaking out at major events and through the media. We work behind the scenes too, aligning interests around better outcomes.
Recent highlights include high-profile partnerships to explore climate justice, promote equitable destination governance, and better prepare the sector for climate risks. Through these efforts, we are helping shape a tourism model that reflects the values of fairness, resilience, and shared prosperity. All the time, we are making the business case for urgent, inclusive climate action.
Where Next? (June 2025) We launched a global movement to put destination resilience at the heart of tourism’s climate transition. Through a survey, events, webinars and a report, we presented four practical, interconnected ideas.
Climate Justice in Tourism (July 2024). We published an introductory report and guide to help tourism businesses take action on climate justice. The report highlighted ten practical ideas to support communities most at risk.
Creating Equitable Destinations (October 2024): In this influential report, we identified 40 mechanisms and 25 case studies showing how tourism can better serve communities and distribute benefits fairly.
Destination Climate RiskScan: Through our new research project with CELTH and Risklayer, we are creating a new methodology for climate risk profiling in destinations. The project includes three strands: winter destinations, coastal/beach destinations and cities. The findings will offer practical tools and guidance to prepare destinations for a changing climate.
“Reports and research like this from the Travel Foundation and its collaborators are critical calls to action for governments, investors, consumers and donors. We all need to be on the same page. Collective actions and coalitions of the willing are fundamental building blocks for tourism futures.”
Shaun Mann, Senior Tourism Specialist, World Bank Group
Speaking and events
In 2024, we spoke at over 50 global events including ITB, WTM, UN Climate Conference COP29 Tourism Day and at many of our partners’ stakeholder events. These platforms helped amplify our research and advocate for urgent, systemic change across tourism.
Centre of expertise
At the heart of our work lies the Travel Foundation’s Centre of Expertise – a hub of practical support and knowledge-sharing for tourism organisations ready to act. We’ve created training, tools and tailored coaching programmes that give destinations the confidence, capacity, and clarity to take meaningful action. We work with DMOs, governments and businesses to help embed climate thinking into their strategies. We have also supported dozens of destinations to build Climate Action Plans.
By developing solutions that are scalable, flexible and grounded in real-world application, we’re equipping the sector to move from planning to action. This includes self-paced online training and tailored advisory support. We help tourism organisations navigate complexity and deliver change for tourism that is resilient, fair and climate-smart.
Destination Climate Champions: Launched in partnership with Expedia Group, this free online training course has supported over 100 tourism professionals, representing 40 DMOs to gain the necessary knowledge and skills to create a climate action plan for their destination.
Blueprint and Toolkit for Climate Action for the Mediterranean: This free, practical framework and planning tool helps destinations across the Mediterranean and beyond to take climate action. Created for the Euro-MED Community4Tourism project and widely shared across Europe.
Climate action planning support: In 2024, we supported over twelve destinations around the world to create Climate Action Plans, including in Honduras, the Caribbean, Spain and Finland. We strengthened knowledge and skills and coordinated public-private responses to climate risks.
“Without The Travel Foundation’s invaluable insight, tools and facilitation, we would not have achieved such a robust and forward-looking plan. This partnership exemplifies what true climate collaboration can look like: science-based, participatory, and globally relevant.”
Liisa Kokkarinen, Head of Sustainable Development, Visit Finland
Innovation and collaboration
Our lighthouse projects test new ideas and approaches in real-world contexts. These initiatives offer scalable solutions that can be adapted and replicated across the sector. They are designed to solve problems, inspire, influence and inform. They strengthen the business case for sustainability, while delivering practical tools and models that others can adopt.
Whether focused on decarbonising supply chains, embedding community benefit in travel experiences, or rethinking how tourism value is measured, our lighthouse projects aim to innovate and demonstrate leadership. They provide powerful evidence of how tourism can become more inclusive, resilient and climate-smart and how destinations and companies can accelerate progress by working together with purpose and ambition.
Catalysing positive change in Scotland’s tourism supply chain: We’re supporting a ground breaking partnership between VisitScotland and The Travel Corporation which focuses on developing lower-carbon itineraries, to encourage visitors to explore lesser-known destinations and help local businesses reduce their environmental impact and strengthen their connections with local communities.
Understanding tourism’s impacts in destinations: We are supporting Iberostar to develop stakeholder analysis and risk assessments across five destinations. These tools enable the company to better understand local tourism challenges and prioritise initiatives that address real needs.
Lower impact itinerary framework: With Travel Counsellors, we developed a framework for designing itineraries that minimise harm and maximise local benefit. Piloted in Thailand, Costa Rica and Cambodia, the approach supports low-carbon travel and community engagement.
“The Travel Foundation has been a truly valuable partner in equipping our team with resources, education, and inspiration to build toward climate action leadership – a meaningful North Star for Preferred Travel Group.”
Nina Boys, VP Sustainability, Preferred Travel Group
A huge thank you to all our partners and funders, who enabled us to continue our important charitable work.
For our full annual report and accounts please visit the Charity Commission website
