130 Hotels, Destinations & Charities Empowering Travelers to do Good

Kind Traveler, the travel industry’s first socially-conscious, ‘Give + Get’ hotel booking platform and blog, nearly triples its hotel and destination inventory in its first year of business. Expanding on its mission to empower travelers to become a force that benefits communities, the environment, and animals, Kind Traveler celebrates 130 hotels, destinations, and charities that have come together to fulfill this vision.

Additionally celebrating 2017 as the UN-designated International Year of Sustainable Tourism, the 57 hotels, 50 charities, and 23 destinations that have teamed up with Kind Traveler are working together to fulfill Kind Traveler’s mission that’s strategically aligned with the United Nations’ Global Goals for Sustainable Development: preventing poverty, protecting the planet, and promoting wellbeing for all.

The way it works is simple: travelers give a $10 nightly donation to a local charity that positively impacts the neighborhood they are traveling to, or to a charity of choice; as reward for their donation, travelers unlock an exclusive hotel rate and special perks with curated hotels and unique properties throughout the United States, Mexico, Canada, the Caribbean, and Costa Rica. 100 percent of the donations raised on the Kind Traveler platform are given to charity.

Metrics of ‘What $10 Can Do’ are communicated throughout the site, giving travelers a tangible example of the type of impact they can create by booking with Kind Traveler. For example, an exclusive hotel rate is unlocked with a $10 donation to City Harvest that will also help feed 40 in-need New Yorkers. A $10 donation can also help plant 10 trees with Arbor Day Foundation; provide 40 nutritional meals for school children in need with World Food Program USA; and feed one rescue animal for one week with Animal Defenders International. In addition to making a positive impact, travelers will receive exclusive rates that are as or more competitive than many travel booking sites, as well as perks such as complimentary breakfast, discounted spa treatments, waived resort fees, etc.

“We are witnessing a powerful shift towards consciousness in traveler spending, and Kind Traveler is facilitating the connection between travelers and businesses that want to be an active participant in addressing societal and environmental challenges,” said Jessica Blotter, CEO & Co-Founder of Kind Traveler.

According to the 2017 Cone Communications CSR Study, 89 percent of consumers will switch to a brand that supports a good cause over one that does not, given similar price and quality. Before Kind Traveler, there was not a hotel booking site that helps travelers vote with their dollars for causes they care about with the reward of exclusive hotel rates. The opportunity for travelers to marry purpose with purchase comes at a time when individuals are looking to have an impact on important issues, given the political, societal and environmental uncertainties that regularly dominate news headlines.

"Today there are 1.2 billion international travelers and there are 1.8 billion projected by 2030. The impact of tourism on the world can be positive or negative. Kind Traveler helps everyday travelers become a positive force for good by providing values-aligned vacation options that serve the greater good," said Kelley Louise executive director of Travel+SocialGood, a nonprofit launched in partnership with +SocialGood Network, a United Nations Foundation initiative.

On a local level, when a hotel joins the platform, Kind Traveler helps them to facilitate an alliance with a local charity. This gives travelers the ability to address hyper-local issues through its network of local charities.

Site Web: Kind Traveler