Our 2022 Impact Report

Throughout 2022, Planeterra seized numerous opportunities to advance our mission. From our collaboration with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) to the successful launch of the Global Community Tourism Fund, we tirelessly worked to amplify the voices of communities and advocate for their inclusion in key discussions around the future of tourism.

Moreover, we remained committed to supporting our community tourism enterprise partners to recover from the profound impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

2021 Impact Report

From the launch of the Global Community Tourism Network, the Planeterra Trek Challenge, our partnership with the International Union for Conservation of Nature, and completing Project 100 through our year-end fundraiser the Wish List, despite the challenges of the ongoing global pandemic, we are proud of what was accomplished in 2021.

Impact report 2020

2020 Impact Report

2020 started on a high, having set our sights on the successful launch of Project 100, poised to positively impact at least 100 communities by year’s end. However, COVID-19 had other plans for the world. The travel industry and the communities that we work with had an extremely difficult year, but our supporters were there to help.

impact Report 2019

2019 Impact Report

2019 was monumental for Planeterra, as we achieved our 50 in 5 goal, launched 15 new projects, and forged partnerships with new travel brands like Travelsphere and Just You. Not to mention all of the incredible stories of impact we heard – too many for a 26-page report – but we’ve highlighted a handful.

Impact 2018

2018 Impact Report

2018 was an eventful year, filled with social and political movements, polarizing world events, and endless news cycles. Here at Planeterra, we watched the momentum of grassroots-driven movements surge around issues like gender equality. We knew this year we had to put focus on these issues, with our own twist.

2017 Impact Report

Planeterra’s 2017 Impact Report showcases the impact that Planeterra programs had all across the world in 2017. Get to know the donors that make our work possible, see which projects were brought on in 2017, and learn about some of the amazing ripple effects that tourism is having on communities.

2016 Impact Report

Planeterra’s 2016 Impact Report showcases the impact that Planeterra programs had all across the world in 2016. Get to know the donors that make our work possible, see which projects were brought on in 2016, and learn about some of the amazing ripple effects that tourism is having on communities.

Our Guidelines and Manuals

Responsible Community Tourism Development Manual – Part 1 – is based on a strategic planning approach for practitioners, governments, destinations and organizations, either involved in or wishing to embark on a community tourism development journey. The manual includes material on all aspects of the planning process. This work is the result of many years of research and practice by an interdisciplinary team drawn from many countries around the world. The original manual was the work of a team from the University of Calgary (Walter Jamieson, Janet Baker, Dianne Draper, Don Getz). It was further developed by a team at the Asian Institute of Technology as part of a Canadian International Development Agency funded project (Walter Jamieson, Pawinee Sunalai and Pallavi Mandke) and further enhanced by researchers at the Asian Center for Tourism Planning and Poverty Reduction (Walter Jamieson, Pawinee Sunalai and Song-Kanokrattana Netlomwong). Through a new lens, Kelly Galaski and Walter Jamieson worked together to update and include examples and lessons from Planeterra’s experience developing over one hundred community tourism experiences in sixty countries. Planeterra specializes in the connection of community enterprises to the marketplace. Building on established knowledge resources, this manual’s objective is to provide an updated step-by-step guide that includes lessons learned from real community tourism planning processes and enterprise development initiatives.

The work is not yet complete. The next step in this living manual is to turn to our peers – – practitioners, communities, professionals around the world that would like to contribute further updates and examples. Submit your ideas, edits, or illustrative case examples here

Responsible Community Tourism Development Manual – Part 2 – builds on Part 1 by starting at the stage of setting up community tourism experiences and operations.  It is for community organizations and enterprises to use to guide them through the tourism experience development and business management process. Practitioners, governments, destinations and organizations, may also wish to consult Part 2 for details on the operations stages and for links to further guidance. This part of the manual gives a detailed overview of additional resources for developing community tourism enterprises, linking directly to Planeterra’s Learning Hub where readers can delve deeply into experience development related changes in market demands, as well as less commonly known success factors for community tourism enterprises based on working with private sector travel companies. These elements contain the practical guidance needed to make a new small community tourism business work – and be sustainable over the long term.
The work is not yet complete. The next step in this living manual is to turn to our peers, practitioners, communities, professionals around the world that would like to contribute further updates and examples. Submit your ideas, edits, or illustrative case examples here

Indigenous Peoples and the Travel Industry: Global Good Practice Guidelines

June 12, 2018

Indigenous communities and their unique cultures are so important to the authentic tourism experience. Planeterra is committed to respecting the rights, history, and culture of Indigenous people while ensuring that tourism supports their well-being. That’s why we’re aiming to raise the bar for the entire travel industry with practical global guidelines.

Voluntourism Guidelines

May 30, 2017

With the support of the Planeterra Foundation, the International Voluntourism Guidelines for Commercial Tour Operators have been developed by The International Ecotourism Society (TIES) and an international advisory committee. The goal of this project is to develop a practical tool that will help international voluntourism providers plan and manage their programs in a responsible and sustainable manner.

Child Welfare and the Travel Industry

June 26, 2018

Child Welfare and the Travel Industry: Global Guidelines for Good Practice – Full Implementation Guide – This is the full length version of the Child Welfare Guidelines produced by ChildSafe Movement in partnership with Planeterra and G Adventures. It includes implementation tips, case examples, worksheets, resources, etc., that can be used by organizations to develop a robust policy and implementation plan.