Philantourism: a combination of philanthropy and tourism; or the act of choosing a holiday or experience in order to support a destination, in the process ensuring that travel can be a force for good. While there's nothing wrong with a healthy dose of hedonism on holiday - in fact, we would almost insist on it - it is always nice to know that your money is supporting a worthy local cause. An excellent way (if we do say so ourselves) of balancing the two is by adopting our concept of 'Philantourism'. A natural evolution of 'voluntourism', but with less of a time commitment, you can support a destination simply by being there; you don't need to do anything after you arrive other than enjoy yourself and put the money that you'd be spending on your trip anyway into the local economy, including hotels, restaurants and small businesses. In short, we're simply suggesting consciously choosing to visit some seriously special places that remain excellent holiday destinations despite recent hardships. Choose philanthropic travel and you enjoy an incredible adventure while your chosen destination gets some much-needed support, both moral and financial. Win-win if there ever was one.

philantourism holiday ideas

A few suggestions to get the holiday planning process started

Philantourism Holidays by country

Philantourism Holidays Guide

Practical advice and inspiration to help you prepare for your holiday

Who, What, Where?

Choosing where to go and what to do, and knowing who would most benefit from your tourism pound/dollar, can be tricky, but our expert consultants know their destinations inside and out, meaning that they can help you navigate this moral minefield and ensure that you're ticking off your holiday wish-list along the way.

Why?

Because some countries rely far more on tourism than others (tourism accounts for roughly 40% of GDP in the Maldives, for example), and it's a sad fact that many destinations are down on their luck. That could be due to natural disasters, terrorist attacks or now the devastating coronavirus pandemic. Obviously we would never recommend clients to travel anywhere that remains unsafe, but once you get the greenlight to revisit, we can explain how best to benefit the destination in question. On the subject of the coronavirus, the lack of tourists in certain destinations has meant that poaching and illegal logging and fishing is on the increase. Philantourism is the perfect antidote to this, and on a bigger scale travel can - and must be - a force for good.

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