Custom Holidays Cares
Our Commitment to Meaningful Travel
At Custom Holidays, we believe travel has the power to do more than create wonderful memories—it can also support the places we visit and the people who call them home. While we know we don't have all the answers, we are committed to making thoughtful choices that help our tours have a more positive impact on communities and the environment.
Meaningful travel is an ongoing journey, and we're continually looking for new ways to improve. As we plan our tours, we're intentionally seeking experiences that support locally owned businesses, family-owned restaurants, nonprofits, Indigenous organizations, minority-owned businesses, artisans, and community partners. We believe these experiences not only strengthen local economies but also create more authentic and memorable travel experiences for our guests.
Our Journey Toward Meaningful Travel
Meaningful travel isn't a marketing campaign—it's a long-term commitment. Every year we're learning, making improvements, and finding new ways to create tours that benefit our travelers, the communities we visit, and the environment.
Beginning Our Journey
Our formal commitment to meaningful travel began in 2024 when we joined Tourism Cares and completed an intensive 16-week Meaningful Travel Course, learning how tour operators can better support destinations, local economies, cultures, and the environment.
- Signed the Glasgow Declaration on Climate Action in Tourism, joining organizations worldwide committed to supporting the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement
- Began incorporating meaningful travel principles into every new tour we develop
- Started evaluating destinations through the lens of community impact—not just visitor appeal
- Owner Wendy Baggett began donating her Tour Director gratuities to local and national nonprofit organizations, extending the positive impact of every tour
Putting Our Learning Into Action
After completing our training, we began implementing meaningful changes across our tours and business operations—intentionally seeking experiences that support locally owned businesses, family-owned restaurants, local guides, nonprofits, minority-owned businesses, Indigenous organizations, and local artisans and makers.
Many itineraries were updated to include more farm-to-table dining, preservation and conservation sites, cultural and educational experiences, and authentic opportunities to connect with local communities. We eliminated single-use plastic water bottles on multi-day tours and began providing reusable Custom Holidays water bottles.
Sharing our knowledge: Christina Werner authored the National Tour Association's Meaningful Travel Guide, helping other tour operators across North America incorporate responsible and community-focused tourism into their businesses.
Accessibility: Custom Holidays became VisitAble Certified, demonstrating our commitment to creating more welcoming travel experiences for guests of all abilities.
Measuring Our Impact
In 2026 we reached an exciting milestone by operating our first Carbon Neutral Tour—measuring the tour's greenhouse gas emissions and investing in verified carbon offsets to balance its climate impact.
- Expanded meaningful travel experiences across more itineraries
- Continued building partnerships with organizations focused on conservation, culture, and community
- Increased the number of locally owned businesses included in our tours
- Continued incorporating Indigenous land acknowledgements where appropriate
Looking Ahead
Meaningful travel is never finished. During 2027 we plan to continue building on our progress by:
- Measuring more of our environmental impacts across our tours and business operations
- Developing a formal Climate Action Plan
- Expanding carbon-neutral tour opportunities
- Strengthening partnerships with environmentally and socially responsible suppliers
- Continuing to support locally owned businesses and nonprofits
- Creating additional educational and culturally meaningful experiences
- Setting measurable sustainability goals and reporting on our progress over time
Rather than trying to be perfect, our goal is continuous improvement—making each year more meaningful than the last.
Reducing Our Environmental Impact
We're taking practical steps to reduce the environmental impact of our tours whenever possible. These efforts include:
Seeking partnerships with hotels, attractions, and suppliers that demonstrate environmentally responsible practices
Incorporating more farm-to-table and locally sourced dining experiences
Offering more plant-forward meal options and reducing beef where appropriate to help lower the carbon footprint of included meals
Encouraging reduced housekeeping services during hotel stays to conserve water and energy
Using recycled paper whenever possible for our office and tour materials
Providing reusable water bottles on our multi-day tours to help reduce single-use plastic waste
Incorporating Indigenous land acknowledgements and opportunities to learn about local cultures and histories in a respectful way
Continuing to expand meaningful experiences that connect travelers with the destinations they visit
Our First Carbon-Neutral Tour
In 2026, we proudly operated our first carbon-neutral tour, with the emissions from that tour measured and balanced through verified carbon offsets. Building on what we learned, we're working to expand these opportunities and offer additional carbon-neutral departures in 2027.
Measuring Our Progress
We also recognize that meaningful progress starts with understanding our impact. Throughout 2027, we'll be expanding how we measure and track our environmental footprint, including collecting better data on our tours, identifying opportunities to reduce emissions, and using that information to guide future improvements. We believe in making decisions based on measurable progress rather than assumptions.
Tourism Cares Member
Custom Holidays is proud to be a member of Tourism Cares, a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing the travel industry through meaningful community partnerships and responsible tourism practices. Through Tourism Cares, we're connecting with destinations and organizations that create travel experiences benefiting both travelers and local communities.
Glasgow Declaration Signatory
We have also signed the Glasgow Declaration on Climate Action in Tourism, a global initiative that brings together tourism organizations committed to supporting the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement. By signing the declaration, we've committed to measuring our progress, developing a climate action plan, sharing our journey transparently, and working to reduce the climate impact of our business over time.
The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals
The UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a global framework adopted by all UN Member States to create a healthier, more equitable, and more sustainable future by 2030. While a small tour operator can't directly impact all 17 goals, we've chosen to focus on the areas where travel can make the greatest difference.
Good Health & Well-Being
Travel encourages physical activity, time outdoors, lifelong learning, and meaningful social connections—all of which contribute to overall well-being.
- Walking tours and outdoor experiences
- Nature-based destinations
- Opportunities for social connection
- Wellness through travel
Sustainable Cities & Communities
Tourism can strengthen communities when it supports local businesses, protects historic places, and celebrates local culture.
- Supporting locally owned businesses
- Visiting preservation and conservation sites
- Celebrating regional heritage
- Partnering with local guides and artisans
- Promoting cultural understanding
Climate Action
We recognize that travel has an environmental footprint, and we're committed to reducing ours over time through thoughtful planning and continuous improvement.
- Carbon-neutral tour initiatives
- Reusable water bottles and reduced single-use plastics
- More locally sourced meals; reducing beef where appropriate
- Measuring our environmental impact
- Developing a Climate Action Plan
Partnerships for the Goals
Creating meaningful travel requires collaboration. We're proud to work alongside partners who share our commitment to responsible tourism, including:
- Tourism Cares
- National Tour Association
- VisitAble
- Local nonprofits and community organizations
- Destination partners and small businesses throughout North America
Our Goals
As we continue this journey, we're focused on five guiding priorities:
- 1
Develop a more sustainable supply chain by working with businesses that share our values.
- 2
Create a Climate Action Plan with measurable goals and transparent reporting.
- 3
Strengthen community engagement by supporting local economies, nonprofits, and cultural organizations.
- 4
Promote ethical and meaningful tourism that benefits both travelers and the destinations we visit.
- 5
Measure our progress and continuously improve our tours and business practices.
We know that meaningful travel is never "finished." As our company grows, we'll continue listening, learning, measuring, and improving—creating unforgettable travel experiences while caring for the people, places, and communities that make those experiences possible.
Travel meaningfully. Make a difference.
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