[…]surveys show a majority of travelers—more than 70%—aspire to travel more responsibly. The push and pull have helped spark what’s increasingly being called “activist tourism,” with a new wave of hotels and tour operators inviting guests to take part in protecting fragile environments. Some activities focus on stewarding the land; others go further, encouraging travelers to take part in restoration projects or conservation work. Conservationists say these efforts matter: Small choices, multiplied, can help secure a healthier planet for future generations. And with more than 300 million people traveling abroad in the first three months of 2025 alone, even modest shifts in behavior can have an outsized effect.

Whether activist tourism can live up to its promise comes down to execution. Simon Donner, a climate scientist at the University of British Columbia, is skeptical and cautioned that greenwashing can undermine environmental gains when trips function more as marketing than stewardship. “People need to come home feeling inspired to seek systematic, transformational change, not that the trip was their good deed for the year,” said Donner. “Otherwise, it is making the challenges we face even worse.”

Done ethically, activist tourism can deepen understanding, foster moral growth, and create lasting engagement, according to Dr. Siobhan Speiran, a postdoctoral researcher in wildlife tourism. “Enriching, empowering activities can have a reverberative impact,” she told Atmos, “often inspiring long-lasting commitments to responsible tourism and environmental action.”