CENTER FOR RESPONSIBLE TRAVEL
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Mission Statement
The Center for Responsible Travel's mission is to be a center of tourism knowledge, empowerment, and action for destination communities.
About This Cause
The Center for Responsible Travel (CREST) is a nonprofit organization founded in 2003 with the belief that travel, when thoughtfully managed, can be a powerful tool for protecting the environment, preserving culture, and creating meaningful benefits for communities. Today, CREST stands as a center of tourism knowledge, empowerment, and action, dedicated to ensuring that tourism is a force for good — for people, for place, and for the planet. Our work bridges research, collaboration, and action. We combine academic rigor with real-world practicality, producing applied research that informs decision-making for destinations, policymakers, businesses, and nonprofits. We work side-by-side with communities to develop destination stewardship plans, implement conservation and tourism infrastructure projects, and build systems where local voices shape tourism’s impact. We bring multiple perspectives to the table — ensuring that historically underrepresented communities have a voice in shaping their futures. And we advocate for tourism policies and practices that address critical global challenges, from climate change and biodiversity loss to the erosion of cultural identity and social inequity. Our program areas include: 1) Applied Research: Distilling complex sustainability research into accessible knowledge that can be used by practitioners and destination leaders worldwide. 2) Destination Stewardship and Implementation: Helping communities protect their cultural, natural, and spiritual assets while building resilient visitor economies. 3) Advocacy and Systems Change: Working across sectors to reform policies, address inequities, and ensure small businesses and communities are not left behind as tourism evolves. 4) Education and Capacity Building: Hosting forums, training programs, and knowledge exchanges to foster collaboration and inspire action across the tourism sector. CREST’s recent projects range from developing comprehensive stewardship plans in places like Taos, New Mexico and Lake Tahoe, California/Nevada, to implementing on-the-ground conservation projects in Torres del Paine National Park, Chile. We collaborate with Indigenous communities, rural towns, national parks, small businesses, and international coalitions to build a tourism future that is more inclusive, equitable, and regenerative. Supporting CREST means investing in a future where travel is not extractive but restorative — where visitors contribute to the places they experience, and communities have the power to determine their own destinies. Every contribution helps us bridge research with action, amplify local leadership, and ensure that tourism strengthens rather than erodes the fabric of communities and ecosystems. Join us in reimagining the future of travel. Learn more at www.responsibletravel.org.