Kind Traveler launched Every Stay Gives Back in September 2023 and has raised more than $200,000 in donations for local charities in participating destinations in just 11 months.
Travelers Want Their Travel Dollars to Positively Impact Local Communities
The increasing frequency of climate-related events, such as wildfires and rising sea levels, coupled with a growing awareness of social justice issues, has prompted travelers to seek ways to give back to the communities they visit. According to Kind Traveler’s 2022 Impact Tourism Report, 97 percent of travelers desire their travel dollars to positively impact the communities they visit, and 75 percent believe traveling sustainably enhances their vacation experience. Despite this, half of travelers feel uncertain about how to start, leading to a big gap between intent and action.
“The Every Stay Gives Back program is a natural progression in our commitment to stewardship and sustainability, aiming to enhance the positive impact of travel on our community,” said Visit Oceanside CEO Leslee Gaul. “Research shows that visitors want to support the communities they visit, and this program offers an easy and effortless way to do so while enjoying an unforgettable stay along the beautiful Oceanside coast.”
Local Charity Beneficiaries
Kind Traveler’s Every Stay Gives Back program in Oceanside benefits WILDCOAST and the Berry Good Food Foundation, both essential for the well-being of Oceanside. WILDCOAST is an international team that conserves coastal and marine ecosystems and addresses climate change through natural solutions. A portion of funds raised is earmarked for Oceanside’s Coastal Dunes Restoration Project, which will restore coastal dune habitat using green engineering to help the coastline hang on to sandy resources. The Berry Good Food Foundation’s initiatives include promoting sustainable agriculture, increasing access to healthy food, and supporting local farmers and producers. Together, these organizations work to protect Oceanside’s natural beauty and promote sustainable practices, ensuring a vibrant future for the community and its environment.
Participating Lodging Partners:
Marbella, Beachfront Only Vacation Rentals, and Stay Coastal Vacations are the pioneering lodging partners joining Kind Traveler’s Every Stay Gives Back program with Visit Oceanside, which is dedicated to advancing responsible tourism in Oceanside. This partnership marks a revolutionary step for Kind Traveler as it is the first time they have collaborated with vacation rental management groups, expanding their impact beyond traditional hotels. Marbella offers a luxurious and eco-friendly stay, Beachfront Only provides upscale oceanfront properties with eco-friendly features, and Stay Coastal Vacations offers stylish accommodations focusing on sustainable practices. Based on average annual occupancy rates for Oceanside vacation rental properties, Oceanside’s Kind Traveler program could generate over $17,000 yearly to support local causes. Both Kind Traveler and Visit Oceanside seek to add new lodging partners to the program to unite responsible travel efforts across the City and scale the positive impact potential.
Building Measurable Positive Impact Metrics
The program empowers travel dollars to fund the local charity beneficiaries with every guest stay, aligning with the UN Global Goals for Sustainable Development. Kind Traveler verifies and tracks monthly donations to local charities, providing transparent and real-time reporting to communicate their initiatives effectively to guests and stakeholders.
For example, with Marbella and Stay Coastal Vacations, one dollar per night is donated to WILDCOAST. For every $10 donated, WILDCOAST can restore coastal habitat for one native wildlife creature, advancing ocean and dune conservation efforts in Oceanside. Native wildlife coastal species that play a critical part in Oceanside’s local ecosystem include pelicans, cormorants, egrets, herons, shore crabs, and more.
With Beachfront Only Vacation Rentals, two dollars per stay is donated to the Berry Good Food Foundation. For every $10 donated, the foundation can provide a student with fresh ingredients to participate in a garden-to-table cooking class, promoting healthy food systems and sustainable agriculture in the community.
In the first two months after a soft launch, these initiatives have already directed $2,424 in donations to Berry Good Food Foundation and WILDCOAST. In the soft launch,130 students participated in its garden-to-table cooking class, enhancing Oceanside’s efforts to promote sustainable food systems. With WILDCOAST, the donations restored coastal habitats for 109 native wildlife creatures.
Oceanside: A Commitment to Responsible Tourism
The launch of Love O’side and Kind Traveler’s Every Stay Gives Back program aligns with Visit Oceanside’s Sustainable Tourism Master Plan (STMP), promoting responsible tourism growth to benefit the economy, environment, and local community.
“Travelers require a continual fuel of inspiration to motivate responsible travel choices. Kind Traveler is delighted to provide visitors with an exciting new way to empower their next vacation in Oceanside and help create a powerful legacy of purposeful change,” said Jessica Blotter, Co-Founder & CEO of Kind Traveler.
To start planning your Oceanside vacation and #TravelKindly, visit: https://www.kindtraveler.com/content/visit-oceanside or https://www.visitoceanside.org/.
Media Contacts: Kind Traveler: [email protected]
Visit Oceanside: Shae Geary, [email protected]
For downloadable images, please see our media gallery here
ABOUT KIND TRAVELER
Kind Traveler is an internationally acclaimed, responsible travel platform that empowers travelers to create positive change in local communities by supporting environmental and social initiatives through their stay with participating lodging and charity partners. Kind Traveler advances its mission through a diverse portfolio of over 350 hotel, destination, and charity partners in 25 countries. As a pioneering women-and-veteran-owned public benefit corporation in responsible tourism since 2016, Kind Traveler has fostered a culture of giving back in the hospitality industry, helping to build measurable sustainability metrics for destinations. In a groundbreaking move for 2023, Kind Traveler launched its Every Stay Gives Back community impact program, ensuring every guest stay funds local charities with participating lodging partners, no matter where the booking originates. Remarkably, 100% of the funds go directly to the participating charities, amplifying the positive impact on local communities. A Blue Startups portfolio company, Kind Traveler’s innovative approach has been cited in 600+ news articles and has earned global awards from prestigious organizations, including Fast Company, Travel + Leisure, Newsweek, Lufthansa Innovation Hub, and UNWTO. Discover how to make a meaningful difference on your next vacation by visiting KindTraveler.com.
ABOUT VISIT OCEANSIDE
Visit Oceanside Conference and Visitors Bureau is the trusted travel authority for Oceanside, California. As Oceanside’s official tourism marketing organization, Visit Oceanside promotes travel to the city for both leisure and group visitors. The organization influences about one-third of the $589 million that is generated by visitor spending in Oceanside each year, which supports nearly 3,900 jobs. Visit Oceanside also operates one of the state’s official California Welcome Centers. With just one stop, visitors can find local, regional and state maps, purchase discount tickets to major Southern California attractions, make hotel reservations or shop for the perfect California keepsake. The Visit Oceanside CVB and California Welcome Center- Oceanside are conveniently located just off Interstate 5 at 928 North Coast Highway. For more information, please call (800) 350-7873 or visit www.visitoceanside.org
ABOUT OCEANSIDE
Perfectly situated between metropolitan San Diego and Los Angeles, Oceanside is Southern California’s most authentic beach town. Visitors enjoy a quintessential California coastal escape, including wide sandy beaches, a quaint New England-style harbor, a historic wooden pier, and charming bungalow neighborhoods. O’side (as locals affectionately call it) is a destination of discovery where visitors can explore everything from California history at the “King of Missions” to surf culture at the California Surf Museum and awe-inspiring sea life through exciting ocean adventures. This playful and fun destination thrives on taking recreation to the next level and boasts world-class surfing, skateboarding, bike riding, boating and even skydiving. A flourishing food and craft beer scene reflects Oceanside’s creative and entrepreneurial spirit, as do exciting arts and culture programs highlighting the city’s history, diversity and friendly, laid-back attitude. Classically charming, eclectic, and always genuine, Oceanside is an ideal place to stay and a true O’riginal. www.visitoceanside.org
Media Contact
Jessica Blotter, Kind Traveler, 1 6195192437, [email protected], www.kindtraveler.com
Shae Geary, Visit Oceanside, [email protected], https://visitoceanside.org/
SOURCE Kind Traveler
