Innovative hotel program turns traditional travel on its head: 'We're reimagining hospitality'

To celebrate Earth Day, one hotel platform proved that travel can do more than take you places — it can give back and make the world better along the way. 

Kind Traveler, a woman- and veteran-owned public benefit corporation, expanded its Every Stay Gives Back program to 20 new hotels and 16 new destinations.

Since launching in 2023, this unique initiative has raised more than $530,000 for local causes — from rescuing seabirds on the Oregon coast to delivering fresh produce to food-insecure families in California. 

So, how does it work?

When a guest books a stay at a participating hotel — in places including Maui, Hawai'i; Palermo, Italy; and Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts — a portion of the revenue is donated to a vetted local nonprofit.

These range from wildlife centers and farm sanctuaries to organizations focused on food security, housing, and environmental restoration. Guests even receive a live "impact dashboard" that shows exactly where their money is going. 

Kind Traveler's model of tourism turns traditional travel on its head, aligning with what 71% of travelers say they want: to leave a place better than they found it. 

The collective impact is adding up. 

According to a news release, the organization has supported almost 2,000 students with art supplies via the La Playa Centro Comunitario in Los Cabos, Baja California Sur, and distributed 91,000-plus servings of locally grown produce shared by Farm to Pantry in Sonoma County, California. Additionally, its undertakings have helped rehabilitate hundreds of seabirds and rescue more than 600 homeless dogs. 

This marks an effective and tangible shift toward more conscious community-powered travel. 

"As we celebrate Earth Day 2025, it's clear that travel can be a powerful catalyst for change," said Kind Traveler co-founder and CEO Jessica Blotter. "Through Every Stay Gives Back, we're reimagining hospitality to uplift communities and protect the planet."

Kind Traveler joins a growing wave of companies using their platforms for good. Including REI's Opt to Act initiative and Patagonia's support of grassroots environmental groups, this new generation of businesses is helping travelers make better choices — for the planet and the people living in it. 

In a world that can often feel overwhelming, these programs offer a hopeful, practical path forward — proving that even a vacation can be a powerful act of kindness.

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