Founded in 2003, the Travel Foundation (TTF) is a non-governmental organization (NGO), working globally to understand and improve the impacts of tourism on destination communities, environment and resources.The organization’s deep experience and understanding of how tourism works – in companies, in communities, and in policy – allows it to quickly identify key issues and their root causes and offer practical solutions towards solving them.

TTF offers a unique and global perspective, having worked in almost 40 countries and built a vast international network, through which it can draw and share expertise and know-how. The team has a deep portfolio of experience working across the entire tourism value chain.

TTF has worked with many well-known travel businesses, providing them with the knowledge, information and tools to maximize the catalytic potential of their supply chains and align with the needs of destinations. The team has also worked with several destination authorities supporting them to develop inclusive, equitable and low-impact tourism development and innovative management strategies, with a particular focus on understanding and addressing the impacts of tourism to generate a net-positive for communities.

Through its work, TTF seeks to innovate and pilot new approaches that lead to systems change at scale. Meanwhile, TTF’s advocacy program has helped to catalyze the global discussion on improved destination management and stewardship which re-frames how success is measured.

In 2019, TTF’s seminal report (produced in partnership with EplerWood International and Cornell University), Destinations at Risk: The Invisible Burden of Tourism, helped shine a light on the hidden costs of tourism. The report has paved the way for destinations to rethink key performance indicators, and more holistically account for the varied costs and benefits of tourism. As a founding member and Chair of the Future of Tourism Coalition, TTF will continue to play a leading role in defining the solutions and knowledge that will help the tourism sector respond to the clarion call for continuous improvement.

At present, TTF is supporting DMOs in Europe, the Caribbean, Asia and North America with a recovery-readiness program, titled “Are You Ready for Recovery?” This program uses a proprietary framework, developed by TTF, as well as workshops and a self-guided manual, to help DMOs understand the impacts on a and needs of their tourism economy, alongside new market expectations, demands and trends to help future-proof their destinations.