Jacada Travel has launched the Jacada Positive Impact Collection, highlighting properties spanning Africa, Latin America, Europe and the Asia Pacific. The collection is built on an evidence-based approach to evaluating sustainability that cuts through the noise of “greenwashing.” Properties included are dedicated to fostering long-term positive change by implementing a range of initiatives that align with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). They are distinguished by placing the role of addressing social and environmental challenges at the core of their business, purpose and vision.
While Jacada Travel offers its clients hotels, resorts and boats that operate to the highest ethical standards, those celebrated through the Positive Impact Collection actively address location-specific issues, utilizing tourism to fund social and environmental initiatives.
The impact these properties seek to achieve is strategic, aiming to reduce carbon footprints, conserve natural resources, promote community engagement and preserve culture. Through educating guests, staff and the wider community, they not only raise awareness but also foster a deeper understanding of these crucial issues. With strategic, large-scale impact goals, their ultimate aim is to actively encourage positive transformation in their local areas.
Key to building Jacada Travel’s Positive Impact Collection is an in-depth survey that was created to assess each property’s true impact. Broken down into three pillars—community, climate and conservation—the survey required accommodation partners to provide details of their initiatives, policies, plans and targets. A rigorous methodology was employed to weigh the effectiveness and impact of projects ranging from sourcing practices and the cultivation of opportunities for local talent to the reduction or elimination of plastics and measurement of carbon emissions.
The initial Positive Impact Collection survey collected in-depth responses to 56 questions, give or take, according to the respondent’s location and services offered. For instance, hotels in areas with rich wildlife were expected to have additional effective wildlife protection policies in place, while those in urban areas were evaluated on their initiatives to preserve culture and heritage.
It took Jacada Travel six months to collect and complete a review of submissions from more than 300 properties. Properties chosen for inclusion in the Positive Impact Collection have also been reviewed by regional heads of travel design at Jacada Travel, who have either previously curated the properties for luxury tours or visited them in person.
Each survey section was scored according to the responses, and the scores were totaled into an overall percentage to indicate levels of success. In the end, only those properties that scored more than 70 percent were invited into the Positive Impact Collection.
The Positive Impact Collection benefits travelers who are motivated to use their investment in travel for long-term impact, enabling them to choose luxury hotels, boats and camps that align with their values, contribute to the well-being of destinations, and foster a more responsible and respectful way of exploring the world.
New applications to the Positive Impact Collection will be evaluated on a six-month basis, with properties that didn’t make the cut to continue sharing updates on their sustainability journeys.
For more information, visit www.jacadatravel.com.
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