Kind Traveler Adds SLO to Destinations Where ‘Every Stay Gives Back’

This week, Kind Traveler — a responsible travel
platform empowering visitors to positively impact local communities — announced
San Luis Obispo, California as the latest addition to its Every Stay Gives
Back program.

Through the partnership with Visit San Luis Obispo,
every guest staying overnight in any of its 42 hotels will contribute to the
planting of new trees in the city through the tourism bureau’s Keys for
Trees program — enhancing the city’s
green space with each visit and advancing its climate-action goals.

Nestled in California’s Central Coast, a lush wine-growing region sandwiched
between Monterey County to the north and Santa Barbara County, the City
of San Luis Obispo (affectionately referred to as “SLO”) has a goal of
reaching carbon neutrality by 2035 — making it an ideal choice for
sustainability-conscious travelers. The Keys for Trees initiative supports SLO’s
goal of planting 10,000 new trees, one part of the City’s Climate Action Plan:
which also includes ongoing efforts to use cleaner energy, encourage
alternative means of
transportation,
and prioritize legislation that enhances sustainability — including banning
single-use plastics and investing in electric buses. By cutting local climate
pollution and adapting to local climate impacts, SLO is doing its part to slow
climate change, provide habitat for wildlife, keep its buildings and streets
cool, and preserve the quality of life in San Luis Obispo for decades and
generations to come.

“San Luis Obispo prides itself on being a longtime trailblazer of sustainability
efforts,” said Molly Cano,
Economic Development & Tourism Manager for the City of SLO. “We were the first
city in the US to ban indoor smoking, we’re home to the first solar-powered
movie theater, and we have no drive-thrus. Partnering with Kind Traveler to help
share Keys for Trees and our big dreams of making a small difference for the
planet is a natural and exciting step for us.”

Keys for Trees was created to support the City’s Climate Action Plan, wherein
the San Luis Obispo Tourism Business Improvement District dedicates one percent
of its annual revenue to help plant 10,000 trees throughout the community in
partnership with a local tree-planting nonprofit
EcoSLO. As the first US destination to launch this type of initiative funded by local
hotels, SLO hopes to inspire other destinations to consider this model that
makes it easy for guests to help preserve the destinations they visit and love.

Artisan-made wood plaques are now at the front desk of every hotel in SLO with a
QR code that links to a live impact
report,
providing visitors with details about the Keys for Trees program and inviting
them to celebrate the fact that their stay has made a positive difference. The
impact report features an educational travel guide, making it easy for guests to
have fun in SLO while maximizing their positive impact. The enhanced layer of
communication, education and third-party validation creates transparency around
the funds raised from every guest stay and invites the visitor on a mutual
journey toward SLO’s carbon neutrality. Since Keys for Trees launched in 2021,
more than $50,000 has been donated to EcoSLO — resulting in dozens of trees
planted throughout the city.

“While giving back to local charities connected to destination wellbeing helps
create a sustainable future, studies share that it’s also related to higher
levels of trip satisfaction for visitors,” stated Jessica
Blotter, CEO & co-founder of Kind
Traveler. “Kind Traveler is thrilled to launch a revolutionary, responsible
tourism model with Visit San Luis Obispo while helping to make future visits to
SLO more purposeful, meaningful and memorable.”

Travelers are increasingly interested in trips that improve the communities
they
visit.
According to Kind Traveler’s 2022 Impact Tourism
Report,
97 percent of travelers want their travel dollars to positively impact the
communities they visit; and 75 percent agree traveling
sustainably
enhances their vacation experience. Despite this, half of travelers say they
don’t know how to start. This new partnership makes it easier for anyone wanting
to make a positive impact on the environment, knowing that just staying in SLO
will better the community and planet.

Launched in September
2023,
Kind Traveler’s Every Stay Gives Back community-impact program features a
collection of destinations, boutique gems, glamping experiences, and luxury
resorts from around the world, where every guest stay with participating
lodging and destination partners funds local charities that are important to the
community — regardless of where travelers
book.

From planting trees in Hawaii and healing wildlife on Catalina Island to funding
afterschool programs in Costa Rica and supporting farm animals in Sonoma County,
Every Stay Gives Back ensures traveler dollars help fund positive change in each
region; so far in 2024, Kind Traveler
says 44
participating hotels have raised over $139K for their communities through the
program.

Now, travelers who visit SLO and stay with participating accommodation partners
such as Hotel
SLO can
see live impact reports and communication tools that make it easy to see how
their travel creates a positive impact, as well as other ways to travel
sustainably. Through the partnership, Hotel SLO is also raising funds for the
Surfrider Foundation.