Elevate Destinations

Experts in socially responsible luxury travel. We design travel experiences that support conservation and local communities without skimping on comfort.

What ‘Buy a Trip, Give a Trip’ Is All About

Exciting news! Elevate Destinations’ Buy a Trip, Give a Trip model has been named a finalist for the Responsible Tourism Awards 2016. We’re up against worthy rivals in the ‘Best Innovation by a Tour Operator’ category. Winners will be announced at a ceremony in London’s WTM in November. Wish us luck!

So how does Buy a Trip, Give a Trip work, exactly? In Elevate’s model, a portion of the proceeds from any trip booked goes toward travel excursions for underserved local kids and teens in the destinations where we operate.

In this way, we are democratizing travel experiences, allowing local people access to their own natural and cultural heritage sites that are usually reserved for foreign travelers and the local elite.

Here are 14 tweets that really capture the Buy a Trip, Give a Trip magic!

 

Angkor Wat for Cambodian Kids

For the kids who study Cambodia’s various ABOUTAsia Schools, Tuesday March 31 was a very special day. Their whole lives, they had watched the foreigners that visit their country, ride around in charter buses, take photos, and dine in restaurants. Today, it was their turn. They were escorted in private buses with private guides to the country’s most visited treasure – Angkor Wat.

Wildlife in Costa Rica

A group of grade schoolers from a rural school in Playa Panama, Costa Rica had been studying hard. From their textbooks, they’d learned about Costa Rica’s rich wildlife and natural history in their science classes. They’d been quizzed on the nation’s prized national parks in their social studies classes. As a reward for good grades in their classes, they were selected to experience these wonders firsthand.

Kenyan Kids On Safari

“Thank you, Elevate, for giving these promising Maasai pupils a memorable learning experience and a well-earned reward for their academic achievements. It is essential that local children develop an appreciation for the extraordinary wildlife and wilderness that surround them.”
– Barbara Stoddard, Assistant Director, Campi ya Kanzi and the Maasai Wilderness Conservation Trust

Ziplining in Nicaragua

On a very special Wednesday morning, a group of kids from a rural grade school in Nicaragua assembled, full of excitement and a little nervous. Today they were being treated to something they didn’t even believe existed – a zip line tour through the canopy of Jicaro Island! As they harnessed up, they listened to the safety briefing. Then it was go time. What a rush of thrills and freedom as they glided along the wire through the treetops, one by one.

Summer Camp for Burmese Girls

I never expect to visited Yangon and I never expected to go to a Buddhist temple. But, because of the trust and discussion during our week at our Colorful Girls camp, I enjoyed visiting the pagoda and hearing form my new friends about their religious practices. Of course, it was also great to play in the park. We don’t have any grassy parks like that where I live, so we jumped and played ball. What a day!”
~ One of the participants, age 14, from Kachin

Lake Victoria for Tanzanian Students

“The importance of an educational trip is to improve a person’s knowledge. Trips improve our knowledge like the history in the Sukuma Museum. The trip helps all of us in developing our brains.”
~ Innocent

Cape Town for Uthando Kids

“Thank you sooo much, Elevate Destinations, for providing these children with such an amazing opportunity. They work so hard to better themselves through dance and really deserve such an outing. We so need our children to experience these things, so that they can dream, and hope.”
– James Fernie, Uthando organizer

Bangkok Skyscrapers for Thai Kids)

Firsts:

  • Looking down on Bangkok from the highest lookout point in the city.
  • A buffet lunch on the top floor of a skyscraper. The all-you-can-eat concept was new to most of the kids, who came back for seconds, thirds, and even fourths!
  • They soon discovered the self-service ice cream machine, and eating contests continued on through dessert.
  • Clowning around with a professional magician at the restaurant.
  • Seeing marine life glide by, just an arm’s length away, at the Siam Ocean World Aquarium.

 

Snorkeling in Belize

The day was great from start to finish, with every detail falling smoothly into place. The kids boarded a motorboat for the 20-minute ride to the secluded code of Moho Caye. The sun was bright, shining down on the clear water so that the group could see aquatic life from the boat. Jellyfish! Sea stars! Schools of fish!
Approaching Moho Island, they scouted out an ideal spot to dive in. Donning snorkeling masks and flippers, the kids jumped into the water. After a good time visiting the underwater world, they emerged hungry for a picnic lunch and play time on the beach before heading back on the boat.


Livingstone Museum for Zambian Kids

“We were all very excited to be able to take the bus to Livingstone. I don’t usually go to the town very often.”
~ Emma

“At the museum they have built a traditional village that looks very similar to our village! There is also a big wall with a big picture or mural that shows a more modern life in a town or city like Livingstone or Lusaka. There are a lot of buildings and cars and rubbish.”
~ Grace

Kilimanjaro for Tanzanian Kids

All in one day, this group of youths got in gear for hiking the dramatic terrain of Mount Kilimanjaro National Park. Highlights of the day included a visit to the Mandara Huts, followed by a challenging hike to the rim of Maundi Crater. This hike is known to be quite intense as the Mandara checkpoint is about 2,700 meters above sea level.

The majority of the hike is in the Kilimanjaro’s tropical rain forest – a section of the mountain that is absolutely gorgeous. Hikers tend to cross paths with baboons or mongoose. With tired legs after such a big hike, the group returned satisfied and curious about what the next hiking adventure would be.

Elephants and Art for Zambian Kids

Firsts:

  • Getting close enough to elephants to feel their leathery skin.
  • Learning about elephant behavior and how to stay safe when they are nearby.
  • Enjoying a fun, inspiring space at a lodge that caters to mainly to foreigners.

Wildlife in Guanacaste, Costa Rica

“Thank you Elevate Destinations! I loved it. I really liked it because I discovered a lot of things at Rio Bebedero. It’s beautiful – the animals in the river, and the boat ride was really nice too. Thanks to you, we were really well taken care of for the day. P.S. I’m in grade six and almost finished.”
~ T.K.M.

A Scouting Trip Around Tanzania for High-School Bound Girls

“Thank you, Elevate Destinations and MAD for supporting us with our trip. We learned a lot of things which we had never learnt before. God bless you wherever you are. Also we thank Mama Theresa for planning the wonderful trip for us. Thank you very much.”
~ Omega

 

We believe that giving local youth exposure to tourism’s assets contributes to their education. This fosters a sense of appreciation and stewardship toward their cultural and natural heritage. It also enriches lives and endows them with the kind of life-expanding travel memories that international tourists take for granted.

Dominique Callimanopulos, founder of Elevate Destinations, describes how her vision was hatched. “It is a fact that few locals have the means to visit the very sites that makes their countries attractive to tourists, who spend a lot of money traveling to those sites every year. I felt that offering the same opportunity to local youth sends a message of equanimity, empowerment and equal opportunity to local communities and provides both an educational perspective and feeling of ownership of national resources for those communities. In the case of Africa, engaging locals is key to preventing poaching and preserving wildlife, so there is great benefit there. This is how Buy a Trip, Give a Trip was born!”

Read more Buy a Trip, Give a Trip stories.