Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/884046
city of angels A ngelenos Jessica Blotter and Sean Krejci are a power couple of compassion. Blotter's background includes science teaching, journalism, and animal rescue. Krejci's been a pilot, an entrepreneur, and has worked on visual effects in fi lm. Together they've founded Kind Traveler, the fi rst phil- anthropic give-something-get-something digital platform in the travel sphere. HOW IT WORKS: Travelers make a $10 nightly donation to a favorite charity or a local charity in the place they're going. The donation unlocks a special reduced hotel rate that they can book directly with the property. The idea for Kind Traveler began to form in 2012, when Blot- ter and Krejci took a trip to Belize. The poverty and pollution broke their hearts. They aborted their plan to visit pyramids, instead spending the day feeding homeless dogs. Other tour- ists joined in. As they write on their website, "We marveled at how easy it was to inspire others to do good. While we didn't save the world that day, we realized the importance of simply doing something rather than nothing." Kind Traveler launched in 2016, celebrating its one-year anni- versary in August of 2017. At press time, it's already tripled its original membership; 57 hotels, 50 charities, and 23 destinations have joined Kind Traveler's mission to prevent poverty, protect the planet, and promote well-being for all. Since the UN desig- nated 2017 as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism, Kind Traveler's work is especially timely. First-year accomplishments include 500 meals served to in-need New Yorkers through City Harvest, 630 days of music lessons for kids in underserved schools with Little Kids Rock, 100 trees planted with Arbor Day Founda- tion in US national forests affected by disasters, and 77 days of care for animals rescued from illegal circuses with Animal Defenders International. Participating destinations are still a bit sparse, with California having the most offerings. Kind travelers can also book rooms in a few properties in Miami, Mexico, Hawaii, Costa Rica, Van- couver, Texas, Colorado, Chicago, Minneapolis, and Milwau- kee. Properties in Boston and Washington, D.C. will be coming aboard soon, Blotter says. Current choices are limited, but every property Kind Traveler partners with is a gem. That's because Kind Traveler picks its partners carefully. "The hotels must be passionate about making a local and global impact and offer a competitive exclusive rate that motivates the traveler to give back," says Blotter. Entries on the Kind Traveler website men- tion each hotel's wellness features, green initiatives, and com- munity impact. For example, Vancouver's Loden Hotel provides in-room yoga mats and has guest bikes. Milwaukee's Iron Horse Hotel uses cruelty-free products and purchases locally made staff uniforms. Blotter dreams of a future network of Kind Hotels and des- tinations throughout the world. "With more than one billion global trips taking place last year," Blotter says, "that's one bil- lion opportunities to create a kinder and more compassionate world through travel." By Teresa Bergen Making a Local and Global Impact in Tourism KIND TRAVELER Photos: Courtesy of Kind Traveler December 28-31, 2017 THE POWER IS IN YOUR HANDS... Experience your true Self with Kriya Yoga meditation in the lineage of Paramahansa Yogananda. Activate your deepest intentions at a New Year's re and seed ceremony. Tansfor You Lif! Register by Dec. 20 sunburst.org/new-year KRIYA INITIATION & RETREAT By Teresa Bergen Making a Local and Global Impact in Tourism October/November 2017 7