Tourism Cares with IPW
Tourism Cares Meaningful Travel Experience with IPW
Saturday, May 4, 2024 | Los Angeles, California | 9am - 2pm PDT
Join Tourism Cares and its partners for the 7th annual Meaningful Travel Experience at U.S. Travel's IPW on Saturday, May 4th, in downtown Los Angeles! Discover the vibrant LGBTQIA+ history and culture of downtown L.A. with expert guides from The Lavender Effect, a purpose-driven organization featured on Tourism Cares’ Meaningful Travel Map.
This half-day program will include:
An immersive 1.5-hour walking tour through significant landmarks and hidden gems, shedding light on the struggles, triumphs, and contributions of the LGBTQIA+ community.
Educational session at the Biltmore Hotel, along with discussions and meaningful reflections that celebrate resilience and diversity.
Lunch at Angel City Brewery, catered by the Los Angeles LGBT Center Catering Program, which provides a foundation of culinary training and skills for students to secure jobs and pursue meaningful careers throughout the Los Angeles restaurant and hospitality sectors.
Space is limited, and IPW attendees must register in advance. All proceeds from the program will benefit Tourism Cares’ and its mission-driven programming.
Join us for an unforgettable exploration of LGBTQIA+ legacy in Los Angeles, where every step is a testament to the power of inclusion and understanding — register today!
Special thanks to our partners:
2023 Tourism Cares at IPW
On May 21, 2023 Tourism Cares and IPW explored meaningful travel along the San Antonio river. Giving attendees the chance to explore and give back to the 2023 host destination.
Attendees took off in kayaks along the San Antonio River Mission Reach Paddling Trail and journeyed through a water landscape that is important to San Antonio’s 300-year history. After kayaking, attendees participated in a lunch + learn session in Confluence Park, and learned from the River Authority and other local organizations about the important work the community is doing to preserve the ecosystem and culture of the city. Following lunch, attendees rolled up their sleeves for a planting and restoration project to leave a lasting impact.
Attendees planted 320 plants in the area surrounding the Friendship Pollinator Garden. The pollinator garden is designed to provide a sanctuary for Monarch Butterflies during their international migration, as well as a crucial habitat for myriad other pollinators and migratory species.
Attendees removed 140lbs of trash from the watershed! Mission Reach at Confluence Park is an active ecosystem restoration project in the southern portions of the densely populated urban section of the San Antonio River Walk. Sudden storms bring large amounts of trash and other nonpoint source pollutants into the river along with stormwater from urban impervious surfaces like roads, parking lots, etc. This is a hazard to the health of the river and all the wildlife and plants that depend on the river for survival.
The San Antonio River Authority and our other local partners were thrilled with the outcome of the day. These community-based organizations truly made the program come alive for the attendees and we look forward to continuing to engage with them via our Tourism Cares Meaningful Travel Map.
Special thanks to all our sponsors and partners
that made this program possible.
Tourism Cares and IPW Orlando 2022 Give Back
On Saturday, June 4th, Tourism Cares hosted a community volunteer event to kick off IPW 2022. IPW delegates joined our partners, IDEAS for us, Fleet Farming, and Audubon Park Community Church in getting the local community garden ready for the summer season. These gardens are located at the center of the community and provide fresh food for residents, local farmers’ markets, and food pantries. The event served as a reminder of how important it is to engage with the people and places of travel when visiting a destination.
Tourism Cares awarded IDEAS for Us a total of $10,000 in support to help fund the community work that began at IPW, as well as for a future project. IDEAS For Us is partnering with Keep Orlando Beautiful to install native plants around the Orlando airport to contribute to biodiversity, clean air, and community beautification. This project implementation will be open to the public as a community event, where people will come together to plant over 400 native grasses, shrubs and pollinator plants on the trail bordering the airport.
Learn more about our local Orlando partners and find more just like them all across North America by visiting our Meaningful Travel Map.
Special thanks to all our sponsors and partners that made this program possible.
2021: Fundraiser to Benefit Three Square in Las Vegas
Thanks to the support of our sponsors and donors, we were able to donate more than $22,000 to Three Square of Southern Nevada during IPW
About the Program:
Over the last four years, Tourism Cares has worked with IPW and its host destination in activating conference attendees to make a difference in the communities where they’re visiting. In 2021, Tourism Cares partnered with Three Square, Southern Nevada’s only food bank, to support them in a fundraising campaign desperately needed as a result of COVID-19.
About Three Square: Three Square works to ensure a more food secure community, with a mission to provide wholesome food to hungry people, while passionately pursuing a hunger-free community.
Why This Matters: The recent coronavirus pandemic exacerbated the local community’s food insecurity and created greater demand on the food bank. During the pandemic year, Three Square distributed more than 56 million meals. This is the equivalent of more than 68 million pounds of food and grocery product.
As a destination largely dependent on tourism, our industry has seen incredible challenges and many have become more reliant on community services. By supporting Three Square, the IPW delegation can make an enormous impact on the people of Las Vegas - and our travel industry colleagues.
Special thanks to all of our donors, and our sponsors and partners that made this fundraiser possible.
