Decolonizing the tourism industry requires using language and asking questions that actually center local communities.
ROOTED IS a...
Solutions platform at the intersection of sustainable tourism, storytelling, and social impact.
Rooted's mission is to responsibly document, support, celebrate, and share sustainable travel-related initiatives that prioritize local communities and the planet – and to help others do the same.
Nepal
In the buffer zone of Chitwan National Park, local residents who used to kill wildlife that strayed onto farmland now keep poachers at bay.
Colombia
In Miravalle Territorial Area for Training and Reincorporation, ex-FARC guerillas laid down rifles for
rafting paddles and established a tourism business to sustain their village.
India
In Ladakh, a trekking company has electrified more than 100 remote villages, providing work for women and discouraging youth from migrating to urban areas.
Around the world, people have found creative ways of responding to some of the world’s most pressing issues.
It’s time we hear their stories.
Rooted is a resource and source of inspiration for new and seasoned professionals eager to approach the travel industry from a solutions-oriented and community-focused perspective. It provides ideas and insight for aligning tourism-related work with the UN's sustainable development goals.
Rooted is created and curated by JoAnna Haugen, a global citizen with decades of industry, international living, and traveling experience. Her goal is to help tourism professionals decolonize travel and support sustainable development using strategic storytelling.
For Content Creators
Unlock the potential of your critical role in the travel industry and responsibly use your influence.
For Travel Service Providers & Destinations
Identify opportunities to support communities' sustainable development goals and turn passive travelers into powerful word-of-mouth ambassadors.
For Students & New Professionals
Learn how to navigate tourism's ability to support sustainable development and embrace responsible communication, regardless of your role in the industry.
Other Resources
The Resource Hub is a list of internal and external resources, carefully curated to make sure you have the very best, most comprehensive information at your fingertips, regardless of your role.
Recent Stories
Despite slow but significant changes to tourism, some places may benefit from no travel at all. Is the industry willing to go there?
Subjective travel content can be used effectively, but there are often better ways to entice people with written and oral communication.
Tour companies are touting ways for people to “give back” while traveling, but it’s not clear what that means or if it serves communities.
Travel influencers have traditionally shown quantifiable value. What role should they play in an industry increasingly focused on quality?
Sustainability goals in tourism should be made public for accountability and so others can learn from the process.
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