What It Means to Travel with a 1% for the Planet Company

When you travel with Journeys International, your journey is about more than seeing remarkable places. It is also an investment in the people, cultures, and natural environments that make those places worth visiting.

As a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer, I was drawn to Journeys International because of its long-standing commitment to ethical travel, conservation, and the communities and environments that make travel meaningful. That connection runs deep within the company’s history. Journeys International founders Will and Joan Weber were also Returned Peace Corps Volunteers, and their experiences abroad helped shape their belief that travel can create meaningful connections and contribute to positive change.

During my Peace Corps service in Togo, West Africa, I saw firsthand how closely daily life is tied to the natural world. I lived in a small subsistence farming community where rainfall, changing seasons, and environmental pressures directly affected livelihoods, food security, and everyday life. That experience continues to shape my belief that travel should support the places that welcome and inspire us, not simply pass through them.

That is what Journeys International’s membership in 1% for the Planet means in practical terms. At least one percent of our annual revenue supports approved environmental organizations and initiatives. For travelers, it means environmental giving is not an optional add-on. It is part of how Journeys does business and an extension of values that have guided the company for more than 45 years.

A Commitment Rooted in Our History

Long before sustainable travel became a widely used phrase, Journeys International was connecting travelers with local communities, supporting conservation efforts, and working to minimize the negative impacts of travel. Will and Joan’s shared passion for conservation began with the first Earth Day in 1970. As pioneers in ecotourism, they believed travel could create meaningful cultural exchange while also supporting the protection of the places travelers came to experience. That philosophy led to the creation of the Earth Preservation Fund, or EPF, in 1979. The fund was designed to connect travelers with grassroots conservation and community development projects in the destinations they visited.

Over the years, the EPF has supported reforestation, education, conservation, disaster relief, cultural preservation, and sustainable development projects around the world. It remains an important part of our work today. In 2024, Journeys took another step in that ongoing commitment by becoming a member of 1% for the Planet.

Why We Joined 1% for the Planet

1% for the Planet is a global network of businesses that commit at least one percent of annual revenue to approved environmental organizations and initiatives. For Journeys International, joining the network was not a change in direction. It was a natural next step that formalized and verified a commitment that has shaped the company since its earliest days.

As part of the annual certification process, members document their qualifying revenue and environmental contributions. This accountability helps ensure that environmental giving remains a meaningful business commitment rather than simply an aspiration.

Membership also connects Journeys with a global network of businesses and nonprofit organizations working to protect biodiversity, address climate change, and strengthen environmental resilience. Because Journeys’ commitment is based on annual revenue, every booking helps sustain that environmental giving.

What This Means for Your Journey

When you choose to travel with Journeys International:

• Environmental giving is built into our business model, not added as a separate fee at checkout.
• At least one percent of annual revenue supports approved environmental organizations and initiatives.
• Your booking helps sustain conservation and community-based work through the Earth Preservation Fund and other carefully selected environmental partners.
• You travel with a company that recognizes both the benefits and the environmental responsibilities of tourism.

Membership in 1% for the Planet is only one part of our approach, but it gives travelers a clear and accountable way to understand our commitment.

The Role of the Earth Preservation Fund

The Earth Preservation Fund helps turn this commitment into action.

The EPF is an environmental partner within the 1% for the Planet network, creating a connection between Journeys travelers and conservation and community-based initiatives around the world.

The fund supports projects that:

• Protect wildlife and natural ecosystems
• Promote sustainable livelihoods
• Support local communities in travel destinations
• Preserve cultural heritage
• Respond to environmental challenges at the grassroots level

The EPF focuses especially on locally led projects, where relatively modest investments can make a meaningful difference. These efforts may be smaller in scale than major international programs, but they are often closely connected to the needs and priorities of the communities involved.

Addressing the Carbon Impact of Travel

Travel has an environmental footprint. Air travel, ground transportation, lodging, and other tourism activities all contribute to greenhouse gas emissions. Travel can also create important economic, cultural, and conservation benefits, but those benefits do not erase its environmental costs. Responsible travelers and travel companies must acknowledge both realities.

For many years, Journeys International has worked with the Earth Preservation Fund to address a portion of this impact through its Carbon Reduction Program. The program estimates emissions associated with travel and purchases carefully vetted carbon credits that are independently verified under recognized standards. These credits support projects designed to reduce, prevent, or remove greenhouse gas emissions. In doing so, they help mitigate some of the climate impact associated with travel.

Carbon credits are not a complete solution, and they do not make the emissions from a journey disappear. They are one tool among many. Journeys also continues to look for ways to reduce its overall footprint through thoughtful itinerary design, responsible business practices, local partnerships, and support for more sustainable forms of tourism.

Travel as a Force for Good

Responsible travel is not only about minimizing harm. It is also about asking how travel can create positive outcomes.

When thoughtfully managed, tourism can help:

• Support conservation and protected areas
• Provide sustainable livelihoods
• Strengthen locally owned businesses
• Create opportunities for cultural exchange
• Help communities preserve traditions, landscapes, and wildlife

Many of the places travelers love depend in part on tourism revenue to protect natural areas, sustain cultural resources, and create economic opportunities for local people. Choosing a company committed to environmental stewardship does not remove every impact of travel. It does allow travelers to take part in a more thoughtful approach, one that recognizes the connection between exploration, conservation, and community well-being.

Every journey becomes part of a larger story that includes local partnerships, conservation projects, carbon mitigation efforts, and long-term investment in the places we visit.

Looking Ahead

Joining 1% for the Planet represents an important milestone for Journeys International, but it is not a new direction. It is a continuation of the values that have guided the company since its founding. As we look to the future, we remain committed to responsible travel, environmental stewardship, and the communities and ecosystems that make meaningful exploration possible.

We believe exploration and conservation can go hand in hand. Through our membership in 1% for the Planet, the ongoing work of the Earth Preservation Fund, and the support of travelers like you, we continue working toward a future in which travel helps protect the world we all share.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Journeys International donate 1% of profits or 1% of revenue?

Journeys International’s commitment is based on qualifying annual revenue, not profit. This means environmental giving remains part of our business commitment regardless of annual profitability. Our revenue and qualifying contributions are documented through the 1% for the Planet certification process.

Does my trip cost more because Journeys International is a member of 1% for the Planet?

There is no separate 1% for the Planet fee or environmental surcharge added to your booking. Journeys International’s contributions are built into our overall business model and reflect values that have guided the company for decades.

What kinds of projects does the Earth Preservation Fund support?

EPF-supported projects vary from year to year. They have included reforestation efforts in Peru, educational initiatives in Nepal and Uganda, cultural

preservation projects in Ladakh, Jaguar conservation research in Brazil, disaster relief efforts, and community-based sustainability programs in destinations around the world.

The fund often focuses on small, locally led projects where relatively modest financial support can make a meaningful difference.

What is a carbon offset?

A carbon offset, or carbon credit, represents a measurable reduction or removal of greenhouse gas emissions intended to compensate for emissions produced elsewhere. Projects may include renewable energy, methane capture, forest conservation, or other activities that reduce or remove emissions.

The quality of a credit depends on factors such as how its impact is measured, whether the reduction would have happened without the project, how long the benefit will last, and whether the results are independently verified.

Are carbon offsets enough to make travel sustainable?

No. Carbon credits do not eliminate the emissions created by a journey, and they are not a substitute for reducing emissions wherever possible.

They are one mitigation tool alongside thoughtful itinerary design, responsible transportation and lodging choices, strong local partnerships, conservation support, and continued efforts to improve business practices.

How can I learn more or contribute?

You can explore the Earth Preservation Fund’s projects and Carbon Reduction Program through the EPF section of our website. Travelers who wish to support a particular project or make an additional contribution are also welcome to do so.