Purposeful Travel Summit

People, Planet, Place and Pace

The Purposeful Travel Summit will launch a new era in travel that integrates sustainability, education and a passion to promote travel that contributes to a better world. Travel is essential to our growth and wellbeing and to the livelihood of communities worldwide.

People want to travel, and destinations want to host but we all just want to do it a bit better

Purposeful Travel encourages visitors and host destinations to be intentional in the experiences they seek and provide. It encourages intention and awareness in everything we do. Purposeful Travel is based on six principles that represents an exciting vision for travel’s next chapter.

The value proposition in travel has shifted from quantity to quality which implies a stronger connection to place, planet and people.

Tourism has an opportunity to be more sustainable by reducing greenhouse gas emissions and negative impacts on host communities.

Tourism has an opportunity to be more impactful by delivering rejuvenation through wellness travel and connecting to place via slow travel (ie pace).

Education and storytelling are how we create extraordinary experiences that make the world a better place.

"The aim of travel should be to create better global citizens and a global citizen does their best work at home"

Rick Steves

Summit Details

The value proposition in travel has shifted from quantity to quality, and this summit will explore that concept by examining how tourism has an opportunity to:

Be more sustainable by reducing greenhouse gas emissions and negative impacts on host communities.
Be more impactful by delivering rejuvenation through wellness travel and connecting to place via slow travel.
Provide education and encourage storytelling around how we create extraordinary experiences that make the world a better place.

Summit Structure

February 13, 2023 - Pre-Summit Workshop on Truth and Right Relations

February 14 and 15, 2023 - Banff Centre Purposeful Travel Summit

View Full Schedule

Who will be in Attendance?

Purposeful Travel as a concept is inclusive, so the Summit is designed to appeal to industry professionals, (hoteliers, tour operators, service providers), academics, and students. It is also open to essential tourism collaborators such as local governments, non-governmental organizations and of course community members who are residents in and around tourism regions.

We are pleased to announce the February 2023 Purposeful Travel Summit will be an in-person event, with a blend of online and in-person presentations. There will be full Summit, one-day and student attendance packages. Delegates from developing nations and First Nations representatives from North America may apply for subsidies to attend.

Summit Host: Banff Centre, Canada

Banff Centre has a long history of inspiring people to challenge ideas and create change through education and collaborations. It is situated in the majestic Rocky Mountains of Banff National Park and provides a world class setting for the demonstration of what Purposeful Travel may be in the future. A key element is the Banff Net Zero 2035 initiative which aims to make Banff the first carbon neutral tourism destination on the planet.