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BY Nancy Mueller 4 Comments ON August 6, 2012

Make a Difference with Meaningful Trip

“It doesn’t take much to do good,” claims Joe Staiano, founder of Seattle-based Meaningful Trip. He should know.

At home, Staiano devotes his time to several non-profit organizations: ICO (Inner City Outings) through the Sierra Club, IRC (the International Rescue Committee) and Camp Erin, founded by All-Star major league baseball pitcher, Jaime Moyer and his wife Karen, for children grieving the death of someone close to them.

For 10 years Staiano coordinated overseas tours for REI Adventures to such dream destinations as Ecuador/the Galapagos Islands, Turkey and India.  He then spent the next 7 years working in community-based tourism and volunteering his expertise in Africa and Southeast Asia.

Moved to make a difference in the lives of the people he met beyond his own volunteer efforts, Staiano started Meaningful Trip with the goal of giving back to the local communities. Volunteer tourism is a worthy goal, he recognizes, and “the travel and tourism industry can do even more,” starting with his own company.

First, in addition to ensuring the travel expertise of his global partners, Staiano goes further by asking tough questions, such as: “How many women are on your staff?” What are your environmental values?” “What do you do to support your community?”

Second,  a portion of each client’s fees, typically 5 – 10%, is donated to women’s empowerment, health, education, and poverty alleviation. His company also supports hunger and anti-trafficking programs in the U.S.

The third leg of Meaningful Trip’s “Triple Give” giving mechanism extends to Staiano’s dream of “building a community that cares” when clients return from their travels. Through meaningful dinner parties and thought-provoking conversations, Staiano encourages people to explore actions that make a difference in their local communities.

“Travel with an open heart and open mind.  Meaningful travel and you can change the world,” says Staiano.

For more information on responsible travel and all of  Meaningful Trip’s itineraries, including a Founder’s trek in Nepal in November, click : http://www.MeaningfulTrip.com or contact: info@meaningfultrip.com.

*All photos: Copyright Joe Staiano

How are you making a difference in your travels or in your own communities, Wanderboomers? Share your experiences with us here.

Filed Under: Activities, Africa, By Land, By Ship & By Sea, Destinations, Make a Difference Tagged With: activism, Africa, All-Star, All-Star baseball pitcher, Bhutan, Camp Erin, communities, community, community-based tourism, Conversation, dinner parties, economy, Ecuador, environment, explore, giving back, ICO, India, IRC, Jamie Moyer, Joe Staiano, local economy, make a difference, Meaningful Trip, non-profits, REI Adventures, responsible travel, social justice, Southeast Asia, the Galapagos Islands, travel, travel and tourism, travels, trip, trips, volunteer travel, women, women's empowerment

BY Nancy Mueller 12 Comments ON December 26, 2011

2011 – Oh, What a Year!

Guard at Palacio de Gobierno Yours truly with guard outside Palacio de Gobierno in Quito, Ecuador

As 2011 comes to an end, I’ll be posting a series of blogs this week, highlighting my travel adventures over the past year.

First up: a look at a few new friends I made along the way . . .

When you’re traveling solo in a foreign country, it makes a world of difference to have helpful guides who can tell you about the history of the region, drive you safely from one area to another (in this case, up and over narrow passes in the Andes), fill you in on the local cuisine, or keep you company, even if you don’t speak each other’s language. It was my great fortune to have had the assistance of my tour guide and interpreter, Giovanna, and my driver, Manolo, on my trip to Ecuador.

Having not one, but two, naturalists aboard the MV Evolution for my small-ship cruise of the Galapagos Islands, was an unexpected luxury.

On alternate evenings Jorge and Alex presented an overview of the next day’s activities, throwing in salient facts and fun anecdotes about the local landscape and wildlife. Their enthusiasm was infectious on our daily expeditions  to the islands – and they scored extra points for helping with my photography and snorkeling.

Muchas gracias por todo, mis amigos!

What new friends did you meet in your travels this year, Wanderboomers?

Filed Under: Baby Boomers and Travel, By Land, By Ship & By Sea, Destinations, Food & Dining, Galapagos Islands Tagged With: amigos, Andes, driver, Ecuador, friends, Galapagos Islands, Government Palace, guard, interpreter, language, muchas gracias, naturalist guides, naturalists, Palacio de Gobierno, Quito, Spanish, tour guide, travel, trip

Hello fellow wanderboomers! I’m a Seattle-based travel journalist, specializing in fun travel adventures for the young at heart. My articles have been featured in Hemispheres, AAA Highroads Magazine and Northwest Travel & Life Magazine where I'm a frequent contributor. When this Wanderboomer isn’t traveling, I help global executives polish their personal and professional brand for long-term results.
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