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The RISE Traveler: Unpacking Conversations of Sustainable Travel
Gathering scholars, activists and tourism professionals with expertise in intersectional social justice, DEI, sustainability, and decolonial theory for conversations surrounding the ethics of travel, we’re here to move a step beyond the “Instagram ready” world of travel and to think critically and deeply about how travel can uplift global communities, protect natural ecosystems, and be a source of growth for travelers.
Here at RISE Travel Institute we are committed to empowering travelers and travel professionals through education. Our programs, research, Experiential Journeys, scholarships, and free resources are all aimed at bringing you closer to a more responsible and ethical travel experience. Learn more by visiting RISETravelInstitute.org
Episodes
33 episodes
Focus on tourism and forced migration with Dr. Gada Mahrouse
In this episode of the Rise Traveler podcast, Vincie Ho interviews Dr. Gada Mahrouse, an Associate Professor at Concordia University's Simone de Beauvoir Institute, about the intersection of tourism and forced migration. Dr. Mahrouse discuss...
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Season 4
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Episode 6
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57:14
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Sustainability and Accessibility of Tourism: what are the hidden costs with Dr. Freya Higgins-Desbiolles
In this episode of The RISE Traveler Podcast, Dr. Freya Higgins-Desbiolles, an Adjunct Associate Professor with Department of Recreation and Leisure Studies, University of Waterloo, Canada, Adjunct Professor with the Centre for Research and ...
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1:06:46
Bolivia, Cambodia, and Oklahoma: Dr. Bobbie Chew Bigby on Tourism and Environmental Justice
In this episode of The RISE Traveler Podcast, Dr. Bobbie Chew Bigby, a postdoctoral research fellow at the University of Waterloo, Canada, shares her insights into the intersection of tourism, Indigenous communities, and climate justice.
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Season 4
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Episode 4
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1:25:00
Mega Events and Their Hidden Costs: A Conversation with Christopher Gaffney
Professor Christopher Gaffney teaches at the Tisch Center for Hospitality at New York University. Just in time for the Olympics, RISE’s Founder and Executive Director, Dr. Vincie Ho, sits down with Chris to discuss his work examining the impact...
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Season 4
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Episode 3
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53:14
Community-Based Tourism in Ghana with Mawutor Agbo
On this season of The RISE Traveler podcast, our guest host, Dr. Vincie Ho, Founder and Executive Director of The RISE Travel Institute, will be interviewing critical theory scholars, activists and leaders in sustainability, social and environm...
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Season 4
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Episode 2
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1:07:58
Examining the End of Tourism with Chris Christou
In this season of The RISE Traveler, Dr. Vincie Ho, Founder and Executive Director of The RISE Travel Institute, will be interviewing influential justice activists and thought leaders in conscious travel. She will be going beyond the idea of “s...
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Season 4
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Episode 1
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1:10:00
Mira's Expedition into Conscious Travel
Mira Shah is on a personal journey, exploring sustainable travel across India, Australia, Kenya, and Colombia. This is one of the reasons why she opted to participate in The RISE Travel Institute's Flagship Program- to gain a deeper understandi...
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Season 3
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Episode 10
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24:10
Emerald Isles, Mindful Travels: Laura Kelly's Insights
Laura Kelly is a sustainability advocate with Brendan Vacations, a tour operator focused on Ireland and Scotland. In this interview with host Amy Hager, Laura shares her journey from growing up in an eco-minded household to her current role eva...
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Season 3
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Episode 9
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18:54
Writing the World: Lily Ann's Journey as an Author and Traveler
Author and travel expert Lily Ann Fouts is dedicated to advocating for sustainable and culturally sensitive travel experiences that benefit both travelers and local communities. She was a participant in RISE's Flagship Program, where she earned...
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Season 3
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Episode 8
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25:53
Off the Beaten Path: The Dilemma of 'Secret' Destinations
Aurora Christy Oktavia, an Alumni of the RISE Travel Institute's Pilot Program, currently resides in Bali, Indonesia. She recently completed her Master's degree in International Tourism and Hospitality Management at Griffith University in Austr...
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Season 3
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Episode 7
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24:18
Leaving a Legacy of Peace: A Former Government Employee’s Vision for Sustainable Travel
Tracey Ford is the Founder of Local Insights, a social enterprise dedicated to connecting locals with tourists, offering them authentic personal encounters that go well beyond the typical guideb...
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Season 3
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Episode 6
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16:44
Knowing Names, Building Bonds: Jabulile Ngwenya on Meaningful Travel
Jabulile Ngwenya is a travel coach and advocate for sustainable and responsible travel at Travel Africa with Jabu. With a vision to reshape perceptions of travel to Africa, Jabulile's impactful work is rooted in changing the narrative. In her R...
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Season 3
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Episode 5
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24:18
Running a Sustainable Travel Business: Conscious Travel in Costa Rica
As the owner of Travel with Ann Experiential, Ann Becker consults with nonprofits and small travel businesses with the goal of raising and including more diverse voices, making strategic connections, contributing fresh perspectives as well as t...
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Season 3
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Episode 4
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34:44
Welcoming Foreigners, Supporting Locals: Conscious Travel in Rwanda and Beyond
A leader in the field of sustainability in tourism, Lambert Hategekimana is General Manager at Rwanda Eco Company and Safari. Before his 10+ years in the tourism sector, Lambert worked as an educator. Now, he works alongside some of his former ...
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Season 3
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Episode 3
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18:40
Balancing Adventure and Ethical Travel: A Digital Nomad's Story
Keri Pfeiffer, a digital nomad for almost seven years, works remotely as the Head of Account Management at WeTravel, an online payment platform for tour companies. Following completion of the Sustainability and Anti-Oppression in Travel program...
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Season 3
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Episode 2
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22:42
Travel to Guatemala: A Deeper, Ethical Approach
Sofia Godoy is the Founder and Chief Operations Officer at Etnica, a social enterprise that connects locals to travelers that visit Guatemala and Mexico. She shares the history of Etnica as well as some key examples of how to plan a Guatemala i...
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Season 3
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Episode 1
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29:25
Unpacking the Many Sides of Bhutan
Thinley Choden is a social entrepreneur and consultant devoted to showing travelers the "real" Bhutan as the Co-Owner and CEO of Bhutan Tours and Travel. She sits down with host Amy Hager to talk through the meaning of conscious travel, encoura...
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Season 2
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Episode 12
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22:34
Amplifying Afro-Latino Voices
Kim Hass is the President and Founder of Haas Media and the Executive Director of the public television series “Afro-Latinos with Kim Haas.” Her travel show explores the tremendous impact that Afro-Latinos have had and continue to have on the c...
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Season 2
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Episode 11
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27:37
Reconnecting with Nature: Sustainable Safari
James Mwenda, Founder of James Mwenda Expeditions, shares his expertise in sustainable safari adventures and provides some tips on how to make a safari more than just an Instagram photo opportunity. He shares how to be a responsible wildlife to...
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Season 2
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Episode 10
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25:43
Booking with Purpose: The Hotel That Helps Refugees
Gabriela Sonnleitner is the General Manager of the Magdas Hotel in Vienna, Austria. Austria's first hotel run as a social business, the Magdas provides job training to refugees and asylum seekers, offering support to those struggling to find em...
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Season 2
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Episode 8
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24:51
Education as Activism
Mary Pat Champeau, Director of Graduate Programs at The Institute for Humane Education and Board Secretary at RISE Travel Institute, discusses the importance of learning how one’s everyday choices in their lives can impact their surroundings. S...
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Season 2
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Episode 9
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24:12
Building the Bridge to a More Equal World
This week, Amy sits down with Dr. Anu Taranath, Author of “Beyond Guilt Trips: Mindful Travel in an Unequal World.” Dr. Taranath is also co-teaching a course entitled Locating Ourselves in the Spectrum of Power for RISE Travel Institute. Throug...
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Season 2
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Episode 7
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21:13
Giving Tuesday Special with Tuition Grant Recipient Taylor Ruoff
Today on GivingTuesday 2021, we are raising funds for RISE Travel Institute. All donations made today will go toward tuition grants and travel scholarships for students with demonstrated financial need. Our goal is to raise $10,000 by the end o...
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Season 2
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Episode 3
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17:37
Strategic Thinking: Travel and Systemic Change
Hyungjoon Jin, a K-12 educator, and the Board Treasurer at RISE Travel Institute discusses his approach to making real, lasting systemic change in education and travel. He delves into his powerful and sustainable long-term project in Guatemala ...
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Season 1
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Episode 6
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29:46
Love Without Borders: Art, Travel, and the Refugee Crisis
Kayra Martinez is a flight attendant and Founder and Director of the non-profit Love Without Borders for Refugees in Need, which supports refugees in Greece by building spaces where art and creativity flourish. She touches on how she got ...
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Season 2
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Episode 1
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14:59