The initiative was launched on World Tourism Day, 27 September, amid growing use of Community Tourism and positive impact terminology across the travel industry. Planeterra said there is currently no agreed approach to define, measure or verify what meaningful benefit to communities means.
The initiative will bring together Community Tourism Enterprises, global experts and travel companies to examine what positive tourism impact means from the perspective of communities experiencing tourism.
The work will produce two industry tools: the Community Positive Framework, which will define principles and practices for Community Tourism, and the Impact Measurement Toolkit, which will provide methods for tourism businesses to assess partnerships, measure progress and improve their impact.
Planeterra said the absence of a shared definition and measurement approach has become increasingly relevant as more businesses make claims about community benefit. The organization said this can create space for “communitywashing,” where broad claims about supporting communities may not reflect the nature of relationships or the extent of impact.
“There is currently no agreed global standard for defining or verifying what positive community impact from tourism actually means. If we want tourism to genuinely benefit communities, we need to understand what communities themselves define as positive, and have practical ways to measure whether we are delivering it.” said Jamie Sweeting, President, Planeterra.
The framework will begin with input from Community Tourism Enterprises. Starting in October 2026, Planeterra will engage a global cohort through interviews, focus groups and co-creation workshops. Their experiences and perspectives will contribute to the principles, priorities and measures developed through the initiative.
Planeterra has appointed Sustainable Travel & Tourism Africa, led by Community Tourism expert Judy Kepher-Gona, as lead research consultant. A multidisciplinary Expert Panel will also contribute expertise covering Community Tourism, tour operations, international development, equity and sustainability.
The Expert Panel will support the translation of research findings into practical guidance for the wider travel industry.
Industry partners participating in the initiative will contribute to the development of approaches for understanding and measuring community impact.
“It was important for us to fund this work as part of our efforts to support the global travel industry toward a more ethical and sustainable model. Evaneos was built on the idea that tourism should put money and power back into the hands of local communities and economies, and we’re committed to keep building the methods that prove that impact and grow the kind of tourism we believe in.” said Aurelie Sandler, co-CEO, Evaneos, Lead Partner and Expert Panel Participant.
Iberostar Foundation, a Lead Partner and Expert Panel Participant, is also participating in the initiative. “At Iberostar Hotels & Resorts, we believe that greater clarity around what positive impact really means is essential if we want to turn ambition into action. By creating a shared way to understand and measure impact, this initiative can help the tourism sector evolve and more accurately identify where to focus action, ultimately delivering more meaningful outcomes for the communities and destinations where we operate.” said.
Community representatives will also contribute to defining positive impact within the framework. “If we want better guidance and positive impact metrics for Community Tourism, we need to ask the very communities and organizations impacted by tourism to define what positive impact means for them.” said Meenu Vadera, Founder, Azad Foundation and Sakha Cabs, and Expert Panel Participant.
Lead industry partners and supporters include Evaneos, Iberostar Hotels & Resorts, easyJet holidays, G Adventures, G Touring and TruTravels. Planeterra said further organizations can participate in the initiative.
The research and co-creation process will continue through 2027. The Community Positive Framework and Impact Measurement Toolkit are scheduled to launch in September 2027.
According to Planeterra, the initiative forms part of its work to transform tourism from an extractive force into a catalyst for community prosperity by establishing shared terminology for community impact, involving communities in defining that impact and creating tools to measure progress.
