Regenerative Travel Impact Awards 2024 – Change Maker of The Year

Words Amanda Ho | Regenerative Travel

Date21 November 2024

The Change Maker of the Year award celebrates individuals who are redefining the possibilities of regenerative travel. Through visionary leadership and transformative projects, these changemakers are setting new standards for sustainability, community empowerment, and ecological stewardship in tourism. Here are the exceptional finalists.

Sarah is a lifelong conservationist, entrepreneur, speaker, and author who believes that communities and ecosystems thrive when women are empowered.

Few and Far's newest venture, Luvhondo Eco-Lodge in South Africa, actively partners with women-led businesses and provides local women with pathways to leadership in hospitality and conservation.

WINNER: Sarah Dusek: Redefining Luxury Tourism with Regeneration at Its Core

Sarah Dusek, co-founder of Few & Far, is transforming the global landscape of eco-tourism by combining luxury travel with deep environmental and social impact. Sarah Dusek is an activist at heart – she has spent her life pursuing her passions and dreams through being an entrepreneur, conservationist, venture capitalist, speaker, and now author. In 2009, she founded the leading upscale outdoor hospitality brand Under Canvas, which she grew to a value of over $100M. At the helm of Enygma Ventures, she led the development of a special program in 2020 to help redefine systemic issues for female leaders during the COVID-19 pandemic. This ultimately resulted in Sarah investing $10M to women-led startups in the Southern African Development Community region. Most recently, Sarah has also co-founded Few & Far, which creates sustainable eco-hospitality experiences to protect, preserve, and impact green spaces around the world.⁠

Sarah’s newest venture centers on the Luvhondo Eco-Lodge, a six room luxury property set to open in 2025 within South Africa’s UNESCO Vhembe Biosphere Reserve. Luvhondo represents a paradigm shift in tourism: the lodge is designed to be carbon-negative, featuring renewable energy systems, water-saving technologies, and sustainable building materials. Aerial safaris via a state-of-the-art solar-powered cable car system allow guests to experience the stunning biodiversity of the Soutpansberg mountains without leaving a footprint. In the past year, the project has planted thousands of native trees, restored critical habitats, and launched significant rewilding initiatives monitored by global environmental organizations. These efforts are projected to sequester 100,000 tons of carbon annually as a Verra Registered Carbon Project, addressing climate change while revitalizing biodiversity.

Sarah’s impact extends beyond environmental regeneration. Few & Far prioritizes community engagement, creating over 100 jobs, partnering with local producers, and providing training programs that uplift regional artisans. By fostering cultural exchange and environmental stewardship, Luvhondo serves as a scalable model for regenerative tourism worldwide. Sarah’s commitment to proving that luxury and regeneration can coexist positions her as a trailblazer in eco-tourism and a compelling force for systemic change.

Read more about Sarah Dusek in this article by Afar.

Jason Edmunds works to ensure that Arctic tourism benefits local communities while preserving Indigenous knowledge

Jason Edmunds: Championing Inuit Leadership in Arctic Tourism

Jason Edmunds, an Inuk entrepreneur from Nain, Labrador, and director at Adventure Canada, is reshaping the Arctic tourism industry through the Nalunaiqsijiit Program. Founded in collaboration with the Government of Nunavut and the Association of Arctic Expedition Cruise Operators (AECO), this groundbreaking initiative equips Inuit participants with the skills and certifications needed to thrive in the marine tourism industry.

Since its inception, the program has trained 42 Inuit participants across four cohorts, offering essential certifications such as Marine Emergency Duties (MED), polar bear guarding, and Zodiac operation. Jason’s leadership ensures the program prioritizes cultural safety, providing soft skills training in public speaking and employment navigation to help participants feel empowered. In 2024, 12 more trainees joined the program, with several already gaining hands-on experience aboard expedition vessels during the Arctic summer sailing season.

The Nalunaiqsijiit Program reflects Jason’s dedication to ‘For Inuit, By Inuit’ initiatives, ensuring that Arctic tourism benefits local communities while preserving Indigenous knowledge and cultural sovereignty. Jason also advocates globally for cultural safety in tourism, working to dispel stereotypes about Inuit culture and highlighting its resilience and contemporary relevance. By promoting Inuit representation in an industry historically dominated by outsiders, Jason is building a more equitable and regenerative model for Arctic tourism.

Click here to learn more about Jason and his work.

The Okavango Delta is the perfect place for a safari without the crowds and Khwai Leadwood provides a luxury wildlife experience like no other

Beks Ndlovu: Integrating Conservation and Community Empowerment

Bekezela “Beks” Ndlovu is a visionary whose contributions to tourism and conservation have transformed the safari industry. As the founder of African Bush Camps (ABC) and the African Bush Camps Foundation (ABCF), Beks has seamlessly integrated luxury tourism with conservation and community development. Since its inception in 2006, ABC has grown to include 18 camps across Zimbabwe, Botswana, and Zambia, employing 600 staff and driving meaningful change for local communities and wildlife.

Through ABCF, Beks has spearheaded initiatives that address critical needs such as education, healthcare, and wildlife protection. Recent milestones include partnering with Conservation Lower Zambezi to fund the training of KAFUDZA female rangers, bolstering wildlife protection efforts while empowering women in conservation. Additionally, ABC’s camps provide ongoing financial support for anti-poaching measures, sustainable farming projects, and local schools.

Beks’ impact is not limited to conservation. He has created pathways for local empowerment by employing community members and supporting initiatives that ensure tourism revenue benefits surrounding villages. His work has transformed safari tourism into a model of regenerative travel, where the natural environment and local communities thrive together. As ABC celebrates its 18th year, Beks’ leadership continues to inspire an industry-wide shift toward sustainable and inclusive practices.

Learn more about Beks in this interview by Original Travel.

Dr. Keenan Adams: Restoring Ecosystems and Communities in Puerto Rico

Keenan is a changemaker whose regenerative work spans agriculture, eco-tourism, and conservation in Puerto Rico. Through projects like Agro Bosque, Clouds Glamping, and his leadership at El Yunque National Forest, Keenan demonstrates how tourism and land stewardship can create lasting positive impacts.

Agro Bosque is Keenan’s agroforestry initiative, which regenerates degraded land through sustainable cacao farming. In just two years, Keenan has planted over 4,000 trees, restored soil health, and established fair labor practices that empower local farmers. Agro Bosque produces fine-flavored chocolate for global markets while addressing climate change through carbon sequestration.

At Clouds Glamping, Keenan reinvests eco-tourism revenues into Agro Bosque, creating a self-sustaining model that supports environmental restoration and local economies. This off-grid luxury destination, powered by solar energy and rainwater harvesting, attracts eco-conscious travelers while employing local vendors and artisans.

As a forest supervisor at El Yunque National Forest, Keenan has safeguarded critical ecosystems by permanently protecting 78 acres of rainforest from development. He oversees regenerative tourism in Puerto Rico’s most-visited natural site, ensuring minimal environmental impact while involving local communities in conservation efforts.

Keenan’s achievements extend beyond Puerto Rico. Recognized as a thought leader in regenerative tourism, he has shared his innovative models globally and was recently awarded Furman University’s Young Alumni Award and named to the 2024 Walking Softer’s Changemakers Cohort. His work represents a holistic approach to regeneration, combining tourism, conservation, and agriculture to create a sustainable future.

Click here to learn more about Keenan through an interview with Walking Softer.

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Each of these changemakers shows the transformative potential of regenerative travel. Their achievements inspire a new paradigm for tourism—one that uplifts communities, restores ecosystems, and fosters meaningful connections between travelers and the destinations they visit. These leaders are not only reshaping the travel industry but also showing the world how systemic change can drive a brighter, more equitable future.

What are the Regenerative Travel Impact Awards?

The Impact Awards celebrate people and projects that embody the spirit of regeneration—improving people’s lives, our communities, and the world around us.

We search the globe for inspiring changemakers working to solve our biggest challenges and inspiring positive action, both inside and outside of travel.

Our judging panel was handpicked based on their exceptional expertise, achievements, and diverse backgrounds. With their collective knowledge in marine ecology, social entrepreneurship, travel journalism, sustainability, visual storytelling, tourism policy, hospitality, and impact investing, the judging panel is well-equipped to identify innovative ideas that have the potential to advance regenerative travel.