In October, Sustainable Travel International partner Pack for a Purpose received the Travel + Leisure Magazine 2012 Global Vision Awards Editor's Pick for Digital Initiative.

Pack for a Purpose is an all-volunteer organization which operates a free informational website for travelers. The site enables individual travelers to connect to lodgings, tour companies, and small cruises, with the intention of supporting community-based projects at destinations around the world.

The Pack for a Purpose website features a free page for each operator that sponsors a project, with a description of project goals and a list of specific supplies needed for success. Travelers interested in getting involved can easily bring select items from the supply list on their trip. By "packing for a purpose", these travelers can express their gratitude for the hospitality they receive in a meaningful and easy way. This direct exchange ensures travelers their supplies will go specifically to the community-based project in question.

Originating with only 25 locations in January 2010, the website has grown to include over 285 operators in 45 countries. Hacienda Chichen in Mexico, Hamanasi Adventure & Dive Resort in Belize, Tiger Mountain Pokhara Lodge in Nepal and two members of the Asilia Group of Lodges, Matemwe and Sayari in Tanzania are all members of both Pack for a Purpose and Sustainable Travel International.  By increasing public knowledge of the site, we hope to expand traveler awareness and increase the visibility of all program participants.

If you are an organization looking to become a part of the Pack for a Purpose network, simply visit their website and provide the requested information.