A travel program connecting sustainability and anti-oppression
Yulia Denisyuk
Award-Winning Storyteller, Travel Journalist, Writer, Photographer & Filmmaker | Storytelling Speaker & Educator | Founder, Travel Media Lab | Host, Going Places
Welcome to Going Places! This newsletter revolves around travel and storytelling, occasional travel and creative entrepreneurship news, and updates on my show, Going Places with Yulia Denisyuk.
First up, a program that looks at the core of sustainable travel.
Sustainability is a big topic in travel, but too often, discussions are limited to how companies and travelers can make more sustainable decisions in the environmental, economic, and sometimes social context.
But a sustainable approach to building the future we all deserve has to be more comprehensive than that. That's why it's refreshing to see what RISE Travel Institute is doing in this space. Their 10-week program takes a systems-based approach to sustainability, covering topics like decolonizing tourism, power dynamics in voluntourism, travelers' impact on Indigenous lands, and more.
The program places travel at the intersection of social justice, community development, animal protection, and environmental sustainability, viewing sustainability through a lens that could not be more urgent today.
The program starts next week and you can get more details here. (And follow the RISE founder, Vincie H. , while you're at it.)
Going Places is looking for partners for our next season.
While the Going Places show is currently on hiatus, we're sharing some of my favorite episodes from the archive until we return.
This week, catch up on a conversation with journalist Emy Rodriguez Flores titled The Privilege of Travel on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
In the meantime, we're looking for travel brands, operators, and destinations to partner with for our next season, which starts in April.
If you want to tap into an audience of conscious travelers who care about their impact on our planet and want to do good when they travel, this may be the right opportunity for you. A Going Places partnership includes ads on the show, native content episodes, newsletter mentions, and social media mentions.
Check out my media kit and the podcast kit and reach out to [email protected] for more info.
A reality show contest for writers in Cusco, Peru.
Write Or Flight is a new reality show contest for writers who want to write a memoir.
Seven contestants will fly to Cusco, Pery this May to compete for the grand prize: a publishing contract and a $10,000 advance to help them write their book.
Get more details and apply for this opportunity here by February 28.
Where I’m Going Next
Where I’m Going Next is a preview of my upcoming travel plans.
If you’d like to meet up or have a work proposal for these locations, get in touch at [email protected].
Going Places 2025 trip schedule
Jordan trip is now open. Save $150 with code GOINGPLACESFEB. See what it feels like to be in Jordan with me in this 30-second Instagram reel.
What I'm Reading
Stories from across the web that have caught my attention.
Guess This Place
This April, I'm headed to one of the most remote ecosystems on our planet, the Galápagos Islands, with Lindblad Expeditions .
While I'm preparing for this expedition, it has reminded me of another remote place I visited in the last few years: Makgadikgadi Salt Pans in northeastern Botswana. Makgadikgadi is the world’s largest network of salt pans (visible from space!), once a site of a super-lake that scientists believe was the birthplace of modern humans. The pans are accessible in the dry season only (July through October) by a jeep or helicopter ride from an already remote edge of Botswana’s Kalahari desert. So arid are the pans that even mosquitos won't bother you there, although an occasional nightly visit from aardvarks is possible. I went to Botswana with Desert & Delta Safaris , a responsible safari operator and the only tourism company listed on Botswana's stock exchange.
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Freelance Travel Writer, Content Editor at GLP Films. Founder Thirdeyemom: Traveling the World and Doing Good. Passionate about sustainable travel and community tourism ??
1 周I traveled with RISE Travel Institute last February on their first Experiencial Journey and it was absolutely amazing. They are doing incredible work
Founder and Executive Director at RISE Travel Institute | Adjunct Faculty at Antioch University New England | Social Change Leader | Linguist | Language Teaching Professional
1 周Yulia Denisyuk thank you so much for amplifying our organization and our Flagship Program ???? I really look forward to our deep dive into the need for critical thinking in travel and tourism on your podcast next month! I truly appreciate the work you do and look forward to continuing to support each other!
No vendo turismo. Derribo límites. Experiencias sorpresa que expanden horizontes, generan impacto y conectan viajeras audaces.| ??Fundadora & Trailblazer en Travel Tech | Desafíate ahora, envíame un DM | Eco-Chic Suites.
1 周The RISE Travel Institute program caught my eye because it dives into topics like decolonial tourism and voluntourism with a critical lens. These are things that don’t always get talked about in these spaces, but they should be a key part of any conversation about responsible travel.