I Like Local

26/01/2022

Coming Tuesday, the 1st of February at 4PM European Time, we're organizing a Q & A session for anyone interested in becoming a co-owner of I Like Local.

We will share more information about what it means to become a co-owner and we answer any questions you might have.

If interested, please click the below link and we will send you the invite.

https://www.impact.i-likelocal.com/q-and-a

Looking forward to seeing you then!

21/01/2022

The past few days in Ras Al-Khaimah for the World Tourism Forum Lucerne's Startup Innovation Camp was such an incredible experience. It was a pleasure to meet and learn from this inspiring group of tourism entrepreneurs and industry leaders. Thank you to the World Tourism Forum Lucerne and Visit Ras Al Khaimah for hosting this event in such a beautiful destination.

07/01/2022

🇰🇪 Meet Benjamin, Social Entrepreneur in Nairobi 🇰🇪

(3/3) "A summary of our objectives are 1) to educate non-Kiberans (both Kenyan and international visitors) about Kibera and the positive social change taking place here, 2) To reclaim the narrative of the community and reshape the public perception by engaging in cultural exchange with visitors, 3) to raise funds for social improvement initiatives, 4) to organize and establish social improvement and community-investment projects, and 5) to empower members of the community through the formation of partnerships with individuals and currently existing groups. Our Founders envision the growth of an organization that can serve the community for generations to come. The frequency of the tours has been inconsistent due to COVID-19, but we hope to return to normal soon. In the meantime, I have teamed up with Anwar to share local stories from the community programs involved in our art tour and am glad to share those over the coming days."

📍 : Nairobi, Kenya
🌍 : Nairobi Art Tour with Benjamin (https://bit.ly/333IBAz)
📸 : Anwar Sadat (https://www.instagram.com/sirdart_/)

06/01/2022

🇰🇪 Meet Benjamin, Social Entrepreneur in Nairobi 🇰🇪

(2/3) "Each stop on the art tour features insights from one of our community members who elaborates on the organization's mission and impact. All proceeds from our tours are recycled back into Tembea Kibera's social initiative funds pool, which we use to launch community improvement and empowerment projects. Some examples of projects we have organized so far include trash clean-up initiatives, sanitary pad giveaways, and more. In this way, the action plan of Tembea Kibera has two prongs, 1) coordinating tours with the less-tangible goal of reclaiming the community narrative and altering the public perception, and 2) undertaking the tangible goal of raising funds to establish and invest in social improvement projects. The resulting model is an extremely powerful, dynamic grassroots initiative with a steady revenue stream and seemingly endless capacity for meaningful community investment."

📍 : Nairobi, Kenya
🌍 : Nairobi Art Tour with Benjamin (https://bit.ly/333IBAz)
📸 : Anwar Sadat (https://www.instagram.com/sirdart_/)

04/01/2022

🇰🇪 Meet Benjamin, Social Entrepreneur in Nairobi 🇰🇪

"Hi, my name is Benjamin and I am the Founder of the Tembea Kibera Community-Based Organization in Nairobi, Kenya. I started this organization in 2016 with a few talented friends who are also locals of the Kibera Slum in Nairobi. The mission of the organization is twofold, 1) to positively impact the lives of Kibera residents through community outreach programs and community investment initiatives, and 2) to alter outsider perceptions of the community, which are oftentimes dominated by negative biases rooted in prejudices linked to a poor understanding of economically disadvantaged communities. To fulfill our mission, we use a guided-tour approach to highlight our community's most positive, progressive aspects with regular stops at the Women's Empowerment Project, the Kibera Girl's Soccer Academy, the Kibera Town Center, Victoria Bone Group, and other locally-owned businesses. In the coming days, I'll be sharing more about our organization and stories from our local artists, entrepreneurs, and changemakers."

📍 : Nairobi, Kenya
🌍 : Nairobi Art Tour with Benjamin (https://bit.ly/333IBAz)
📸 : Anwar Sadat (https://www.instagram.com/sirdart_/)

01/01/2022

We believe that reflecting on the past year is a way to become more aware of what lessons you've learned. And what a year it was.

For us, 2021 was one of acceptance as it probably was for many others. We have slowly grown to let go and accept the impact that the ongoing pandemic has had on the travel industry and our business, while also accepting that sometimes there are just situations that are entirely out of your control.

As we put the last year in the rearview mirror, we're choosing to take away the positives and build on that for the exciting new chapter ahead of us. A chapter that builds towards a more inclusive and fair world. At I Like Local, we took a step in that direction in the past year and look to continue building further on that.

From our team, we wish you all an uplifting start to the year full of new opportunities, connections, and experiences!

22/12/2021

Our team at I Like Local is excited to launch as the world's first sustainable travel marketplace to transfer ownership of our platform to everyone in our tourism supply chain from our local hosts and community partners to our travelers and international stakeholders

To learn how you can join our mission and share in the growth of our platform together, visit https://www.impact.i-likelocal.com/become-co-owner.

I Like Local will be the first sustainable travel marketplace that transitions its ownership to its users: the communities we work with, our travelers, local...

21/12/2021

Now you can finally join our mission to create a new narrative for tourism as we launch the world's first community-owned travel marketplace for local experiences. Anyone who wants to make a difference in the tourism sector can now become a co-owner in I Like Local...from our local hosts to our customers, travelers, partners, and anyone with who our mission resonates.

Join us in building back a tourism industry that benefits everyone, not just a select few shareholders! 🌎

 Become co-owner of i like local   OUR MISSION    To create more value for our community and promote a fairer distribution of capital in the tourism industry.    YES, I'LL INVEST “For every $100 spent by a tourist on holiday in a developing country, only $5 remains in the host community…...

17/12/2021

If you have been following I Like Local lately you have seen that we shared more about what we are up to. Today is finally the day we make our exciting next move.

We're excited to announce that I Like Local will be the first travel marketplace for local experiences that transitions its ownership to its users: the communities we work with, our travelers, local partners, everyone who would like to be a part of this. With this, we aim to prove that organizations can be run more sustainably by focusing on maximizing impact and conscious growth rather than focusing on profit maximization at all costs.

You can join our mission too by becoming a co-owner of I Like Local and together building a more equal and fair travel industry with us. For more information, visit https://www.impact.i-likelocal.com/become-co-owner.

16/12/2021

This week, I Like Local continues building on its mission to make the travel industry more fair and transparent by becoming the first travel marketplace to transfer its ownership to its hosts, clients, and various stakeholders.

In this blog post, we detail why we did this and what it exactly means to join this journey as a co-owner of I Like Local.

My name is Sanne Meijboom and I'm the Founder of I Like Local. In this blog post, I will share more about my journey at I Like Local and why it still drives me today.

09/12/2021

We're excited to see I Like Local featured as one of Travel Massive's "50 Hot Travel Startups" to watch in 2022! To place your vote for I Like Local or some of the other incredible travel startups that are featured, head on over to the Travel Massive platform.

👍 Vote for the hottest travel startups in the Travel Massive community

03/12/2021

At I Like Local, we have taken the past year to forge an entirely new path for our platform...one which further deepens our impact and contributes to a fairer future for the tourism industry.

This December, we plan to take our global impact even one step further by making I Like Local the WORLD'S FIRST community-owned travel marketplace! 🎉

Everyone in our tourism supply chain from our local hosts and community partners to our travelers and international stakeholders now have even more opportunities to join our mission, share their voices, and benefit from the growth of our platform together.

You too can become part of our movement to build a fairer travel industry by becoming a co-owner of I Like Local.

Click below to find out how! 🌍

i Like Local launches the world’s 1st community-owned travel marketplace    At I Like Local we have embarked on a new path that further deepens our impact and creates even more value for our travel community worldwide. By making I Like Local the world’s first community-owned travel marketplace...

29/11/2021

🌍 Building a Fairer Sharing Economy 🌍

“As pioneers in the travel industry, our focus has always been on including communities that are often excluded from the international travel market while ensuring they still earn 100% of the money they list for their experiences. But we felt that this was not enough. The time we are in requires bold changes in how we run our businesses, and we feel we have a responsibility to contribute to this much-needed shift.

So next month, we will take our impact even one step further as I Like Local becomes the world's first travel marketplace that transfers its ownership to its hosts, users, and other stakeholders. We feel that our current economic system and the sharing economy do not always fairly distribute the benefits of the growth on their platforms as profit maximization frequently drives decisions, which often comes at the expense of users, public interest, and the environment. We want to show that organizations can operate differently while still being successful. By focusing on intentional and sustainable growth, looking at value creation differently, and exploring how more people can participate and benefit from the platform's success. By pioneering our new co-ownership model, we offer everyone from our local hosts and their communities to our passionate travelers, clients, and international stakeholders, the opportunity to join our mission and share in our platform's growth together.

In the coming days, we will be sharing stories from our local hosts and their communities to give you a flavor of what I Like Local is about: creating cross-cultural connections. You will meet the most inspiring artists, local guides, social entrepreneurs, talented chefs, and many others. This is what makes us tick!”

i Like Local launches the world’s 1st community-owned travel marketplace    At I Like Local we have embarked on a new path that further deepens our impact and creates even more value for our travel community worldwide. By making I Like Local the world’s first community-owned travel marketplace...

25/11/2021

🌍 Meet our Founder 🌍

“When we launched I Like Local in 2014, I decided that I didn't want to maximize profits at all costs or follow the traditional funding route that many startups took, which I felt would put our mission and company values at stake in the name of rapid, but unsustainable growth. So we grew slowly but steadily. Then in 2019, I Like Local was selected for Booking.com's sustainable tourism accelerator program, in which ten sustainable travel startups from around the world participate each year. In 2020, we were awarded as the top rural tourism development startup at the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO)'s Global Tourism Startup Competition, with startup applicants from over 150 countries. It was during this participation in various competitions and events, where I felt we had made the right choice in consciously building our platform in which we chose purpose over growth by offering inclusivity for local people and communities in Asia and Africa. Then COVID hit, which was devastating for so many people worldwide and across the entire tourism sector. For us, it was also a wake-up call to take a step back and reflect on the direction of I Like Local and the path we want to take. After working on this over the past year, we're excited to finally announce a new way forward which further deepens our impact and contributes to a more inclusive sharing economy and tourism industry."

OUR STORY IT all STARTED WITH A PASSION FOR TRAVEL. we are inspired by curiosity for other cultures AND the desire to make a difference. OUR STORY “The I Like Local idea was born out of my passion for other cultures and the desire to make a positive contribution to this world. As poverty alleviatio...

24/11/2021

🌍 Meet our Founder 🌍

“Hi, my name is Sanne and I'm the Founder of I Like Local. From a very early age, I was always an explorer and looking for my next great adventure. After graduating from university I started traveling the world on my own with my first stop in India, where I lived for six months. In 2011, my partner and I decided to leave our home country of the Netherlands to go live in Brazil as I still had that deep longing for freedom, to do things a little differently, and make a global impact. This decision opened up the possibility to quit my corporate job and embark on a new journey. For me, some of the most memorable moments on that journey had always been the connections I made with the local people on my travels: an invitation for dinner in Kenya with a family on their farm, a beautiful conversation at a food stall in Brazil that helped me on my spiritual journey, and the mouthwatering home-cooked meals I had with friends in India. And these are just a few moments from a lifetime of unforgettable adventures. But during those years traveling the world, I also slowly started noticing how many of the local people I met along the way were not always benefiting from tourism. And as travel is one of the largest industries worldwide, I started to wonder why that was the case. After many conversations, the answer seemed to be that some people did not always know about the potential opportunities that were available or had limited resources to even get started. And for me, it was these moments connecting with local people that had a transformational impact on my life and made me realize how tourism had sometimes missed the opportunity to do that return for the communities I was visiting. It was through these personal life experiences that the idea of I Like Local was born. So in 2014, I took a leap of faith and invested all my savings into building the I Like Local platform and bringing this vision to life. In the coming days, I plan to share more about that vision going forward and how we aim to continue building on the core mission that inspired me to start I Like Local back in 2014.”

OUR STORY IT all STARTED WITH A PASSION FOR TRAVEL. we are inspired by curiosity for other cultures AND the desire to make a difference. OUR STORY “The I Like Local idea was born out of my passion for other cultures and the desire to make a positive contribution to this world. As poverty alleviatio...

23/11/2021

"They say when in Rome, do as the Romans do. I try to employ this philosophy in other parts of the world as well. As a traveller, I have benefited so much from tapping into local knowledge, connecting with people who reside in a destination, and sharing encounters with them. I find it brings a new level of authenticity to my experience and makes me feel a deeper connection to where I take my steps."

- The Altruistic Traveller

This guide is a start to helping you find culturally immersive experiences in the places you visit. Support local causes and head off the beaten track.

12/11/2021

I Like Local has been featured in the Instagram and World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) ‘Tourism Recovery Playbook’ as a way to help destinations and business harness the power of digital and visual storytelling to reach new audiences and return to growth. This first-ever partnership with Instagram forms part of UNWTO’s wider shift towards harnessing the power of digital innovation to drive the restart of tourism, especially local and sustainable tourism.

I Like Local has been featured in Instagram and UNWTO Tourism Recovery Playbook, as a way to use visual storytelling to return to growth.

05/10/2021

“Mainstream media tends to focus on the environmental components of sustainability, but a holistic definition also encompasses social and economic benefits. When it comes to planning sustainable travel, so much of it comes down to asking where your money will go. If you see that your tourism dollars will stay in the local economy and support local jobs that's a great place to start."

- Kelley Louise, Founder and Executive Director of Impact Travel Alliance

Our approach to travel is changing, here's our tips for sustainable travel in 2022.

27/09/2021

🌍 World Tourism Day 🌍

"The pause in international travel caused by the pandemic has made clear the relevance of tourism to our societies. The economic and social impact has been felt far beyond the sector itself. And in many places, the most vulnerable members of society have been hit hardest of all. Working for inclusive growth means getting everybody behind a better vision for tourism. Only this way can tourism’s restart reach the people and communities that need it the most right now and build the foundations for a better future for all."

- Zurab Pololikashvili, Secretary-General at the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO)

World Tourism Day, celebrated each year on 27 September, is the global observance day fostering awareness of tourism’s social, cultural, political and economic value and the contribution that the sector can make towards reaching the Sustainable Development Goals.

23/09/2021

We're excited to announce that I Like Local has been shortlisted for the prestigious WTM London, Travel Forward & World Tourism Forum Lucerne Front Runners 2021 Event. We look forward to partnering together to continue amplifying local entrepreneurs, artists, and changemakers around the world via tourism.

Congratulations to all of the nominees! Green People Clio Muse Tours GoRaymi Local Alike Natoure Planet Abled The Trip Boutique TripDoodler CommunityHomestay.Com

TOP 10 Smart Mobility 1IDWebsite EccocarWebsite EnrouteWebsite LYKOWebsite MOTIONTAGWebsite Quick RideWebsite Road TravelWebsite Share PWebsite Thrust CarbonWebsite Xpert ConvertersWebsite Hospitality of the Future WeBeeWebsite Greener GuestWebsite HotelmizeWebsite LootelWebsite PruvoWebsite r3charg...

20/09/2021

We're excited to announce that I Like Local has been selected as a winner at the 2021 Newsweek Future of Travel Awards in the Startups and Travel Tech category. We look forward to continuing to work towards building a more equitable and inclusive future for the tourism sector worldwide!

Newsweek's Future of Travel Awards recognizes those who are creating a travel industry for the future—one that's more adaptable, sustainable, responsible, innovative and inclusive. See the finalists.

09/09/2021

"An important aspect of good tourism is the realization of creating better places for people to live in and better places for people to visit. In order to realize this, one of the key elements is preventing leakage. Making sure that money spent by tourists actually stays in the destination."

- Good Tourism Institute

Good tourism supports and empowers the local economy. Tour operators have the opportunity to directly contribute and ensure spent money stays locally.

01/09/2021

I Like Local Founder, Sanne Meijboom, explains, “In the past five years, a lot of effort has been taken to involve and let communities in Kenya benefit from the tourism industry in their country. Not only to provide them with a fair share but also to give them a source of income that can ultimately lead to the prevention of illegal income-generating activities such as poaching.”

- The Altruistic Traveller for World Footprints

Kenya has long been a fascinating destination of choice for travelers both domestic and international. EK Kenya for sustainable tourism.

24/08/2021

“My father’s dream was that everyone comes to know his house and the community where he lived, where he was born,” says Gabriela. “That is why he founded this organization, as a way for everyone to unite, so they can work together to help the community.”

From Bolivia’s Lake Titicaca to wildlife tourism in Nepal, we find out how the crisis has affected people in four travel hotspots – and whether or not they want the tourists to return

19/08/2021

We're honored to have been selected by Newsweek as one of the world's top tourism startups for the Future of Travel Awards 2021. We look forward to continuing to build a more inclusive and equitable future of tourism for our community partners worldwide.

There's always opportunity in crises, and some nimble startups, apps and tech companies flourished with new ideas during the pandemic, while some were already ahead of the game with a great product.

16/08/2021

During this Nairobi Dance Class, we'll introduce you to our team of dancers who will share their expertise with you and show you the latest African dance moves from some of Kenya's greatest artists. We'll teach you Hip Hop, African Dance, African Contemporary, and many other styles of African Dance during this class.

16/08/2021

🇲🇾 Tasik Kenyir 🇲🇾

Tasik Kenyir in Terengganu, Malaysia, is the largest artificial lake in mainland Southeast Asia and is home to over 8,000 species of flowers, 2,500 species of plants, 1,000 species of birds, and nearly 800 species of butterflies. Not only is the natural beauty of the lake exquisite, but it's also a fantastic starting point for several nearby adventures, such as paying a visit to Lasir Waterfall, exploring Gua Bewah Cave, or just kayaking around the lake.

📸 :

12/08/2021

🇮🇩 Lake Sentani 🇮🇩

Lake Sentani is a tropical lake located in the Indonesian province of Papua. The lake, which is considered by the local population as the home of the rainbows, is part of the Cyclops Strict Nature Reserve and contains several endemic species of fish such as the Sentani Rainbowfish and Snakehead Gudgeon. Many of the Sentani people, who inhabit the islands vicinities of the lake, still have a traditional subsistence economy based on fishing and sago harvesting, which has been sustainable for centuries.

📸 :

10/08/2021

“The I Like Local idea was born out of my passion for other cultures and the desire to make a positive contribution to this world. As poverty alleviation is one of the most pressing global challenges we face, I realized that tourism could become a significant source of income for local communities and believed that connecting locals in developing countries with travelers directly via our platform could have a transformational power on local livelihoods."

OUR STORY IT STARTED WITH A PASSION FOR TRAVEL inspired by curiosity for other culturesAND the desire to make a difference. OUR STORY “The I Like Local idea was born out of my passion for other cultures and the desire to make a positive contribution to this world. As poverty alleviation is one of t...

10/08/2021

The Marafa Depression is what’s left behind of a massive sandstone ridge that slowly eroded over time due to the harsh winds, rains, and floods that often hit this region, which is why the locals of Marafa call this geological wonder “Nyari” which means “the place broken by itself.”

Discover one of Kenya's best-hidden gems on a walking tour of the Marafa Depression, also known as Hell's Kitchen, with a local tour guide.