If you’re a traveler committed to supporting communities, sustainability efforts, and social justice, booking a trip can require a lot of research. What’s a way to get from place to place with fewer emissions? How involved are locals in a destination’s tourism industry? Do you know where your money is going—and where it isn’t?
There’s no quick fix to problems like overtourism. But travelers do have some tools at their disposal to help guide their decisions, including third-party certifications that evaluate whether companies are committed to more responsible operations. One that you might have been hearing more about is the “B Corp” label, part of a growing global organization that has been joined by more than 10,000 companies around the world to date. Booking a trip with a B Corp Certified operator can remove some of the guesswork—here’s a brief primer on what the label means and how it can help shape your travel plans.
What’s a B Corp?
The Certified B Corporation designation was created in 2006 by a nonprofit called B Lab, which sets the evaluation standards. To gain certification, a for-profit company must meet criteria across several areas including human rights, equity, governance, and climate action, with documentation reviewed by a third party. Businesses must also pay an annual fee and show ongoing progress to maintain certification.
How to find one
Many certified tour operators have joined the Travel by B Corp collective, which publishes a member directory. For a full list of B Corp companies—including gear brands, accommodations, restaurants, and more—visit the “Find a B Corp” tab on the B Lab website. And watch for the trademarked B Corp logo, as featured on the cover of Afar’s print issues and in the website footer. (Afar achieved B Corp Certification in late 2025.)
B Corp tour operators
There are dozens of B Corp Certified travel outfitters, and the companies tend to be small and specialized. Some, including Up Norway and InsideJapan, offer expertise in a specific destination; others stick to a single travel style, such as Aurora Expeditions, known for its lower-impact small-ship cruises.
Here are some other standout B Corps that can help you plan a one-of-a-kind trip:
Wild Frontiers
This company focuses on bridging cultural gaps and organizing guided trips in places others might avoid, a central tenet since the company’s 1998 founding. Central Asia was among its first offerings, and Wild Frontiers now operates across the region in countries like Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. The outfitter’s 60-plus other destinations include Algeria, Suriname, Kosovo, Pakistan, and Papua New Guinea.
SwimTrek
Offerings from travel company SwimTrek include trips built around notable races, including the annual Cross-Channel Swim between the Caribbean islands of Nevis and St. Kitts.
Courtesy of Nevis Tourism Authority
On guided group trips with SwimTrek, travelers can visit iconic open-water swimming locales with daily dips built in. Destinations include Indonesia’s Raja Ampat archipelago, the Galápagos Islands, and the Greek Cyclades (where the company ran its first trip in 2003). Also on offer: skills training camps and trips pegged to famous events, including the Cross-Channel Swim between Nevis and St. Kitts. Many itineraries are also open to families or non-swimming partners.
Inntravel
This U.K.-based company was a pioneer in self-guided walking holidays, which it has been organizing for more than 40 years. In addition to the Hadrian’s Wall Path in England, Spain’s Camino de Santiago, and many other timeworn routes, Inntravel also makes it possible to explore a variety of European destinations by foot. You can choose an inn-to-inn walk (luggage transfers included) or an itinerary with a single home base, so you can take advantage of nearby trails without having to pack up each night.
Grand Tours Project
Bikers across skill levels can take to the road with Grand Tours Project, which for the past decade has led group and private cycling tours around Europe, Asia, and the Americas. The company also puts on training programs with professional coaching and builds itineraries around famous races (the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia) that let travelers tackle the route a day ahead of the professionals.
Wild Terrains
Trips from women-focused tour company Wild Terrains include a long weekend of eating around New Orleans with local food figures, like pastry chef Kaitlin Guerin.
Courtesy of Wild Terrains
Since 2018, these small-group tours have stood out for catering to women travelers and supporting women-owned businesses. Wild Terrains visits big-ticket destinations like Japan and Argentina but also hosts shorter U.S. getaways featuring, for example, women chefs in New Orleans or women artists in New Mexico. In addition to the women-only trips, private itineraries and single-day “detours” (such as a feminist tour of Versailles) are available to allies, too.
Mejdi Tours
Launched in 2009 with tours in Palestine and Israel, Mejdi Tours has been recognized by the United Nations World Tourism Organization for its guiding principle of social change through travel. On one of the small-group departures slated for 2027, travelers might learn from the Sephardic Jewish and Sufi Muslim communities of Bosnia or meet with South Vietnamese veterans in Ho Chi Minh City and Viet Cong veterans in Hanoi.
