4 Simple Ways to Make an Impact While Traveling

Even while traveling, you can still act like an impact investor. That doesn’t mean spreadsheets on the beach, but it does mean seeing your trip as an opportunity to support entrepreneurs and small businesses in the places you visit. 

Inspired by entrepreneurs you invest in through Lendahand, we’ve listed a few ethical travel tips. Because how you travel can have a real and positive impact on the economy and the people behind it.

Ready for takeoff? Here are a few simple choices in your traveling style that can go a long way.

 

1. Consciously Choose Where You Spend

Every choice you make while traveling has an economic impact: where you eat, where you sleep, how you move around. Conscious travel doesn’t necessarily mean giving up comfort. It means adding purpose to your journey.

Find your locally-owned accommodation
It’s luckily becoming well-known that international hotel chains and resorts not only isolate you from a local experience but also often cause “revenue leakage”. This means that only a small percentage of your spending stays in the country. In contrast, travelers who choose local services help keep money circulating in the community, which can increase local incomes significantly.

Do your laundry locally
Instead of sending your laundry through the hotel, find a local service nearby. You’ll probably pay less, and you’ll be supporting a small business. 

Hire a local driver
Renting a car or scooter can offer convenience, but hiring a local driver provides income directly to someone who likely relies on that job to support their family. In many cases, they need to rent a car on a weekly or monthly basis to provide driving services as they often can’t save up to buy their own car. 

Without access to capital, ownership often remains out of reach. That’s where financial institutions like Fortune Credit can make a real difference. Fortune Credit recently started partnering with Roam Electric to help drivers and delivery workers in Kenya lease electric motorbikes affordably. Both companies are active borrowers on Lendahand, so maybe you already invested in their work!

Eat a local meal
Dining at small, family-run restaurants supports local suppliers and offers a more authentic culinary experience. It’s a simple choice that creates jobs and sustains families.

Take Miranda, who runs a restaurant in Dili, Timor Leste. Her business is more than a place to eat. It’s a safe, welcoming space for the community and a supportive workplace for her employees.

Watch Miranda’s story here on our YouTube channel

You can turn on the automatically translated subtitles in the language of your choice.

 

2. Impact Investing in Real Life

Street vendors and small shop owners are often the backbone of local economies, especially in developing countries. Buying from them gives people direct working capital. With this cash in hand they can continue running their business. Think of it as the offline, personal version of impact investing. Just like you would do through Lendahand, but face to face.

Haggling is part of the travel experience in many cultures, but remember: a few extra euros might not mean much to you, but can make a real difference to a vendor. 

Want to help someone out, but don’t need the item they’re selling? Ask the price, pay for it, and let them keep the product. This way, they can sell it again and earn twice as much. Or, buy a bundle of goods that they can resell individually for a profit. Both are simple gestures that keep on giving.

 

3. Shop Your Local Souvenir 

Buying from local artisans and markets helps preserve traditional crafts and provides direct income to communities. It’s also a meaningful way to take something home: handmade and rooted in local culture.

In Mexico, for example, Débora’s family business of sewing footballs and weaving hammocks has been their main source of income for three generations. Débora often travels overnight to touristy areas where she can sell her hammocks for a better price. With support from financial institution Sofipa’s group loan program, she was able to buy materials in bulk, boost her production, and is now working toward her dream of building a larger workshop.

Watch Débora’s story here on our YouTube channel

 

4. Go the Extra Mile

If you want to go the extra mile, try traveling off-season or visiting lesser-known regions. This spreads economic benefits more evenly and helps maintain local jobs year-round, not just during peak season.

Found a hidden gem? Don’t forget to leave a kind review on TripAdvisor or Google. Helping future travelers find the spots is still one of the easiest ways to support small businesses in the digital age.

Follow investor Kevin’s lead
Lendahand investor Kevin experienced offline impact investing firsthand on his recent trip to Uzbekistan. After investing in local entrepreneurs in Uzbekistan via Lendahand, he decided to visit the country and saw the impact of microfinance up close. His takeaway? Supporting people on the ground, through both investment and tourism choices, multiplies your impact.

Read Kevin’s story here.

 

Travel is a privilege, and when done consciously, it’s also an opportunity to leave places better than you found them. For more stories and insights, check out the Lendahand blog, where entrepreneurs across Africa, Asia, and Latin America share their realities and show how access to capital transforms their lives.

Do you have any tips you’d like to share with fellow crowd investors? We’d love to hear them! Get in touch via our social media channels or at [email protected].