The Story
C&C travel wanted to move beyond mandatory or voluntary carbon credits and directly fund reforestation projects in the Philippines and Costa Rica. Their goal was to engage travelers in the company's sustainability efforts, expanding their impact by increasing the number of trees that can be planted as well as expanding traveler knowledge of how travel choices impact sustainability.
The Impact
The Forest Effect, along with sister company Green My Experience, consulted with C&C travel to calculate their carbon footprint and design their reforestation program which included selection of land, determining what tree species should be planted, how biodiversity can be enhanced, and creating the long-term care plan for the forest.
C&C first created a forest in the Philippines, their top travel destination and home to their largest number of employees, with The Forest Effect advising on the location and approach. Subsequently in 2023, C&C Travel established its second forest in Guapiles, Costa Rica, as part of the La Maestra project. Every single trip to Costa Rica that C&C plans for their clients includes a traveler's contribution to the project which is then matched by C&C. Some itineraries even include in-person visits to the C&C Travel Forest and the surrounding community.
In 2023 alone, C&C Travel arranged for 764 travelers to experience Costa Rica and planted 1,000 trees in Guapiles.