September 7, 2024

Sustainable Tourism + Philanthropic Travel with Lydia Dean of GoPhilanthropic

Group of travelers posing indoors beneath leafy trees, wearing Day of the Dead face paint and floral crowns, with casual clothing and smiling expressions during a cultural experience in Oaxaca.

In year 2000, Lydia Dean left her job as an Executive Search Consultant to pursue her lifelong interest in travel and humanitarian programs. She and her family moved to Provence, France where they lived for 6 years while exploring many developing countries.

In 2007, they returned to the United States and launched GoPhilanthropic Travel.

In 2010, GoPhilanthropic Foundation was formed in order to more actively partner with small grassroots non-profits offering greater access to resources and opportunities. Lydia divides her time between Los Angeles, Provence, and the regions within which GoPhil works. She is also the author of Jumping the Picket Fence.

Today I’m so excited to welcome Lydia Dean, Founder and Director of GoPhilanthropic Travel which offers travelers the certainty that their support is making a positive impact in local communities.

This interview was conducted pre-COVID19 in the research for The Millennial Travel Guidebook where I sprinkled in tons of information on sustainable travel and where Lydia was quoted.

As you hopefully know, sustainable travel and spending our money the right way is super important to us at Under30Experiences. In this interview we discuss topics such as:

The dangers of voluntourism
How to select non-profit organizations to work with
How to vote with your dollars
Where to travel if you really want to make an impact

I’m also thrilled to hear Lydia’s inspiring story and have her share how philanthropy and travel changed the person who she is. It really sounds like she lives an incredibly full and fulfilling life.

You can learn more about Lydia and GoPhilanthropic at www.gophilanthropictravel.com and www.gophilanthropic.org

Listen to the full episode on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Soundcloud, or Spotify.

Direct support for The Millennial Travel Podcast is provided by my new book The Millennial Travel Guidebook: Escape More, Spend Less, and Make Travel a Priority in Your Life.

Check out our new USA National Park trips with Under30Experiences including Acadia, Great Smoky Mountains, Yosemite, Joshua Tree, Zion, and Bryce Canyon… plus Lake Tahoe!

AUTHORS

Matt Wilson

Matt Wilson is the co-founder and CEO of Under30Experiences, a group travel company for young adults, and the author of The Millennial Travel Guidebook: Escape More, Spend Less, & Make Travel a Priority in Your Life.

He has spent over a decade designing, operating, and reviewing group trips around the world, with a focus on travel safety, logistics, and real-world risk assessment for young, solo, and first-time travelers. His experience includes extensive travel throughout Latin America and Europe, as well as hands-on work vetting destinations, local partners, accommodations, and transportation providers.

Matt regularly evaluates destinations using practical criteria that go beyond crime statistics including infrastructure, medical access, transportation reliability, and group dynamics which informs the travel safety guides he writes and updates based on recent travel.

He is a purple belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and approaches travel the same way he approaches training: prepared, disciplined, and aware of risk without being ruled by fear.

Matt remains actively involved in reviewing itineraries, assessing safety considerations, and creating destination guides for Under30Experiences, with the goal of helping travelers explore the world confidently, responsibly, and with intention.