From immersive drone light shows in Botswana to gamified, open-air cultural experiences in rural Nepal, here's the winners of the 2025 Social Entrepreneurs in Tourism (SET) Competition.

Village Adventures is a social startup and travel platform for authentic travel experiences with a focus on community-based tourism (CBT), homestays, and rural tourism.

Xperio is a travel aggregator platform focused on India that connects Indian travellers with authentic, immersive experiences hosted by locals.

In today’s tourism landscape, the word “local” has become a buzzword. Here's what to look out for, and what to do instead, when choosing local experiences.

In a rapidly changing world where global perspectives are more important than ever, travel has evolved from a mere leisure activity into an essential learning experience.

I vividly remember my first field trip when I stayed with the Hadzabe hunter-gatherers in Northern Tanzania.

Ancestral Teachers is a platform that connects travelers with unique community-based tourism projects, where they can learn or refine ancestral skills (such as textiles, ceramics, cooking, music) directly from local experts.

Helolokal is a community marketplace (currently launched in Malaysia) that connects visitors directly to local hosts through personalized travel services.

I'm Desmond Langkilde, a limber 63 year young fossil, a travel writer, and a dreamer.