Dreams. This was the word that came up over and over as we designed our new 2021 Trip Catalog that officially went to (digital) press last week. This time each year, we pour over the photos collected from every corner of the world, the quotes sent over from all of our travelers and fine-tune the experiences that give our trips a true sense of purpose. These come together to form the basis of our catalog.

In September 2015, world leaders at the United Nations’ General Assembly in New York adopted 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Designed as a blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future, these goals address many of the global challenges we face, including those related to poverty, inequality, climate change, environmental degradation, peace and justice. To date 193 countries have adopted these goals as a way to help guide their societies towards a brighter future.

It may come as no surprise that tourism and wildlife conservation are inherently intertwined. When approached correctly, sustainable tourism practices can be a catalyst for protecting some of Earth’s most treasured creatures. Examples of this can be plucked from just about every country that boasts a high density of wildlife both on land and below the sea. In fact, through the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals, the global community has agreed to implement practices that help protect the most vulnerable wildlife and ensure biodiversity continues for generations to come.

The pandemic has taken a toll on our collective global society from all perspectives. As we continue to assess the damage and chart a way forward, we at Discover Corps have spent hours on Zoom calls, like many of you, musing on what comes next. We consider ourselves eternal optimists and have really started to focus on one silver lining, how can we use this moment as an opportunity? An opportunity to re-invent the way we explore our world and fundamentally shift travel from a wholly consumptive experience to something that strengthens our shared humanity.

As the world enters yet another week of lockdown, the prospect of embarking on an overseas expedition may seem bleak. Though travel could be out of the question for a while yet, this may just be the perfect time to do some research about the hidden wonders of our world – and hatch your master-plan for a post-quarantine adventure.