Positive Travel Experiences Powered by Local Heroes
Positive Travel Experiences Powered by Local Heroes
Herost is an impact platform dedicated to sustainable, regenerative, community-driven tourism.
Our ambition is to stand as a reference travel guide and toolkit for hosts and travelers willing to have a positive impact on local communities and their environment.
Purpose: to make this world a fairer place to live and explore
Vision: to advance travel as a tool for the sustainable development and well-being of all
Mission: to support responsible travel accommodation, restaurant, activity and tour providers, and to highlight their sustainability engagement in order to connect them with travelers who care about their impacts on people and the planet.
Our values:
Our ambition is to stand as a reference travel guide and toolkit for hosts and travelers willing to have a positive impact on local communities and their environment.
Purpose: to make this world a fairer place to live and explore
Vision: to advance travel as a tool for the sustainable development and well-being of all
Mission: to support responsible travel accommodation, restaurant, activity and tour providers, and to highlight their sustainability engagement in order to connect them with travelers who care about their impacts on people and the planet.
Our values:
- Equality, equity and diversity
- Creativity and authenticity
- Quality over quantity, value over volume
Herost is promoting travel experiences that are good for people and the planet, with a particular focus on eco-friendly accommodations like eco-lodges, as well as agritourism, wine tourism, spiritual tourism, and wellness activities such as hiking, retreats, forest / sea / spa therapy, yoga, etc.
To boost our awareness raising and outreach activities, we have implemented a Global Youth Ambassadors program.
Through our international network of consultants and partners, we are offering consulting and training services for the sustainable development, management and marketing of tourism destinations, businesses and experiences.
To boost our awareness raising and outreach activities, we have implemented a Global Youth Ambassadors program.
Through our international network of consultants and partners, we are offering consulting and training services for the sustainable development, management and marketing of tourism destinations, businesses and experiences.
Our story
The initial concept of Herost was created early 2019 by Catherine GERMIER, Founder & CEO of Millennium Destinations.
Based on her international expertise in sustainable tourism development and marketing, she wanted to design a practical, innovative solution to increase the positive contribution of tourism to the host communities and their environments.
As a result, she first developed Herost as a solution of Millennium Destinations.
Subsequently, Louis HAAG, Shinobu HAYAMA and eventually Hortense SERRET joined the Herost adventure as Co-Founders and now as Advisors.
Since then, Herost has become an online platform and global community dedicated to the promotion of sustainable, community-driven tourism experiences.
In May 2020, Catherine GERMIER incorporated Herost as a company headquartered in Seoul and is now assuming the role of CEO.
Based on her international expertise in sustainable tourism development and marketing, she wanted to design a practical, innovative solution to increase the positive contribution of tourism to the host communities and their environments.
As a result, she first developed Herost as a solution of Millennium Destinations.
Subsequently, Louis HAAG, Shinobu HAYAMA and eventually Hortense SERRET joined the Herost adventure as Co-Founders and now as Advisors.
Since then, Herost has become an online platform and global community dedicated to the promotion of sustainable, community-driven tourism experiences.
In May 2020, Catherine GERMIER incorporated Herost as a company headquartered in Seoul and is now assuming the role of CEO.
Our Sustainable Tourism Philosophy
Sustainable tourism does not have to be complicated: above all, it is about maximizing the positive impacts and minimizing the negative impacts of the travel activities. Most importantly, sustainable tourism places local communities and their environment at the center of its concerns.
Sustainable travel experiences are a co-created: on the one hand, a growing number of travelers want to make more responsible choices. On the other hand, tourism professionals committed to sustainability have a vested interest in attracting these travelers. For this reason, Herost is aimed at connecting conscious travelers with responsible hosts.
Sustainable travel experiences are a co-created: on the one hand, a growing number of travelers want to make more responsible choices. On the other hand, tourism professionals committed to sustainability have a vested interest in attracting these travelers. For this reason, Herost is aimed at connecting conscious travelers with responsible hosts.
Herost intends to advance travel as a tool for local sustainable development and empowerment
through promoting community-centered experiences that are economically viable, socially inclusive and environmentally sustainable.
Our main objective to maximize the benefits of travel for the local hosts, their communities and the travelers
while minimizing the negative impacts on places, people and the planet.
Herost is a project of the One Planet Sustainable Tourism Programme, a multi-stakeholder partnership that promotes knowledge sharing and networking opportunities to better implement sustainable consumption and production in the tourism sector.
Herost model
Herost intends to drive social innovation in the travel and tourism sector through:
- Online travel platform highlighting eco-friendly travel experiences and matching hosts and travelers who share the same visions and values.
- 10-commitment Charter (see below) and a Scoring System featuring 20 criteria aligned with the standards of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) in order to prevent greenwashing and give our Hosts a unique access to a growing market.
- Consulting and training services provided by a global network of professionals actively involved in the co-creation and promotion of sustainable tourism destinations, practices and experiences.
- Selection of off-the-beaten-path destinations and attractions in order to disperse and balance the flows of tourists.
Herost Charter
Please check the 10 commitments below to become a Member of our Herost Community:
- Quality of Hospitality – The Host commits to offer high quality hospitality, based on the standards, rules and regulations applicable in the destination.
- Sustainability Engagement – The Host commits to adopt sustainability practices and to encourage responsible behaviors from the staff and guests.
- Cultural Authenticity – The Host commits to incorporate elements of the local culture and traditions into the architecture, furniture and decoration related to the accommodation / activities.
- Responsible Purchasing – The Host commits to purchase fair, local and/or domestic products and services in priority.
- Support to Local Community- The Host commits to offer job and income opportunities to local community members in priority.
- Water and Energy Saving – The Host commits to monitor and control the consumption of water and energy resources and to keep them accessible to the local community.
- Biodiversity Preservation and Restoration – The Host commits to support global, regional and local efforts towards preserving and restoring the biodiversity.
- Waste Management and Reduction – the Host commits to implement a variety of measures to sort out, reduce, reuse, recycle and/or up cycle waste, in collaboration with the local community.
- Pollution Minimization – The Host commits to identify and minimize (reduce, eliminate) the existing and potential sources of pollution related to the accommodation / activities.
- Climate Change Mitigation – The Host commits to contribute to climate change mitigation through reducing the direct Greenhouse Gas Emissions of the accommodation / activities.
Herost's Value Proposition
For the hosts:
A complementary source of revenues and jobs opportunities for local communities with a focus on youth and women
- Recognition of their efforts towards sustainable; community-centered practices
- Increased visibility and competitiveness, access to new markets
- Attract the growing segment of travelers who care
- Time saving and convenience in searching for reliable, verified eco-friendly options for accommodations, activities tours and events
- High-quality contents about local hosts, authentic experiences and off-the-beaten-path destinations: written, visual and audiovisual storytelling
- Off-the-beaten track, interactive experiences and destinations
- Good image and sense of belonging to the Herost community
A complementary source of revenues and jobs opportunities for local communities with a focus on youth and women