Within a strong framework of socially responsible travel, our delegations inspire individuals to become advocates of social and environmental justice. Our mission is to help individuals move beyond mainstream media and contextualize complex socio-political issues, while striving to integrate and intimately engage participants with community struggles. We encourage participants to learn from and join movements working towards sustainable and socially just models of development. We hope citizens of the Global North will recognize their own capacity and responsibility to impact US foreign policy and commit to social change.

Who We Are

The idea that travel can be educational and positively influence international affairs motivated the first Reality Tour in 1989. For over 15 years we have promoted alternative, educational travel as a way to replace feelings of apathy with a deeper understanding and sense of empowerment. Global Exchange's Reality Tours are not designed to provide immediate solutions or remedy the world's most arresting problems, nor are they simply a brand of voyeurism. Our intention is to educate people about how we -- both individually and collectively -- contribute to global problems, while realizing our ability to generate solutions. In essence, our work is dedicated to support ways in which we can facilitate lasting social change.