Leave No Trace and Matador Network Announce New Tourism-Focused Partnership

— Leave No Trace and Matador Network are teaming to enhance the tourism marketing experience through stewardship-focused digital offerings

Contact for Matador Network: Ross Borden/[email protected]/415-847-7448
Contact for Leave No Trace: Andrew Leary/[email protected]/303-442-8222

Today, Leave No Trace announces a formal partnership with Matador Network, a major player in the content creation and travel publishing space.

The partnership will provide services for major travel, tourism and outdoor brands with innovative, highly custom, consumer-facing messaging programs that promote responsible travel and sustainable tourism development while supporting the local small businesses that foster both.

As the world comes out of COVID and demand for leisure travel surges, the need for education and awareness regarding responsible travel and the stewardship of natural areas has become an urgent topic of conversation among both destinations and travelers alike.

Since 2017, Leave No Trace has been working with state, county and local-level Destination Marketing Organizations (DMOs) through its tourism partnership program, utilizing research and data-driven approaches to promoting safe and sustainable travel developed over the 28 years since the organization was founded. Matador brings the ability to tell unique stories through original articles, custom videos and creator talent, along with its megaphone of built-in distribution across its website and social channels, where it currently records over 120M monthly video views.

For brands and destinations wanting to encourage responsible visitation and foster behavior that doesn’t frustrate local residents but still boosts local economies, this partnership will offer an alternative to closures or restrictions for natural areas. Instead, the final products will inform visitors with  inspirational content and trip planning tips that communicate the importance of respecting nature, while also highlighting tour operators and local small businesses that can guide visitors when they arrive in the destination.

“We’ve proven over the last couple of years, through work with states like North Carolina and Hawaii, that tourists are very receptive to inspirational and educational content about how to explore responsibly — especially if they can learn about bookable experiences with local people who teach them about the land and customs of that destination. Our new partnership with Leave No Trace will empower any travel brand to roll out powerful campaigns that simultaneously encourage sustainable tourism development and boost local business,” said Ross Borden, CEO of Matador.

“We’ve advised dozens of DMOs on how to promote responsible tourism, but through our partnership with Matador, we can now wrap those learnings and messages in consumer-facing digital campaigns that will reach millions of travelers,” said Dana Watts, Executive Director of Leave No Trace. “For destinations that want to promote their assets in a way that will have tangible benefits to both their smallest businesses and their cherished parks, protected areas and other nature-based resources, this is an opportunity to do so on a grand scale.”

About Matador
Matador is a leading media company in travel, with the mission of promoting the act of travel as a force for good in the world. It has built its brand on pillars of sustainability and diversity within travel and it has become one of the leading travel media companies over the last 10 years. Matador works with over 220 DMOs (destination marketing organizations/tourism boards) on custom campaigns to promote their respective cities, states and countries to the wider market of leisure travel consumers. In 2012, Matador launched a content studio that now serves as a creative agency, influencer network and award-winning production company for DMOs like Visit California, Visit North Carolina, Pure Michigan, Destination Canada, Visit Britain, Visit Scotland and brands like YETI, REI, Ford and Subaru. 

About Leave No Trace
Using the power of science, education and stewardship, Leave No Trace is on a mission to ensure a sustainable future for the outdoors and the planet. The outdoors is for everyone. No matter where or why you get outside, it’s yours to protect. It’s Your Nature. You can learn more about this partnership or Leave No Trace’s unique approach to protecting the outdoors at LNT.org.