Components of the Travel Different for Future Programme

Building a community of young changemakers through travel

The programme is built around a set of educational and awareness-raising activities that bring the idea of sustainable travel to life. Each component of the programme complements the others — together they form a learning journey that connects young people, teachers, travellers and communities across Europe.

The programme combines non-formal education, peer-to-peer learning and creative expression to explore what it means to travel responsibly in today’s world. From interactive workshops and youth-led initiatives to international cooperation and online storytelling, every element contributes to a common goal: empowering young people to make travel a force for positive change.

Below you can discover the main components of the programme and how they work together to promote sustainability, education and intercultural understanding.

What makes our programme unique

1. Educational workshops on sustainable travel

We have developed a series of 90-minute-long interactive workshop modules for young people aged between 13 and 18, focusing on the topic of sustainable tourism. The workshops combine creative and participatory methods, using the participants’ own ideas, perspectives and experiences as a starting point.

They are facilitated by young peer educators aged between 18 and 28 who were actively involved in creating the content and trained to deliver it in schools, youth organisations and hostels across Slovenia, Germany, Portugal and Spain. Through these sessions, participants learn how to make their travel experiences more meaningful, climate-friendly and socially responsible.

All workshops are freely available online and can be downloaded by anyone who wishes to use them in their own community, school or youth group. You can explore the full list of workshops here.

2. Peer-to-peer learning for sustainable travel

A key element of the programme is the peer-to-peer approach, where young people educate and inspire other young people. We have trained motivated volunteers aged between 18 and 28 from Germany, Slovenia, Portugal and Spain to become peer educators. They have co-created the workshops, learned how to use non-formal education methods in the field of Education for Sustainable Development, and now deliver workshops in schools, youth organisations and hostels across their countries.

The peer educators continue to collaborate through international seminars, training sessions and online meetings, where they exchange experiences and develop new educational ideas for the future. If you would like to join our team of volunteers or learn more about how to get involved, visit this page.

3. Climate-friendly school trips campaign

The Climate-Friendly School Trips Campaign helps schools take practical steps toward more sustainable travel and climate action. It encourages both students and teachers to reflect on how travel choices affect the planet and to explore ways to reduce their carbon footprint during school trips.

As part of the programme, the campaign offers schools a complete toolkit — an Action Guide and educational posters — designed to make climate-friendly travel education simple and engaging. The Action Guide provides step-by-step ideas, classroom activities and practical strategies for planning lower-carbon school excursions, integrating sustainability into school policies and encouraging meaningful discussions about responsible mobility.

To visually support these efforts, six educational posters transform complex environmental topics into inspiring visual stories that spark curiosity and dialogue across the school community. By displaying them in classrooms and hallways, schools can start important conversations and motivate students to take action.

All campaign materials are freely available online, so schools from any country can download and use them independently. By joining the initiative, teachers and students become part of a wider European effort to promote climate-friendly education and responsible travel.

4. TDFF blog – a space for youth voices and ideas

The Travel Different for Future blog is a creative platform where young people share their thoughts, experiences and ideas about sustainable travel and lifestyle. It gives space to volunteers, students and travellers to express their perspectives on how we can make tourism fairer, greener and more meaningful.

Through articles, reflections and photo stories, contributors explore topics such as responsible mobility, eco-friendly habits, cultural awareness and local initiatives that inspire change. The blog connects young voices from different countries and shows how individual stories can lead to collective awareness and action.

If you would like to become a writer for our blog or contribute your own article, feel free to contact us at info@traveldifferent.org.

You can also support our mission by following Travel Different for Future on Instagram, Facebook and TikTok – share, comment and spread the message of responsible and inspiring travel. Together, we can make a difference.