2026 Travel With Care Champion Award
Award Overview
Starting in 2026, a new Travel With Care Champion will be selected and honored at the annual Idaho Conference on Recreation and Tourism (ICORT) in October. The Travel With Care Champion Award recognizes a community organization, business, or destination that puts the values of Visit Idaho’s Travel With Care program in action: preserving Idaho’s beautiful and one-of-a-kind outdoor spaces, helping visitors and residents make thoughtful choices that help keep everyone safe, and fostering a welcoming and friendly environment throughout the state.
Key Dates:
- July 15-September 21: Applications open
- September 22-October 2: Judging period
- Week of October 5: Notification of entry status (finalists selected)
- October 20: ICORT Awards Presentation
Eligibility and Evaluation Criteria
Eligible Entities: Any organization, business, or destination located in Idaho that has conducted a responsible tourism and recreation event, program, or campaign targeted to travelers and residents within the state.
Eligibility Period: Event, program, or campaign must have been fully executed between July 31, 2025, and June 30, 2026.
Submissions will be evaluated on how they address the following:
- Alignment with Travel With Care brand values and core pillars: All events, programs, campaigns, and messaging should positively promote responsible outdoor recreation and serve as a friendly reminder for visitors and residents to join in responsible recreation and tourism.
- Examples of submissions should include, but are not limited to, the following:
- A volunteer event with supportive messaging for trail maintenance, river or lake cleanup, invasive species removal, revegetation, or similar hands-on activity.
- Educational programming for participants to learn about local wildlife and how to interact safely and responsibly.
- An event or program actively addressing crowding, trail etiquette or similar issues of respect and usage of shared recreational spaces.
- A digital campaign on social media or a website providing safety tips, trip planning resources, trail guides, or emergency guidance.
- Examples of submissions should include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Impact: Events, programs, and campaigns should be able to show the impact of efforts and trackable results, whether that be pounds of trash collected, range of species and ecosystems benefited, number of trainings completed, or other measurable components.
- Reach: Events, programs, and campaigns should engage and educate audiences across visitors and residents, garner media coverage and community engagement, and build on the momentum of continued responsible recreation efforts in Idaho.
- Partnerships: Events, programs, and campaigns benefit from bringing together expertise and audiences from multiple entities to broaden opportunities for collaboration, scope, and influence.