Malia Asfour's job is to "build bridges between people throughout the world." As you listen to this episode, you'll hear her clarity around treating this responsibility with the utmost care and passion. She and Christine talk about the value of leaving what you know and exploring the world in a new context, the beauty of sharing space over traveling to "fix" or provide a solution, and the magic of tourism that is connected to a place's history. The Meaningful Travel Map project, launched in partnership with Tourism Cares, adds special experiences for those traveling to Jordan. By offering unique and hands-on cultural experiences for travelers, each of these social enterprises is satisfying the demand from travelers seeking authentic sustainable experiences that make a difference, and their need to use the power of travel to help people and places thrive. If this is what you are looking for, you have come to the right place!Malia is the Director of the Jordan Tourism Board in North America (JTBNA) and has worked for the Jordanian government since 1995. She currently serves on the Board of Directors of the National Tourism Association Services, Inc.(NTASI). She is a member of the Adventure Travel Trade Association’s (ATTA) Advisory Board and also serves on the US Tour Operator Association’s Allied & Associate Committee (USTOA); the National Tourism Association’s Faith Tourism Advisory Council (NTA) and is Vice Chair 1 of Tourism Cares. Learn more about Malia Asfour here, and learn more about the Meaningful Travel Map here.Learn more about Lotus Sojourns and ways to be a part of the community here.Find Lotus Sojourns on Facebook, or join the Lotus Sojourns Collective, our FB community for like-hearted women.Follow us on Instagram: @lotussojourns or @souloftravelpodcastCredits. Christine Winebrenner Irick (Host, creator, editor.) Malia Asfour (Guest). Original music by Clark Adams. Editing and production by Alex Lee-Ammons and For The Love Media, LLC.Support the show