Tourism will never be entirely "green" or fully socially responsible, since each tourist makes a certain negative impact. The trends of rapid rise in global tourism have brought forth the negative effects of tourism, which poses a serious global challenge. Various forms of sustainable and responsible tourism include responses to such challenges associated with environmental protection and preservation of natural and cultural heritage. Impact tourism represents their upgrade. In that context, "green" is considered as care for human wellbeing, nature and cultural environment. As a result, we are seeking opportunities to maximize the beneficial influence of tourists and its activation - all through the model of social entrepreneurship which is not driven solely by profit. The purpose of impact tourism is to offer both tourists and tourism product providers a helping hand in co-creating a social footprint together, but also a possibility to create measurable social impact while responding to various social challenges.

In recent years, among tourists and consumers in general, there is a growing trend of spending holidays that can provide authentic social experience, which they can share with the less privileged individuals with equal desire for personalization, including mass products/services. All of the above means the transition from "having" to "being". Impact tourism is an attempt to provide a holistic response to the dilemmas of modern tourism.