What do you get when you mix a president, an airline activist, a television news anchor, ten environmentalists, and a tsunami of Chinese tourists? The most powerful pioneers in travel today

Kate Hanni
Founder, Coalition for an Airline Passenger Bill of Rights
Hanni's transformation from aggrieved air traveler into self-styled grassroots activist began with a flight from hell in December 2006. Trapped on an Austin runway for nine hours, the former Napa Valley real estate agent vowed never again. She's since stirred up support for an Airline Passenger Bill of Rights that would guarantee fliers access to rest rooms and bottled water on planes that don't budge for three or more hours. Despite public outrage over air-service woes, the nascent movement has faced setbacks: New York State's Passengers' Rights Law was thrown out of court last spring, and a similar manifesto has stalled in Congress. Still, Hanni savors what she calls "small but important" victories like new federal regulations that increase compensation for bumped passengers and require more candor from airlines in reporting delays and cancellations. Outgunned by the carriers' well-funded lobbying group, she uses small donations of cash and frequent-flier miles from her organization's 23,000 members to crisscross the country, haranguing senators and CEOs alike. "It is absolutely unconscionable what the airlines are doing," says the woman who has been dubbed the "Ralph Nader of the Skies."

Photographed by Stephanie Pfriender Stylander in Washington, D.C., on April 30, 2008

Anderson Cooper
Anchor of CNN's Anderson Cooper 360
Time and again, Cooper has gone the distance to see the story for himself. In 2005 alone, he traveled to Sri Lanka to cover tsunami devastation, visited Baghdad during Iraq's election, and boarded a plane to Lebanon during demonstrations following the former prime minister's assassination. Then in late August of that year, Cooper ditched his plans for a Croatian vacation and arrived on the Gulf Coast just as Hurricane Katrina did. After hunkering down until the storm passed and spending two days hopscotching around the devastated areas, he arrived in New Orleans in time to speak truth to power about official shortcomings. In the years since the catastrophe, the anchor has stayed committed to the Crescent City's recovery, having returned to report from there more than 20 times. His dedication is contagious: A million "voluntourists" have followed his lead, spending their downtime helping to rebuild the still-devastated city—and seeing the story unfold for themselves."

Photographed by Jonas Karlsson at the Royal Sonesta Hotel in New Orleans on May 19, 2008

The Watchdogs
Given the travel industry's penchant for all things green, some may be tempted to make feel-good claims without having the programs to back them up. But these ten eco- and sustainable-travel advocates are making sure there's substance behind the slogans. That means not only protecting the environment but also respecting human rights, paying a fair wage, and preserving indigenous cultures. Of course, the hope is that industry leaders will behave conscionably because it's the right thing to do. If they falter, however, these formidable crusaders will have their eyes wide open. From left: Jennifer Seif, executive director of Fair Trade in Tourism South Africa (fairtourismsa.org.za); Martha Honey, co-founder and co-director of the Center on Ecotourism and Sustainable Development (ecotourismcesd.org); Ronald Sanabria, director of Sustainable Tourism at the Rainforest Alliance (rainforest-alliance.org); Herbert Hamele, president of the European eco-travel organization Ecotrans (ecotrans.org); Peter Krahenbuhl, vice president of Sustainable Travel International (sustainabletravelinternational.org); Kelly Bricker, chair of the board of the International Eco-tourism Society (ecotourism.org); Erika Harms, executive director of sustainable development for the UN Foundation (unfoundation.org); Megan Epler Wood, president of the sustainable travel consulting firm EplerWood International (eplerwood.com); Tricia Barnett, director of the British anti-exploitation crusader Tourism Concern (tourismconcern.org.uk); and Stefanos Fotiou, tourism program officer for the UN Environment Programme (unep.org).