Andrew Leary – Principal

"Somewhere inside all of us is the power to change the world.” –Matilda

As Principal and lead of Coraggio’s Travel and Tourism Practice, Andrew is passionate about the intersections of development, sustainability, inclusion, accessibility, and community resiliency. Andrew’s innovative approach to strategic processes and applications supports engaged clients who are empowered to affect change in their destinations. He has been a keynote speaker and facilitator at travel & tourism industry conferences all over the United States and across international communities.

Prior to his time with Coraggio, Andrew served as Director of Sustainable Tourism at the Leave No Trace organization, establishing the destination stewardship practice for the most well-known responsible visitor education organization in the United States. In just seven years—and with noted expansion during the COVID-19 pandemic—Leave No Trace grew to become one of the most recognized destination stewardship solutions in the U.S. travel industry and across the globe. In addition to working with a vibrant portfolio of international, state, county, and city DMOs, Andrew has developed meaningful and equitable relationships with Indigenous-led organizations, including the American Indian Alaska Native Tourism Association, and many Tribal Nations across the lower 48 United States.

Andrew’s approach has been further shaped by 18 years as a professional expedition guide, delivering high levels of customer service while keeping a team pointed in the direction needed to reach our shared objective. Whether it’s an attempt to ski to the North Pole or developing a destination development strategy with tangible downstream utility, he approaches each opportunity with care, empathy, and forward progress. Andrew collaborates and leads industry-level change as an appointed U.S. Travel and Tourism Advisory Board member under the U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo.