![]() Let me very clear that sustainable travel doesn’t describe a type of travel. When I refer to sustainable travel, I am responding to the consideration taken to the ecological and socio-cultural well-being of a destination as well as the people and animals living in it. I will highlight some of the most sustainable forms of travel below. Small Group Tours Small group tours serve a maximum of 12-16 travelers depending on the tour operator. These tours provide unique accommodations, many meals, the logistical maneuvering from location to location, as well as a variety of experiences and special tours while often also allowing unstructured time for independent exploration. These tours range from super active to low key, from basic accommodations to more luxurious accommodations. The key to the success of these tours is the personal bond created among the travelers as well as with the guide, who is often a local to the region with authentic knowledge and connections. Guests have the comfort of an itinerary, but it isn’t so rigid that the guide can’t make changes and recommendations to reflect the group, and the individual has the time and freedom for some independent exploration as well. Community-Based Tourism Community-Based Tourism provides travelers with an authentic, local, and cultural experience while giving the community full ownership and management of the experience. The guest will sleep, eat, and experience the culture of the community first-hand. Sometimes, a community experience is worked into the itinerary of a small group tour. My family and I experienced a couple of nights in an ocean side farming community on the island of Floreana in the Galápagos Islands as part of our small group tour of the Galapagos Islands. Families had built guest houses, restaurants, and bars throughout the community specifically to bring tourism in. There was a dive shop where we rented our snorkel gear. Each night, we met at the bar located on the beach to watch the sunset prior to walking to a different restaurant within the community for dinner. Expedition Cruising The idea that a guest can unpack one time is the biggest highlight to cruising of any sort in my opinion, but personally, I had always felt that this convenience compromised the travel experience. When a ship of 2K - 10K passengers lands in the same port as other ships with similar numbers, the experience feels as if it will only be watered down and inauthentic. This is not necessarily true, but let me introduce you to one fo the the coolest additions to our tourism world, expedition cruising, which can describe anything from a large yacht type vessel to a small cruise ship, holding anywhere from 12 to 300 or so passengers depending on the boat and the itinerary. These boats can dock in a variety of locations. They often hold zodiacs, kayaks, and other implements of adventure as well for dock into less trodden areas. These boats travel everywhere from arctic regions with specially designed boats to more tropical islands and everything in between. This type of cruising can run the gamut of basic to Uber luxurious depending on your wants. FIT FIT is lingo in the travel trade for “foreign independent travel,” or absent of a group itinerary. This can look like just about anything, so in order to make it sustainable, the accommodations and the experiences need to adhere to responsible efforts. Are the lodgings locally owned and operated with ecological practices in place? Do the experiences take into consideration environmental and socio-cultural impacts of the activity? Is child welfare taken into consideration?
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AuthorThis is my journey as I navigate the world of sustainable travel for myself and my business. Archives
April 2024
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