Thailand restaurant / Photo by Jo Matthews
New projects that brand themselves as ‘Green’, ‘Eco’, ‘Responsible’ or one of the many other monikers that have surfaced in recent years seem a little late to the party in my opinion, and lack the foresight and vision necessary to really drive tourism forward. The attributes that combine to create a destination, experience or brand worth being a part of rarely include a title that plays on values. The mission of a company is communicated through its actions, ethics and engagement not through the words that identify it. Making claims about your project through a title is likely to be limiting, dissappointing for consumers, a turn off for many people and leave you stuck in a niche. Of course there is a market for small, niche initiatives but on a grander scale where advancement of the travel industry is concerned, labels and categories seem to be more of a hinderance than a help.
Responsible travel/tourism and all its friends
“Travel products and services should be in a constant state of flux, moving to improve and enhance themselves as new attitudes, information and understanding surface.”
Responsible travel/tourism has been thrown about for years now in an effort to describe a more sensitive and thoughtful side to an industry that recognises the responsibilities we have to protect the places we visit. Truth of the matter is that the phrase is looking a little tired now, not least due to its affiliation with responsibletravel.com and the International Centre of Responsible Tourism. The National Geographic Society also have their label, ‘Geotourism’, which although perhaps a little more descriptive of what it defines, still tries to put the proverbial finger on an aspect of travel that should require no distinction. Travel is about experiencing a place, appreciating it, preserving it and as we innovate, progress and adopt new attitudes we should naturally incorporate these into products and offerings without attempting to market them as some new approach to doing things through a name. Travel products and services should be in a constant state of flux, moving to improve and enhance themselves as new attitudes, information and understanding surface.
‘Local travel’ is one of the more recent terms to be thrown about the industry. This idea of travelling locally – geographically speaking but also in terms of the beneficiaries of your patronage – is probably the label that best defines the current direction in which travel is moving. The label though is transitory and will no doubt come to be replaced with something else as we move forward. Perhaps the best way to ride these waves of public awakening is to simply digest their lessons and thoughts, and as in most cases brand yourself in a way that affords you room to move and change direction with market trends, without being a trend that gets left behind.
The most successful and pioneering companies that have featured on Make Travel Fair are those that make no attempt to categorise themselves through their name – Blueventures, Tribewanted, WHL, World Nomads – these are the companies that are acknowledged for their strong set of values and progressive nature.
Should volunteering drop the label?
“If a program made no reference to volunteering but conveyed the opportunities available in a very open and honest way I’d be far more likely to engage”
Should the volunteering sector also think about examining the way it markets opportunities? The word ‘volunteering’ or ‘voluntourism’ has always felt a bit repellent to me as it conjures up thoughts of a very one-way exchange. Taking the time to consider what volunteering opportunities provide though reveals hopes for ‘a sense of community’, participation, involvement, skill development, education, communication, honesty and passion. If a program made no reference to volunteering but conveyed the opportunities available in a very open and honest way I’d be far more likely to engage in a project and understand why I might be paying to be involved. Getting involved with projects locally is a great way to feel part of the community, invested in your local area and proud of what’s on offer.
If everyone worked at a local level to enhance their communities and make it a better place to live and visit there would be so much to see and do, instead I think we often look too far from home to make a difference. It is this attitude which needs to change amongst accommodation and tour providers around the world if they are to reap the business benefits of contributing to the upkeep and involvement of local communities in their work.
Further information:
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A combination of editor writings and carefully curated articles from around the web. Make Travel Fair was established in 2006 and has received multiple awards for its thoughtful approach towards travel and the way we experience the world... More
For All Its Labels & Categories, ‘Travel’ Presides
Thailand restaurant / Photo by Jo Matthews
New projects that brand themselves as ‘Green’, ‘Eco’, ‘Responsible’ or one of the many other monikers that have surfaced in recent years seem a little late to the party in my opinion, and lack the foresight and vision necessary to really drive tourism forward. The attributes that combine to create a destination, experience or brand worth being a part of rarely include a title that plays on values. The mission of a company is communicated through its actions, ethics and engagement not through the words that identify it. Making claims about your project through a title is likely to be limiting, dissappointing for consumers, a turn off for many people and leave you stuck in a niche. Of course there is a market for small, niche initiatives but on a grander scale where advancement of the travel industry is concerned, labels and categories seem to be more of a hinderance than a help.
Responsible travel/tourism and all its friends
Responsible travel/tourism has been thrown about for years now in an effort to describe a more sensitive and thoughtful side to an industry that recognises the responsibilities we have to protect the places we visit. Truth of the matter is that the phrase is looking a little tired now, not least due to its affiliation with responsibletravel.com and the International Centre of Responsible Tourism. The National Geographic Society also have their label, ‘Geotourism’, which although perhaps a little more descriptive of what it defines, still tries to put the proverbial finger on an aspect of travel that should require no distinction. Travel is about experiencing a place, appreciating it, preserving it and as we innovate, progress and adopt new attitudes we should naturally incorporate these into products and offerings without attempting to market them as some new approach to doing things through a name. Travel products and services should be in a constant state of flux, moving to improve and enhance themselves as new attitudes, information and understanding surface.
‘Local travel’ is one of the more recent terms to be thrown about the industry. This idea of travelling locally – geographically speaking but also in terms of the beneficiaries of your patronage – is probably the label that best defines the current direction in which travel is moving. The label though is transitory and will no doubt come to be replaced with something else as we move forward. Perhaps the best way to ride these waves of public awakening is to simply digest their lessons and thoughts, and as in most cases brand yourself in a way that affords you room to move and change direction with market trends, without being a trend that gets left behind.
The most successful and pioneering companies that have featured on Make Travel Fair are those that make no attempt to categorise themselves through their name – Blueventures, Tribewanted, WHL, World Nomads – these are the companies that are acknowledged for their strong set of values and progressive nature.
Should volunteering drop the label?
Should the volunteering sector also think about examining the way it markets opportunities? The word ‘volunteering’ or ‘voluntourism’ has always felt a bit repellent to me as it conjures up thoughts of a very one-way exchange. Taking the time to consider what volunteering opportunities provide though reveals hopes for ‘a sense of community’, participation, involvement, skill development, education, communication, honesty and passion. If a program made no reference to volunteering but conveyed the opportunities available in a very open and honest way I’d be far more likely to engage in a project and understand why I might be paying to be involved. Getting involved with projects locally is a great way to feel part of the community, invested in your local area and proud of what’s on offer.
If everyone worked at a local level to enhance their communities and make it a better place to live and visit there would be so much to see and do, instead I think we often look too far from home to make a difference. It is this attitude which needs to change amongst accommodation and tour providers around the world if they are to reap the business benefits of contributing to the upkeep and involvement of local communities in their work.
Further information:
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