Travel with Trish! Sustainable Ethical Trends in Travel

To say that I am a bit overwhelmed about writing a column is an understatement, to say the least. I never really considered myself much of a writer, that job fell to my late brother John Slykhuis, an award-winning Journalist. So this column is dedicated to him. I take up my pen ( laptop lol) to honor him!

As all of you know the travel industry was hit hard by the pandemic and is still feeling the effects, which you can all see by canceled flights and higher prices. But despite all that, more than ever people want to travel.

Ok so with that obligatory nod to the C(ovid), word let's move on, shall we?

If you are looking to start traveling again, first and foremost I strongly recommend using a travel advisor (me) or someone else in your community. There have been so many changes and so many new requirements by country that the everyday person cannot keep up to. That’s my job!

I do all the research, finding the best places and the best value for your dollar. Notice I did not say the least expensive, and the reason I don't say that, is the least expensive is not always the best value. But that is not easy to find with an online booking engine. There are a lot of suppliers that online booking engines just don't have the same access to, so chances are you are missing a lot in your research.

But I wanted to look at some of the trends in Travel One of the trends that are near and dear to my heart is sustainable, ethical travel.

Travelers are becoming more conscious of the effect their travel has on the destinations they visit. And people want to immerse themselves in our natural world, Seeing wildlife in their natural habitat and learning about the habitats and what challenges they are facing, and how we can make a difference.

Travelers want to learn about the cultures of other people and learn from them and not just trample over their homes and take pictures and leave. This is a trend that I personally love, people are moving away from the all-about-me attitude and want to be of service to others.

Travellers are becoming more aware of the impact of their trips on the environment and local communities, and are looking for ways to travel more responsibly and ethically An option of ethical travel is volunteering in the countries you visit, you can immerse yourself into the culture of a location by working alongside its inhabitants. The trend is to improve, support, and lift the places we visit on vacation. Take your children on these types of vacations, it is not only educational but helps future generations to embrace other cultures and protect our natural world. They are our future and consider this type of travel as an investment in their future and our world’s future

Years before Covid, a co-worker did something that I was so impressed with He took a year ' s sabbatical and took his young family on a trip around the world, not to be tourists but to give back, they volunteered in every location they went to and engaged their children in local schools so they would learn about other cultures. The education those kids got on this adventure was something they could never get at a traditional school How fortunate for those kids! I always envied his adventurous spirit. What is your adventure spirit? Do you have a love for humans and wildlife? Do you want to do your part when on vacation? You can! By choosing how you vacation you can be a part of a brave new world, a world where we love and respect the places we go.

An example of companies that are leading the way in ethical and sustainable travel is G Adventures and Hurtigruten. 2 of my personal favorites.

Hurtigruten is also committed to sustainability and minimizing the impacts of its operations. They are revolutionizing the travel industry’s approach to sustainability, allowing them to offer authentic local experiences while leaving a footprint they are proud of both in nature and with the communities they visit2.

As a travel advisor, I can help you find the most eco-friendly and socially conscious destinations, accommodations, and activities for your trip, as well as provide you with practical advice, resources, and guidelines to help you reduce your environmental impact. You can vacation and have an impact on the places you visit. As a thank you for reading my column, I am offering $100 off any trip booked with me with G Adventures or Hurtigruten Let's book a Zoom and discuss your next Adventure!

G Adventures has a robust policy on animal welfare that puts the needs of animals first. They have worked with experts from World Animal Protection, The Jane Goodall Institute, and The World Cetacean Alliance to draw up this policy1. When you travel with G, you experience first-hand their commitment to making travel a force for good in everything they do.