Reservations

Luxury Travel

Reservations

Luxury Travel

How can we make tourism Care

Greg R. Takehara is the CEO of Tourism Cares a non-profit organisation that brings all sectors of the travel industry together to create positive change and make travel a force for good.

This is a feature from Issue 12 of Charitable Traveller. 

At Tourism Cares, we unite the travel and tourism industry and act as a catalyst for positive social, environmental and economic impacts on the people and places touched by tourism.
We use the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals as guideposts for our work, so we can move the needle on our industry’s progress in the area of sustainable and responsible travel. I am asked all the time what that really means and if I can boil it down in simpler terms. That is no easy task because being responsible and sustainable means so many different things to everyone involved. I ask that we simply take the time to appreciate our freedom to travel and become more present when we engage in travel. Again, this is much easier said than done, especially with all the distractions of our lives weighing down on us. So how can we truly accomplish this?
In becoming more present, we should first take the time to recognise our hosts – the people and places of travel who are welcoming us. Then, no different than how we approach a family gathering or event, we must ask ourselves what is the occasion to which we have been invited? Here comes the tough part – we need to take ourselves out of the equation and focus on the traditions and culture of our host. To <analogise, we would not come to a birthday party empty-handed, nor would we wear our shoes in a home where they live by the rule of removing them. But this requires consciousness.
Perhaps the pandemic has given us a road map to greater consciousness. Consider, for instance, the need to social distance when appropriate, the protection immunization affords us, and the appreciation we have developed that some places must lockdown to protect their elders and preserve their culture. And how about the outcomes – we have seen wildlife restored in places where extinction threatened it and clean air return where toxic smog had become the norm. But can we maintain the requisite level of consciousness, or must we always have to endure a crisis to teach us a lesson? The Libra and optimist in me continues to try and find a balance and I am hopeful that we can become more mindful travellers.
Becoming more responsible does require work, but it will lead to more meaningful travel experiences and help ensure that future generations will be able to replicate the wonderful memories we bring home with us. Let’s all care more.

On our Meaningful Travel Platform, we espouse the following tenets, with the objective of creating a movement of respectful travellers.

  • Research local culture
  • Travel in shoulder or off-season
  • Purchase local products
  • Respect and protect animals in tourism
  • Keep children in communities safe and be mindful when trying to help them
  • Volunteer in a smart way
  • Recognise the signs of human trafficking
  • Bring your water bottle to skip the plastic
  • Understand that your choice of tourism business is an important one- support those who care
  • Leave no trace – ensure that you are helping to preserve the place you are visiting

This is a feature from Issue 12 of Charitable Traveller.