Given the year we’ve just had, it’s safe to say that travel in 2021 and beyond will largely focus on revitalizing human connection. However, there is still the question of how to do that while remaining ethical during trips to remote communities. Directing funds and tourists toward areas that need money most is a great cause, but one that has to be done with sustainability and care in mind. Here is what travel experts advise on the topic.
Many African Lodges and Camps Are Ahead of the Curve
If you’ve never been to an African lodge or camp, you may have an outdated vision of the situation. When it comes to responsible and sustainable tourism that supports, employs, and engages with local communities, there are many lodges and camps that will impress you. That’s the case with Volcanoes Safaris and African Bush Camps. There are also Great Plains and Sahara, which is collectively owned by more than 2,400 Samburu families.
By choosing to stay at one of these camps, you will directly be supporting remote local communities. What is more, you can even ethically explore their culture through community interactions held at most camps.
Tourists Should Be Aware of Their Impact on Remote Communities
CEO and co-founder of Responsible Travel, Justin Francis, says that as travelers, we should be well aware and extremely responsible for our impact on the places we visit. That doesn’t only include nature and climate, but people and their communities, too.
Meeting remote indigenous communities and visiting the areas they inhabit can be an amazing experience for both sides. For travelers, it’s a rare opportunity to see people living very different lives, often in completely different conditions. For locals, it’s a peculiar glimpse at modern life and an invaluable chance to get access to education as well as to educate others about their traditions and history. In a way, everyone can win from this as long as you as a traveler act responsibly and with care.