Sustainable Travel

Responsible travel, eco-tourism, conscious consumerism – whatever you want to call it, let’s prioritize it. We often hear about how detrimental flights are, or how travel and tourism destroy a local culture. And while this can be true, it doesn’t have to be. 

Let’s reframe how we travel, and let travel be a force for good.

Ethical Volunteering

Your vacation doesn’t have to be about disconnecting from the world; it can be about reconnecting with a different one. Whether you’re traveling for a few days or exploring indefinitely, there are ways to get involved wherever you are!

However, the reality is that showing up in a community that holds drastically different cultural beliefs and stressors is not easy to do – in fact, often it can be harmful! 

The willful spending by foreign travelers in donations and experiences has brought big money into international volunteering, and money-hungry investments with it! Too often, volunteer organizations claim to do good, offering enriching experiences to empathetic and actionable travelers. However, as money is invested into a project, there is a desired return… so is the goal of the organization to really ‘fix’ the problem? Or to prolong it long enough to sustain the revenue? 

Locals First

The voices and involvement of locals should be consistent and prioritized. Locals should feel respected, empowered, and resilient.

Outcome over Experience

The organization should seek to improve the outcome of the efforts, not enhance the experience for travelers.

Transparency

Volunteer programs should be up-front and transparent about their values, intentions, and actions, as well as their impact, goals, and finances.

Education

A volunteer experience seeking to solve a problem should be educating people on the source of the problem, and how they can help mitigate it after their service!

Check out my Volunteer Experiences Abroad

Join the Journey!

2 images in a polaroid frame from the Oregon Coast of a beach, and a girl in a sunhat sitting on a rock