Travel is an excellent tool to learn about incredible projects around the world. There are numerous amazing individuals and organizations that are tirelessly working on making our world a better place. Researching these projects before travel and then including it in the trip could be a highlight. Not only it will add more content and purpose to the trip, but we will have the opportunity to learn about the details of the project, what it supports, who are the people behind the scenes, what the efforts and challenges are. This can change the travellers’ mindset on various topics and can put local and global efforts in a different perspective.
Adding a visit to the field or base of e.g. an NGO, a community initiative or charity organization, creates a high impact experience. When visitors engage with the project and the wonderful team behind it on a personal level, they can easily and willingly become sponsors and ambassadors of that cause, helping to generate wider exposure and consequently greater support to their work. Besides spreading the word about the project, personally learning about helping nature, communities, heritages has also a lifechanging experience and stimulates personal growth that can lead to benefits globally.
Hence, including such program in any private or organized group travel should be a ’must’. The size and the focus of the project does not matter, be it an organization saving species from extinction, a team fighting for the protection of cultural sights or assisting remote communities in need. The only important thing is to go under the skin of the destination to really understand it through the success stories and hardships of these initiatives.
The dedication of these organizations and individuals makes our life better, and helps to protect the wonders of the world we so long to explore and see. So the least we can do is engaging with their stories and supporting their efforts, especially if we decide to travel where they operate.
Giving back to our local or global community is one of the most important things all of us should do, there is no tourism and no future without taking care of our planet, our people and our nature.
Beáta