Why you should (still) travel!

“To travel is to live”

So wrote Hans Christian Andersen in “The Fairy Tale of My Life”, back in the mid-19th century and it is every bit as relevant to us today as it was back then. Nothing beats exploring new places and experiencing just how much travel feeds your soul.

But travel is coming under increasing scrutiny due to the challenges it poses.

These are climate challenges, which are important for all of us to solve, or worldwide crises such as those caused by the corona virus. Major challenges that make us unsure whether we should stay at home instead.

Why should you still travel?

If you ask us, you should still travel.

But why? When there’s always something and someone advocating that you should stay at home?

We will give you 3 reasons here:

1) You support the local community

A large part of the world’s population works in the tourism sector, and in 2019, more than 10% of the world’s total gross domestic product came from this.

And what does that mean?

This means that when you travel out into the world, you help support the local communities that you travel to.

Local communities that live off the fact that, among other things, travellers from Europe come to visit.

This applies to everyone from the guides in Bali, the porters on Kilimanjaro, rangers in the national parks, the small Masai communities in Kenya, kindergartens, and schools, to the various subcontractors, etc.

(Responsible) tourism plays a pivotal role in generating employment across various sectors within local communities. It aids in the preservation of local cultural heritage, as the demand from visitors for authentic experiences encourages the maintenance of traditional customs and cultures. Furthermore, the revenue generated from tourism contributes to the development of local infrastructure and educational facilities, thereby providing a boost for small businesses to flourish.

When you travel, you also help improve the living conditions, finances, working conditions and education of the local people.

At TourCompass, we work actively to choose the right local partners, so that, as a tour operator, we help to ensure that the money you spend as a guest also stays in the countries concerned, thereby benefiting the locals. 

2) You support the wildlife

We’re often told that we should leave the animals alone – that we shouldn’t disturb them.

But many of the world’s animal species would probably be in danger if it weren’t for people like us who come to visit.

What most people don’t think about is the fact that many of the animals that live at our destinations do so because we come and visit them.

If the national parks didn’t have the incentive – money – to stay open, then there would be no one to look after the animals and protect them from poaching, for example. Some forms of poaching increased during Covid-19 (including poaching for food – bushmeat), probably because visitors and employees were not there to look after the animals. When tourism disappears, so does the money. And thus also the funding for the projects that help preserve and strengthen the local biodiversity, and this hits the less developed countries particularly hard. The UN estimates, for example, that up to 80% of visits to many destinations in Africa are for the wildlife.

So the fact that you want to see the animals in their natural habitat often helps to save those animal species.

What’s more, many research projects exist thanks to the support of tourists, e.g. projects that research endangered animal species, and “orphanage” projects that care for vulnerable animals. This applies, for example, to the elephants in Changchill in Thailand, where elephants that have previously “worked” in the entertainment industry are taken care of, and Jane Goodall’s Chimp Eden in South Africa, which is a rehabilitation centre for chimpanzees.

Naturally, it’s a balancing act.

It’s important that we do not, as a tour operator, profit from animals that live in captivity solely to entertain visitors. This is something we actively distance ourselves from, just as we actively contribute to projects that support endangered animal species. We regularly review our tours to ensure that we offer experiences involving animals, which we can vouch for. In fact, we are categorised as an animal-friendly tour operator by World Animal Protection, which is for companies that have said no to all entertainment with wild animals in captivity. 

3) You are doing something good for yourself

Several studies have shown that when you travel, you are doing something good for yourself.

Travel helps to make you healthier, among other things because a holiday reduces stress and helps to increase your well-being and happiness.

In addition to the health benefits, travel also helps to expand your horizons and, in many ways, helps to change you. You come out of your comfort zone and learn about other cultures, you eat different food and you enjoy lots of new experiences that you can look back on for the rest of your life.

In short: Travel is a balm for the soul.

Travelling makes the world a better place

As a tour operator, we are increasingly and more purposefully working with responsibility and sustainability – as paradoxical as that might sound. We know that we also have a responsibility, and we work ambitiously to be part of the solution to the challenges the world faces. And we do so while experiencing the unique world we live in, partly because of the three reasons above.

So the next time you’re considering whether it’s better to stay at home, do at least remember these three important reasons why you should keep travelling.

That’s not to say that you should travel every year, or even that it’s not fantastic to holiday at home, where you also support local tourism, but rather that there are ALSO reasons why you should travel out into and experience the world.

In short, we believe that travelling and experiencing the world helps make it a better place.

10 simple tips on how to travel more sustainably

In conclusion, we’ve put together 10 tips that you can focus on in order to travel a little more sustainably.

1) Choose an airline that focuses on reducing its CO2 emissions in line with the Paris Agreement.

2) Travel outside the high season and help minimise over tourism in the places where this is a risk.

3) Minimise your consumption of plastic by reusing water bottles (possibly bring your own) and say no to single-use plastics, especially in places where there is no focus on waste management. Also, never dispose of your waste anywhere other than in the bin – and take it home with you if there isn’t one.

4) If you buy souvenirs, buy the “right” souvenirs. Buy goods that are produced locally, where the income stays local.

5) Save water, e.g. by reusing your towels and only asking for your room to be cleaned when necessary.

6) Use local guides – not only will you get the most authentic knowledge, but the money will also stay local.

7) Take care of nature and respect it by following paths and any other rules that apply in national parks and natural areas.

8) Respect the wildlife by experiencing the animals in their natural environment and do not participate in shows or other entertainment with animals in captivity.

9) Familiarise yourself with local customs and traditions to show respect for the communities you visit.

10) Be sure to choose a tour operator or travel provider that focuses on responsible tourism and travel practices.

Read more about each point in our blog post: 10 tips on how to travel (a little) more sustainably.

TourCompass – From tourist to traveller