Travel is not about taking home a trophy, it is all about captivating the charm and beauty of the world.
Travellers Awareness
Travellers of the 21st century are becoming more aware of their impact on the places they are visiting; by being socially and culturally aware when they travel, they are getting more considerate of making a positive effect and change to the places they visit.
What is Responsible Travel?
Responsible Travel is the superlative concept of travel; it is to profound the depth and history of the cultures you are visiting, get more involved with the local community, live the moment and avoid the shallowness of being trendy. While travelling responsibly, all you have o do is to treat people the way you want to be treated; respect them and their traditions, honour the environment they live in, and live the moment. In brief, responsible travel is to be more sensible of the place you are entering, as it is someone else’s home.
Responsible Travel Effect on Local Communities
The influence of Responsible Travel is immense, as it changes societies and environments positively by creating better places for people to live and better places for other tourists to visit. One may ask how can such an effect be applied to reality, and the answer is simpler than you think. It is all about involving the local community in the decisions that affect their lives and their chances of development.
For starters, you can learn a few words of the native language. For example, in Jordan, you can use (Marhaba) to greet, and (Shukran) to thank people. Buy from the locals for the money you pay for them will go directly to their families, unlike international brands where the money goes to the stakeholders.
Booking Your Accommodation Awareness
For a change, book your accommodation at lodges, cabins, and hotels that maintain a good level of responsibility towards their local community; most of the hotels in Jordan are owned by local families especially in Madaba, Petra, and Wadi Rum, all their staff are locals. Lodges and cabins are also recommended to help you avoid modern trends, indulge in beautiful nature, and support the locals. For instance, Jordanian reserves and biospheres offer great lodges, cabins, and camps for accommodation. They are considered as a big part of the local community growth, as their profits are used to contribute to evolving the rural areas and supporting projects that the local women produce at their homes. Moreover, you can try the local experience tours which allow you to live like locals. All tours in Jordan are operated by locals, this will guarantee to support them and to enjoy the adventurous experience.
Local Cuisine Support
If you are a “Foodie’’, then we suggest you reserve a day to savour cooking with a local family; get all the ingredients from the local market, prepare the meal together while enjoying informative and delightful conversations with your host. These cooking experiences are popular in Amman, Kerak, and Petra.
There are endless examples of how you can be a responsible traveller, but it is also easier than you think. Think about it as paying it forward and helping others wherever you go. Here at Jordan Select Tours, we support all initiatives of developing our country’s communities, through a greater understanding of the local social and environmental issues, helping you build a more meaningful journey.
Book your trip to Jordan, and be part of the great change.
