How to make a difference to the places you travel

For those of you that travel, whether short term or long term, we all leave physical and environmental footprints. This is inevitable and we should all consider how we can off-set these footprints and make a difference to the places that we travel.

Community

All cities, towns, villages and hamlets have a community. A group of people that live there and are the life-force of that place. If you are going to travel somewhere, try to talk to the community that live in that place, speak to the locals and find out what they love about the place they live. Get tips off them; you may find some little known walks, viewpoints or things going on in the town whilst you are there. You may find out where to get the freshest vegetables or best cup of coffee in town. Mostly, you’ll gain the respect of the community members that live there; you have taken the time to speak to them and find out how you can make a difference to the place they call home. You may even make friends and have people to call upon should you ever return.

Support independent businesses

Most areas encourage visitors as people need places to stay, places to eat and almost always buy souvenirs or gifts. This means that the economy in that place improves dramatically. You can help encourage the growth of the economy by supporting local or independent businesses. This way you will also undoubtedly buy things of better quality which last longer, eat food which has travelled less food miles and stay in accommodation in which the host truly cares about your experience.

Go to local events

If you see an event advertised in a small village, go to it! This could be a fete in a small English village, a religious event which says “welcome to all”, a yoga class, a talk presented by the local horticultural society, a wine and cheese night or literally anything else. Yes you may feel out of place to start with but most people are friendly and you won’t regret going. Unless the talk on cacti is really boring of course! There really is a lot going on in the smaller places you visit, and it’s out there for you to find. If you are looking for the energy in a place, it can usually be found in the people that live there.

Treat the place as if you lived there

No littering please. We see these signs everywhere, but I know that some of you still litter, as I see litter ALL OVER THE PLACE. There is usually always a bin nearby too. Come on people, get it together! Treat the places you travel as you would treat the place you live. If you see litter, pick it up and put it in the bin. If you see a problem with litter, speak to someone local about organising a litter pick. If you see someone struggling with their shopping, help them. If you see an unkempt frontage and an elderly person living there, see if you can donate an afternoon to them to help tidy the place up. Look around you at the places and people you see, look properly, and you will see proactive ways you can assist a community. Then the hard part - once you’ve seen it, do it!

Stay longer in each place

If you have the luxury to travel slower, it is not only better for the environment but you will have a more wholesome experience of a place. You will get to know people in that area, find your preferred walking routes, develop a “local” drinking place and a favourite restaurant. I can vouch for this; I have travelled quickly from place to place due to a dwindling budget and a need for speed! I needed to see as many places as possible so I could join in those hostel conversations of “Oh yes I’ve been there too, but I much preferred this well-known place 4 hours down the coast”, and so I could tick things off on my bucket list. Maybe the inclination to travel slower has come with age. When we left to travel hastily across the world (ok, some people may not call two years a hasty trip but trust me, it felt it!), we were just twenty-one years old. Now, we are twenty-eight, and the difference we feel in our mindsets is quite staggering.

If you take my advice and stay just a tad longer in each place, you will feel as though you know the place differently, as more of a “local” yourself, and that you are entitled to form a full opinion of the place as you have given it the time and respect it deserved.