Comments on: Is local interaction essential for Local Travel?

By: Lee Sheridan

Lee Sheridan — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 02:16:53 +0000

Nice article John, and some interesting points you make. I think for responsible travel to make any difference it needs to find a way into mainstream tourism – or more precisely mainstream tourism needs to become more responsible. Introducing local travel is going to take different forms for different markets – to some experiencing the local destination may be something just as simple as shopping at a local market or restaurant while to others in would be far more involved. I think all we can do is try to encourage people to travel ‘more locally’ than they did on their previous trip. Its not those that already travel locally that we should be targetting – its those that have yet to discover the benefits of it.

By: Stephen Chapman

Stephen Chapman — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 11:42:29 +0000

Great article John. Nice read about some different views… food for thought.

By: Ron Mader

Ron Mader — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 19:41:20 +0000

Great essay! I see the same thing with folks in their 50s and 60s visiting Oaxaca. Their interactions with locals are limited and what they most enjoy is talking to one another. Personally, I find there is a challenge here to be met — one of creating not necessarily tours but the experiences that bring together various peoples of various ages. It’s far too easy to travel abroad only to see the echo chamber — recommended listening: http://www.abc.net.au/rn/futuretense/stories/2010/2903337.htm — but if we seek out the voices of those whose experiences are different than us, we have much to learn.

By: Kate Ward

Kate Ward — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 11:29:15 +0000

Really interesting. We have found here at The Responsible Safari Company (www.responsiblesafaricompany.com) and now as Malawi MPO’s for whl.travel (http://www.explore-malawi.com/) that our main clientele are in the age bracket you are talking about. We choose to use local guides/drivers to accompany our clients while they are on projects, in townships and when they are interacting with local people. The feedback we receive is that they form very close bonds with their local guide and having him/her there helps them to feel more relaxed in an otherwise perhaps daunting situation. As mentioned in your article our younger clientele appear far more willing to be placed on projects in very rural areas with less support…we are late twenties and i can see benefit in both these mentioned approaches, perhaps i fall into the middle category!

By: Bart van Poll

Bart van Poll — Sat, 29 May 2010 09:05:17 +0000

Nice article John. Good point about the “time issue”. Hadn’t really thought of that. Preparing a meeting with locals gets easier though, with all the online tools we have at our disposla time now.