Opinion
Urban Adventures and the Local Travel Movement
Local travel is what we do. It’s the backbone of our operations, and a fundamental aspect of our day-to-day business. As a strong believer in and practicer of responsible travel, Urban Adventures is committed to its core tenets, which include local travel. As a proud member of the Local Travel Movement, Urban Adventures strives to [...]
How to avoid ‘localwashing’ while on vacation
Have you noticed how companies of all sizes are touting their local credentials these days? Whether you are shopping at your local supermarket or deciding on your next vacation destination, advertisements are replete with images of locally sourced fresh food or locally guided unique vacation services. And why not? “Buy local” and “local first” campaigns [...]
The benefits of Local Travel in the hills of northern Thailand
The ‘mountain people’ otherwise known as the hill tribes of northern Thailand, came from neighbouring Laos, Burma and China to settle in the remote highlands of northern Thailand hundreds of years ago. Their primitive way of life, as subsistence farmers living off the land in the remote mountain forests, is a cultural curiosity for the [...]
The Travel Word’s best local travel pictures of the year 2011
It’s hard to believe another year has gone by. And with it the grace of another 44 incredible Photos of the Week. We are nevertheless once again proud to present our Photos of the Year – the travel pictures of the year 2011 that most captured the imagination of The Travel Word team and a [...]
Voluntourism vs. Local Travel – making a (sustainable) difference abroad
Many travellers get to a point in their experience when they want to make a difference in the places they’ve visited. Whether it’s by donating money to a local charity, spending a day at an orphanage, taking a week to help build a school, or spending months working on a local development project, voluntourism has [...]
When local cultures aren’t so great
Travel exposes us to many strange sights and experiences. By setting foot beyond our own borders we might explore palaces and temples that we’ve seen before in movies; we might meet people of races we’ve never encountered and see their colourful national dress; we’ll probably hear many languages that we don’t understand. Most of our [...]
Can a tourist highlight be a local experience?
On our Spotted by Locals blogs, locals in 38 Europe cities write about their personal favorite spots. Usually, these are very much “insider” tips that you won’t find in the regular guidebooks. Sometimes (very rarely), a local (“Spotter” as we call them) has a very special story about a “highlight” in their city and writes [...]
Linking Cultures Through Sustainable (and Local) Tourism in Celebration of World Tourism Day
Do you believe travel can be a force for good? Since 1980, the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNTWO) has celebrated World Tourism Day on September 27th to bring awareness to the importance of tourism and its social, cultural, political, and economic value. “World Tourism Day is an opportunity to reflect on the importance of [...]
Stories from a local traveler
I don’t need to go anywhere except my front porch to encounter life in its finest form. Living in Los Angeles has forever redirected my reasons and motives for traveling. When I travel, I often think of my LA days as a reference point for the type of openness, ingenuity and experiences I seek to [...]