The future of travel is here
It's hard to imagine what it will be like to travel as restrictions are lifted. But one thing is for sure: things will be different . And those differences, in many ways, are going to be good. we all know that the resources of the planet cannot support our proud dreams. And, after the coronavirus, it is likely to change too how we feel about our desire to travel.
After so much time at home, this is the opportunity to join the world with a kinder approach have a perspective more compassionate and align the way we travel with the efforts we make to live sustainably, healthy, and thoughtfully.
It's time to make a practical and personal change to travel better : better for the communities of the places that we visit, better for us, for connect with destinations in a positive and meaningful way, and better for the natural world . And we are here to help you at the beginning of the journey.
Here you have 10 things to consider for when you start preparing your next vacation.
Let's go back to travel around our environment, the closest one, the one that, sometimes, we know very little about.
**1. SPEND MORE HOLIDAYS AT HOME **
While we wait for flights to be restored , any non-essential international travel should be avoided. Fortunately for us, in the UK we have beautiful landscapes to explore, coastlines to explore and cities to stroll , so now that the restrictions are being lifted, why not take time to discover our nature?
Access is easy by train, bike or on foot , and a vacation at home can range from a trip a kilometer from the front door , to a weekend break in a region yet to be explored . The many benefits also include being able to pack and leave suddenly, spend less and know that it is the most ecological way to travel.
2. BUY LESS TOXIC TRAVEL PRODUCTS
There's nothing like a global pandemic to remind us that the world around us is not immune to our behavior.
Detox from the products we carry with us is not only healthier for humans, but for the destinations we visit, where water supplies and nature reserves can be negatively affected by products like sun cream and shampoo , and where waste disposal systems struggle to cope with plastic waste from cosmetics.
Search natural brands and reusable packaging, avoid unnecessary plastic And never, ever take the samples from the hotel.
Less waste and safer, this is how we want our flights to be from now on.
3. RETHINKING THE FLIGHTS
For many of us, grounding planes has meant noise pollution relief , as well as removing one of the worst types of air pollution.
It is predicted that when flights begin to recover, travelers will find themselves with long queues, health checks and higher prices , so that reduce time in airports and airplanes it is something that many of us will want to continue to do, regardless of when the measures are lifted.
All this will force us to think a lot about where we want to fly and why . The surviving airlines must prioritize the physical and economic well-being of your staff , as well as take advantage of the opportunity to use new technologies to make the greener and healthier flights , both for those who travel by plane and for those who stay on the ground.
Eithad, for example, has made rapid progress in this regard : has been at the forefront of developing more fuel-efficient aircraft and produce less waste on flights , and has been testing new technology at airports to help identify travelers at health risk.
What if we start to also enjoy the journey and not just the destination?
4.CONSIDER SLOW TRAVEL
Now that we know that flying will never be the same, we can and should adopt other methods of transport . Think about travel slowly , with the intensity of Normal People, and you will begin to understand the unparalleled joy of take a train or a boat, or even go out on two wheels.
The subsequent gratification and anticipation of traveling in this way creates new opportunities to see the world and demonstrate all the clichés that claim that the journey is as important as the destination.
Community, local tourism, slow travel... Our trips will be slow, slow and of higher quality.
**5. THINK ABOUT THE LOCALS **
With a lot of frequency, relations between tourists and locals they are transactional and unbalanced. But the reality is that We need we a they.
This new world situation offers the opportunity to develop better relationships and a more symbiotic exchange of money, skills, local knowledge and experiences, which will mean that we all end up enriched by tourism, instead of depleted.
many companies, such as Village Ways in the Himalayas and Wild Philanthropy in East Africa , have these values embedded, they should become benchmarks in the future.
6. STAY IN HOTELS ROOTED IN THE COMMUNITY
When our journey focuses on forge new connections , it makes sense that the best places to stay are smaller, locally owned and community-based . Properties that form a vital part of the local ecosystem obviously tend to operate more carefully, also when it comes to the environment.
Authenticity is easy to detect: the hotels that speak fondly of their staff (Castara in Tobago) either his community activity (Jakes in Jamaica) they have something to offer that luxury chains are still struggling to recreate.
It is clear that the animals have rested in these months without our presence, let's keep it that way.
7.NO MORE ANIMALS
Regardless of the rights and wrongs of wet markets, a greater awareness that animals do not simply exist to satisfy our whims it's an important part of traveling more mindfully.
Wild animals become incredibly stressed by the presence of humans (the image of the elephant with its ears spread is an elephant saying “Go away, I feel threatened”) and it is easy disrupt their natural breeding or feeding activity Simply by our presence.
Do not touch, do not photograph and, ideally, do not eat animals is a big step in helping to rebalance the most delicate systems and reduce our footprint . We can continue to enjoy seeing animals from afar and we must support innovative conservation projects that really work to protect their existence.
To reduce plastic, and take care of our nature, we first have to think about what we can do ourselves.
**8.IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT THE CARBON FOOTPRINT**
Traveling better is not only about what we do to reduce our carbon footprints on an individual trip in terms of emissions or reduction of plastic, but in thinking about what we leave behind: worker rights, staff experiences, visitor inclusion and the economic impact of our trip.
Conscious luxury will now encompass all these aspects , not just symbolic gestures to "support" local education projects, but it will actually operate with integrity.
Destinations that care for and pamper their surroundings, and therefore their travelers and locals.
**9.TRAVEL TO THE RIGHT DESTINATIONS**
With well-being and care as motivations , the destinations at the forefront of reducing their carbon footprints, will probably be the best to adapt to a new type of travel and offer real opportunities for a vacation without harm.
Work in how to address the needs of nature, local business and travelers is not without its challenges, so supporting destinations like Copenhagen (which has already developed great outdoor opportunities that allow for individual space and exercise, as well as innovative green management) or Belize (which has some of the most authentic ecological hotels in the world) is a good way to start planning your best trip.
Already accustomed to the intimacy of our homes, we may want to wait a little longer before intruding into the crowd.
10. PURPOSE OF LOW VOLUME TOURISM
Because people move around the planet less and become more selective , the silver lining of post-pandemic travel is that mass tourism will be less of a problem.
Places like Palau and Finland , who have always followed a model of lower impact and invested in their natural habitats (73% of Finland is forested and development is restricted) they are professionals when it comes to low volume tourism so they are good choices if you are looking to escape the crowds . Look for places like this, more rural, to find solitude and calm.
This report was originally published in the British version of Condé Nast Traveler.