Principles of Responsible Travel
CULTURAL SENSITIVITY
Responsible travel starts from a place of respect for cultural differences and a healthy dose of humility. While we do not believe we need to leave our values behind, we do think one of the greatest joys of travel is learning about the many different ways of being human. During our programs, we provide background on the history, religion, and cultures of the places we visit, including guidance on culturally appropriate behavior. Often when traveling, there is the inevitable tension between personal desires and needs versus sensitive behavior, such as wearing long-sleeves in 100-degree heat or eating rice and dal for the 10th meal in a row. Our view is that these are small sacrifices for the privilege and opportunity of connecting with different cultures around the world.
LEARNING FROM AND VALUING INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE
We believe there are many insights to be gained from cultures that have existed for centuries or millennia. Whether it is on the role of community or cultural and environmental adaptation, we have much to learn from their unique perspectives and knowledge. We aim to form genuine reciprocal relationships with the communities we visit, and through the exchange of ideas and practices, both sides can gain more profound knowledge and wisdom.
LEAVING A SMALL FOOTPRINT
We are conscious of the resources we use in other communities, particularly in areas where they are limited. We also try to minimize our waste from consumption, specifically from plastic bottles. There is no waste management system or recycling in many locations we travel to, and much of the trash we create will end up polluting the environment. We advise all of our trip participants to reduce the consumption of non-biodegradable products. Small steps like unpackaging items wrapped in plastic at home and bringing their own water bottles and purification systems ensures we do not bring unnecessary trash along.
DEVELOPING LONG-TERM RELATIONSHIPS
We travel to communities with the goal of building long-term relationships based on mutual trust and friendship. Rather than pursue one-off visits, we prefer to cultivate connections over time by continuing to return to the same communities. We also do not lead trips to new communities, unless we have already begun to develop a relationship and are invited to visit with a larger group.
PARTICIPATING RATHER THAN OBSERVING
While we emphasize culturally appropriate behavior, we have found this can sometimes paralyze travelers from participating out of fear of making mistakes. Most local communities do not expect outsiders to know all of the nuances of their culture and are very accepting when we inevitably mess up. As long as it comes from a place of respect and willingness to learn, we encourage participants to get out and get involved – this is the space where genuine intercultural connections are made.
MINDFUL PHOTOGRAPHY
One of the pleasures of travel is capturing the memories and stories in photographs. With this, however, comes a responsibility to the people and places that are the subjects of the pictures. We ask our trip participants to be mindful of the barrier created by a lens and the wishes and feelings of the people who are on the other side of the photo. At the very least, permission should always be given before taking a picture. When possible, sharing prints of the images with people from the local community is an excellent form of reciprocity.
SUPPORTING LOCAL ECONOMIES
We want to ensure that the resources we spend on our trips go towards enhancing the incomes and livelihoods of the local communities we visit rather than to businesses in the big cities or abroad. To the extent that is possible, we try to support locally-owned guesthouses and restaurants. Don't be afraid to ask your homestay family or local staff to direct you to shops and markets where local artisans sell their products.
SUPPORTING COMMUNITY PROJECTS
An integral part of our programs is working with local communities on development projects. Our philosophy is that projects are most successful when they are initiated and led by local communities or grassroots organizations. They are the experts. See our model for community-driven development to learn more.
CIVIC ENGAGEMENT
We hope that travel leads to more conscious and engaged global citizens. Spending time in a new community can often be a profoundly transformative experience. We highly encourage all of our program participants to maintain connections with the people or projects from the trip or get involved with existing organizations in their home communities. We have found that meaningful engagement upon returning home helps cement the insights we gained abroad rather than become a fading memory.