Travel looks different right now!
*There’s more uncertainty. Are we allowed to enter Europe? Should we visit a big city with so much human density?
*Planning takes more effort. “We could be sent home!” swirls in our head, consequences of not correctly following protocols.
*We feel cautious. Even after a rapid test and past vaccination we wonder about our health and the safety of others around us.
*Unpredictability seems to be the constant these days. Perhaps, too, you’re feeling this way about some aspects of life.
The Good News?
Even if travel and life feels fraught, there’s still opportunity to live life fully AND travel. Transitions offer us many invitations!
To prove my point let’s consider some amazing changes happening right now within the travel industry around sustainability. As defined by the Virtuoso travel network, sustainability in travel has three pillars:
- Travel that protects the planet;
- Travel that supports local economies;
- Travel that preserves cultural heritage”
A recent Virtuoso article shared the following excellent examples:
The Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Landaa Giraavaru and The Maldivian Manta Ray Project (MMRP)
“Last year, MMRP ecologists recorded close to 4,700 mantas in the Baa Atoll UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve around the resort – an increase from the previous year and a big win for vulnerable rays, says Manta Trust project manager Beth Faulkner. ‘The more people are aware of manta rays and their environment,” she says, “the more they’re going to want to protect them.’”
During certain times of the year guests are invited to swim with the mantas and or help record essential data and take ID photos of the rays through the “Manta Scientist for a Day Program”. This program educates and directly benefits MMRP.
“If you empower a woman, you empower a whole society.” #Uniworld, a premier river-cruising company, lives this value.”
“Embracing the words of Jordan’s Queen Rania, the Iraq Al-Amir Women’s Cooperative near Amman has worked for almost 30 years to create lasting employment for Jordanian women and preserve the country’s cultural traditions. Travelers with Uniworld can visit the women-run co-op; take weaving, papermaking, and cooking classes; and buy their work.”
There is soooooo much good work happening right now in the travel industry and it’s here to stay.
CEO of Trafalgar, Gaven Tillman reminds us:
“We firmly believe that a world of safe travel is possible now. With immense thoughtfulness and investment, we cautiously reopened, knowing how important safe travel was to not only the lives of travellers but the livelihoods of those in the industry, including the locals and their communities we visit. Our efforts were not naïve, nor were they in vain. What we immediately discovered was with vaccines and protocols, the first semblance to a return to a life with confidence in wellness, and the pleasures we seek, can be achieved.”
Believe the good happening in the travel industry right now! Take heart! Feel Safe! Despite our fears and resistance to change, it’s absolutely possible to travel safely and live fully right now.
HOW?
Work with us! Work with a travel advisor! Travel advisory companies, including Spirit Road Travel, help you navigate changes. Increased travel requirements should not dampen your enthusiasm. Protocols keep you safe. They’re not too onerous. You just need to be informed. Work with us!
At Spirit Road Travel we not only navigate travel requirements for you but also set a clear intention for your travel. We help you align the Inner and Outer Journey!
The world awaits! Accept life’s invitations! Travel again safely. It’s busy out there…contact us today!
#LiveLifeNow #OnTheSpiritRoad #SustainableTravel #ExperientialTravel #CelebrationTravel #WellnessTravel #TheInnerandOuterJourney #TheFourSeasons #TheMaldivianMantaRayProject
A “call-out” to some additional favorite leaders in sustainable travel: #Lindblad #GAdventures #ElSilencioLodge&Spa #TheTravelCorporation #AfricanTravelInc #TheTreadrightFoundation #WhiteDesert
Thank you to photographer @TimoStern for the image
Stay Tuned! Part Two of “What Has Changed About Travel For You Now” will share additional tips for “How To Travel Now”
