Imagine helping an underdeveloped community thrive by simply being yourself.
What I mean is, give yourself a chance to discover a new culture by choosing the road less travelled and see how it impacts you.
By travelling sustainably and consciously you’re directly feeding the local communities by supporting small, privately owned businesses versus opting for large corporations.
You’re helping to fund education for the youth and impacting the future of the country in ways that help todays children grow up with access to a proper education.
Every penny you spend locally goes directly into the pockets of the people who need it most, the local community. The people you see operating the shops, the tour guide who took you on the most epic volcano hike. You are helping the very people who have made your experience worthwhile.
Supporting local communities also gives you something that has no monetary value, the gift of connection. You give these people an opportunity they may not otherwise have, which is to meet foreign people and learn about cultures other than their own.
You see a lot of people in underdeveloped countries may never be wealthy enough to buy a plane ticket, but to them wealth doesn’t involve money, it involves experience, and you give them an opportunity to learn about you and where you come from.
Who knows what type of beautiful experiences may come from that?
So now comes the question of how.
How can you make a social impact while travelling?
Going to local restaurants versus going to familiar chains. You’d be surprised at how many people will end up at a McDonalds in India. Or maybe you’ve found yourself at KFC while visiting Thailand. As a person who is heavily influenced by food when it comes to choosing travel destinations, this makes no sense in my brain.
Try the local food. Not only will your taste buds thank you, but tasting the flavors of the region you’re in will allow you to gain more of an understanding of the culture you’ve chosen to explore.
Food markets. The fresh fruits and vegetables are more likely to be grown locally when you venture to the produce markets and buy directly from the people who grow them. They are also guaranteed to taste a lot better too. That’s because they didn’t need to be stored in the fridge before making its way to you. A true farm to table experience. You are also likely to find local delicacies that you would otherwise never discover. In every country people come up with the most delicious treats you can’t find anywhere else. So go see what you’ve been missing out on.
When you buy produce from the local farmers you are making a huge impact on local agriculture. You are investing in their land, in their people, and the overall well being of the people who benefit from these fresh ingredients.
Artisan markets. Have you ever been in a foreign country and stumbled upon a market full of artists? These are great places to pick up souvenirs and an opportunity to find something that symbolizes the true essence of the people you are connecting with on your trip.
Artists tend to be inspired by their surroundings, their teachings, and of course their culture. By supporting local artists you are helping them get their creative ideas out into the world. One of the best feelings in the world is allowing their gifts to be shared all over the world with different types of people. Not only that, but you are allowing them to continue their dreams of creating, feeding their families and meeting you, the person who gives them reason to continue creating by your interest in their art.
Hire a local tour guide. Let them take you to places the commercial companies don’t have access to. You see when you go to the big name brands, that comes with limitations. They can’t get permission to go to all the places you may want to see, or the places you never knew existed.
By hiring someone local, not only are you putting money directly into the pocket of the person that is showing you around, you get a little extra TLC too. A local can show you the ‘off the beaten path’ spots that you can’t find on google. They can take you to the waterfalls only people who live there know about, or help you discover the best local spots for authentic food are. Your trip will be much more personable. You will likely have a chance to connect with more locals this way, because you are literally traveling with a local.
Broaden your options for accommodations. You don’t always need to stay at fancy hotels when you travel. Try to find an interesting place on Airbnb, that’s built and run completely by people who live there. You can also find different volunteering opportunities that allow you to stay for free. If you’d like to learn more about how to get free accommodation while traveling, you can read about that here.
Finding the right place to rest your head at night is one of the most important aspects of planning a trip. Imagine being able to stay in a place that you get to directly help out the local community or connect and share meals and stories with people who would love nothing more than to make you smile.
These are just a few ways you can make a social impact while traveling. Every choice we make while on a trip directly impacts the people of the place we are visiting. It is very important we do our best to make sure that the locals are able to thrive in the places that make our hearts jump out of our chest. As travelers we visit places to explore the unknown, and unveil the mystery of what else is out there. It’s only right we make sure they are able to keep on inspiring us the way they do.
How do you make an impact on the local community when you travel?