Are you a Thoughtful Traveller?

Could you spot hidden animal cruelty on holiday; do you know the best way to make a sustainable difference to child beggars in holiday destinations?

Any ideas on how to ensure overseas staff are being looked after and not exploited?

World Expeditions’ new Thoughtful Traveller Guide is designed to help cut through what can be confusing messages about ethical travel.

“The Thoughtful Traveller”, which is the newest edition of the company’s award-winning Responsible Travel Guidebook – which was first published in 2000 – provides a clear and concise explanation of how travellers can play their part in changing the world for the better.

World Expeditions  partners with organizations including ReThink Orphanages, 10 Pieces, South Pole Group, Leave No Trace, World Animal Protection, International Institute of Peace through Tourism to develop its industry-leading responsible travel policies, which are outlined in the new Guide.

According to World Expeditions’ Responsible Travel Manager, Donna Lawrence, World Expeditions is striving to inspire people to become stewards for travelling sustainably and responsibly.

“Responsible Travel sits at the core of our ethos and we work hard to incorporate its principles in all aspects of operations,” she said.  

“As well as collaborating with leading organizations in the Responsible Travel space, we believe we have a responsibility to educate our travellers and the wider travelling community about the concepts of Responsible Travel.”

The Guide helps answers the questions that the company’s survey found were most important to its travellers, agents and other industry partners including:

• Environmental sustainability: Why it’s important that travel has an overall positive impact on the environment. How an individual’s decision to travel carbon neutrally can help us from being fossil fuel dependent to a world reliant on renewable energy?
• Child- safe tourism: Why orphanage tourism is a no-go, the best way to make a sustainable difference to child beggars in holiday destinations; what role can you play in the war against child trafficking?
• Animal friendly tourism: How to ensure your animals encounters on holiday are not harmful to the animals; how to identify which “sanctuaries” are truly there for the benefit of the animals in their care? What are the key tips to spot hidden animal cruelty?
• Equity and rights for overseas tourism staff: How to ensure local staff are being looked after and not exploited?
• Litter minimization and management: What are the best tips to ensure you leave a place as you found it; how to minimise your environmental footprint? How can you join the global movement to keep wilderness trails free of litter?
• Travel as a catalyst for peace: How can we spread peace on our travels?

The Thoughtful Traveller Guide is free to download here.