Unpacked Podcast S1: What in the World Is Regenerative Travel?

  • 9 months ago
In this episode of the podcast, Unpacked, by AFAR, we explore the topic of regenerative travel.

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Transcript
00:00 Hey, you're a thoughtful traveler, and we're a thoughtful destination.
00:06 In Asheville, we treasure our natural and wild places here in the stunning Blue Ridge
00:10 Mountains, and we appreciate visitors who share our values of stewardship and sustainability.
00:16 We invite you to explore the cultural legacies shaped by these high mountain peaks.
00:21 Be our guest.
00:22 Together, we can share adventures and preserve the natural beauty of Asheville.
00:27 Learn more at exploreasheville.com.
00:28 Welcome to Unpacked by a Farm.
00:38 I'm Kristi Drutman, also known on the internet as Brown Girl Green.
00:42 I tell stories about how we can solve, or at least try to solve, the big environmental
00:47 issues of our time.
00:48 And today we are focusing on the travel industry.
00:51 What exactly does sustainability and travel really mean?
00:56 Find out so much more than most of us think.
01:05 Travel is one of the most beautiful activities and privileges in the world, but it unfortunately
01:10 also comes with its own share of environmental and social impacts.
01:14 And we need to talk about that.
01:16 As we know, the climate crisis is a huge issue.
01:20 And yet for many of us, it can be so easy to set that aside in our excitement to get
01:24 back out into the world.
01:26 But given that travel is skyrocketing and has now exceeded pre-pandemic levels, there's
01:32 really no better time to figure out how we can make it better than right now.
01:37 Maybe you already think about sustainability when you travel.
01:40 If so, you're not alone.
01:42 In 2021, Booking.com released a report on the state of sustainable travel around the
01:47 world.
01:48 According to their research, a whopping 87% of travelers want to travel more sustainably.
01:54 So clearly a lot of people are talking about this.
01:58 But the reality is that only 39% of travelers actually manage to travel sustainably all
02:03 the time.
02:04 And 43% said that they sometimes, rarely, or never manage to travel in a sustainable
02:10 way.
02:11 Well, why is that?
02:13 To begin with, it's difficult.
02:15 Look, I'm an environmentalist, but I also love to travel.
02:20 And for years, I struggled to reconcile the two.
02:23 What does it mean to be a "eco-friendly" traveler?
02:27 I felt guilty about traveling and the potential negative impact it has on the environment.
02:32 There are carbon emissions to consider, single-use plastics on airplanes and hotels, and all
02:36 the little items you bring along to use only for travel but throw away and never use again
02:40 like mini deodorant.
02:42 I tried to minimize my impact by doing things like trying out soap and conditioner bars,
02:48 offsetting my flights by purchasing some carbon offsets, trying to eat less meat, and so forth.
02:53 But I had an inkling that there was more to it.
02:56 Let's get a little academic for a second.
02:59 The International Labor Organization says that sustainable tourism is composed of three
03:04 pillars - social justice, economic development, and environmental integrity.
03:10 I'd spent a lot of time focusing on environmental integrity, but hadn't considered the others
03:15 as much.
03:16 So in this episode, we'll meet two travel experts who expanded my perspective on what
03:21 sustainable travel truly means.
03:24 As I learned, sustainability goes beyond, say, choosing public transportation over a
03:28 car or choosing a metal straw over a plastic one.
03:32 It's the framework we use to travel, the decisions we make before and during our trip,
03:38 and interactions we have along the way that leave a far greater impact on the places that
03:43 we're visiting.
03:44 First, we're going to hear my conversation with Amanda Ho, co-founder and CEO of Regenerative
03:50 Travel.
03:51 Amanda works with hotels to create experiences that involve and benefit local communities
03:56 as much as possible, what she calls "regenerative travel."
04:02 Her whole mission is to figure out what a sustainable travel experience looks like.
04:06 We started by talking about what exactly regenerative travel means.
04:11 For people who don't know, what are some of the ways travelers impact the environment
04:15 and world negatively without realizing it?
04:19 Climate change is the most imminent threat to human well-being and the health of our
04:23 planet.
04:24 And tourism is actually the second fastest growing industry in the world as of 2019 and
04:29 is estimated to be responsible for 8% of global greenhouse gas emissions.
04:34 In order to achieve the goals set forth in the Paris Climate Agreement, the travel sector
04:38 has to implement far-reaching, rapid efforts to reduce emissions to restore and protect
04:43 our planet.
04:44 But I think what we are seeing from our perspective is really that there's a lot of mindless
04:49 travel in terms of the not intentional, not engaging with the local community.
04:55 Travelers are really not taking the time to be more respectful and introspective and also
05:01 more of an extractive mindset rather than looking at how they can contribute when they
05:06 do travel.
05:07 So we really are championing this more intentional, non-extractive, inclusive, diverse, equitable
05:13 type of travel.
05:14 Our organization, we really believe that it has to go beyond just sustainability.
05:20 We have to take into account everyone within the whole ecosystem.
05:25 Travelers are an inherent part of how they contribute when they travel to a place.
05:29 We really are trying to change the nature of how people are traveling.
05:32 I love that.
05:33 And I love what you were saying about extractive versus non-extractive travel because I feel
05:37 like that's at the root of rethinking the ways in which sustainability is done as you're,
05:43 you know, participating in tourism.
05:45 And so I wanted to know if you could dive a little bit more deep into what is extractive
05:50 versus non-extractive tourism.
05:52 Starting from the basics of just the language and terminology, we say that, you know, being
05:58 green or eco is just doing no harm.
06:02 Sustainability is reaching net zero, but regeneration is actually making something better.
06:07 We really believe that being non-extractive is creating better conditions of life for
06:12 everyone within the environment, within the community.
06:15 And this really looks at how all parts are connected through this concept of whole system
06:20 thinking.
06:21 Both humans, land, animals, wildlife, everyone is really a part of this whole ecosystem.
06:27 And we really believe that as a traveler, you have to tap into that whole ecosystem.
06:32 And we really believe that from a redundant travel perspective, any type of experience
06:38 you can have in a destination can really act as an inspiration to really connect you deeper
06:44 with nature.
06:45 So actually returning home to yourself and being more mindful, I think first and foremost,
06:49 we believe that redundant travel starts with your own intentions and your mindset and how
06:54 you want to engage with the community, the destination.
06:58 It's not just coming into a place and seeing, okay, what boxes can I check off?
07:02 I think we see a lot of this with cruising, for example, you know, going from, jumping
07:08 around from point A to point B and just, you know, maybe having an hour or half a day just
07:14 come in and it really just brings about this type of traveler that is not really deeply
07:19 engaging with the community.
07:20 You know, the dollars that they're spending when they're just on the port might really
07:25 not be reaching back to local businesses because they don't have the time to really explore,
07:30 take the time to get to know the locals and really understand what makes destinations
07:33 special.
07:35 You mentioned earlier that regenerative travel thinks about benchmarks.
07:39 How do you even develop benchmarks for that?
07:41 Could you explain that a little bit more?
07:43 Yeah, of course.
07:44 And this really came about because we realized that there was so much greenwashing within
07:49 the travel industry as sustainability really became a trend.
07:52 You know, everyone was just touting that they're sustainable, they're eco, you're green, it
07:57 goes beyond just, you know, not washing your towels every day and there's no plastic water
08:01 bottles.
08:02 Great, that should be the minimum.
08:03 But we really realized that they're, without any measurement or benchmarking, you really
08:08 have no idea what you're doing.
08:10 So we realized that we had to mandate all the hotels to then actually measure what they're
08:15 doing across environmental and social impact.
08:18 So we developed 29 metrics that connect to broader frameworks, like the UN Sustainable
08:23 Development Goals and also the VCORP certification, where they're customized for small hotels.
08:28 We measured 29 data points, looking at waste, water, energy, on the social side, inclusion,
08:34 education and distribution.
08:35 And then the last point is also legacy.
08:38 But I think, you know, as a company, as an organization, we really are trying to champion
08:43 social regeneration, so looking at how a hotel can build their operations and programming
08:49 to support underrepresented groups, to have upper management in underrepresented groups
08:54 at the top.
08:55 How much money is flowing back into the local community, how much money is being spent on
09:00 educational outreach programs or skills training for staff.
09:04 Really are trying to help hotels understand how they're uplifting their locals, uplifting
09:09 their staff, and really providing more opportunities for staff to be trained and rise within the
09:14 organization rather than having to import GMs that are not based in the destination.
09:19 And do you have any specific examples you could offer of maybe a hotel or a traveler
09:24 experience that really embodies what you're talking about?
09:27 I went to another one of our hotels last summer in Tuscany.
09:31 It's called Oasi Hotel.
09:33 I think most people don't think of forest or nature as part of a traditional Italian
09:39 experience, but Oasi is definitely one that really honors that.
09:43 It's located near Pistoia, it's about in the northern region of Tuscany.
09:47 Again, you know, being European gastronomic experience, I end up doing like cheese making,
09:53 I do wolf tracking, like the whole preserve has been honored by WWF.
09:59 So it's in partnership with World Wildlife Fund to protect the land and they're opening
10:04 up other locations around Italy.
10:05 But essentially when you go there, you're on this acres, hectares of land, and you really
10:11 are immersed in like the most local northern Italian Tuscan experience.
10:16 Oasi is also really incredible because at the base of the camp, they actually provide
10:21 schooling and education for underprivileged disabled children.
10:26 So a lot of the funds generated from the hotel actually support that organization called
10:32 Oasi Dynamo, which is, you know, they're the beacon within the community.
10:36 And they also produce their own produce, their own like cheese, jams, and so forth that are
10:41 sold to the local community.
10:42 So there's such an incredible gastronomic experience that I think people don't normally
10:48 associate with Italy.
10:49 And I think that's pretty broad and general across all of our hotels.
10:52 We really are trying to get people out to explore these destinations that aren't traditionally
10:57 associated with Italy or Portugal, or most locals of Lisbon in the cities.
11:02 Really trying to get people out of these areas that are highly trafficked and getting over
11:06 tourism to get them to explore these places that are more under the radar.
11:11 I really like that.
11:12 I wanted to know, just because people who are going to be listening to this are maybe
11:16 at the beginning of their sustainable travel journey, you know, what are some tips that
11:20 you have for people before, during, and after their trip?
11:24 The intentionality is first and foremost, but from where I know some more practical
11:28 measures it's really looking at what is your accommodation.
11:32 So how are you going to choose your hotel?
11:33 Are you going to go with Airbnb?
11:36 Maybe you're going to try and choose a more sustainable property.
11:38 I think one of the most actually basic ones is actually trying to maybe not go through
11:45 a traditional OTA like Booking.com or Expedia.
11:48 These OTAs, they charge quite a high commission rate.
11:51 Actually, if you go direct to the hotel, you actually get the hotel much more, much more
11:57 of the act, like they don't pay a commission.
12:00 For example, if you're booking a property that's supporting conservation, that allows
12:03 that, you know, 30, up to 30% commission that would normally go to the OTA.
12:08 Maybe that can be then contributed back to conservation.
12:10 You know, anything that they're supporting in terms of sustainability and regeneration.
12:15 So that's just a basic one in terms of accommodation.
12:19 I would then look at what type of tours are you going to do there and experiences.
12:24 Can you choose experiences that are really integrated locals?
12:28 I would definitely do your research.
12:30 I would say that's one of the biggest parts of this is definitely doing your research.
12:34 Are you supporting an organization that's a multinational, a big corporate brand, or
12:38 are you supporting a local, you know, mom and pop independent shop that really is run
12:45 and operated by locals?
12:46 Looking at transportation, can you take public transportation?
12:49 Can you take the bus?
12:51 Can you take a train?
12:52 Do you have to fly?
12:54 Can you rent a bike instead of maybe renting a car?
12:57 You know, there are more practical things are, can you pack to reduce waste?
13:01 Like bringing your own plastic water bottles is a simple one.
13:05 Can you bring your own conditioner and kind of reduce use of single-use plastics at the
13:11 properties?
13:12 And then lastly, you know, really essentially around, it's really just how you can immerse
13:15 yourself back into local culture.
13:18 I love that.
13:19 I think it's about like, when you are traveling, it seems based on what you're saying to travel
13:24 sustainably or, you know, thinking in this regenerative mindset, you're ultimately thinking
13:29 about what you're exchanging, whether that be like your energy, your money, your resources,
13:34 the waste that you produce.
13:36 You're thinking constantly about that cycle as you're traveling is what it sounds like,
13:41 because you realize that it's going to leave some sort of impact.
13:44 And ideally you want it to be a positive one.
13:47 That's the mindset.
13:48 Yeah, that's exactly it.
13:49 And obviously, you know, there's much more kind of more technical in terms of the environmental
13:55 side of your carbon footprint and so forth.
13:59 And we really believe that it ultimately comes back to, it's an embodied experience, ultimately.
14:06 And yes, you can choose to support certain businesses, but again, you know, whose lives
14:11 are you impacting when you're traveling?
14:12 Where is your money going?
14:13 And I think that's everything that we try to preach in regenerative travel is, you know,
14:17 our hotels just act as that transformation opportunity because they have the experience,
14:22 you know, on site where, you know, they have, you know, releasing baby turtles into the
14:25 ocean or you're like having this amazing sundowner looking at elephants and lions over the horizon.
14:32 You're like, wow, like this is incredible.
14:35 Like how can I save this for a future generation?
14:39 You know, how can I ensure that we protect this earth?
14:42 I think really travel offers that moment of realization and, you know, transformation,
14:50 but I think it's then how to translate that realization into actual steps.
14:55 Not just when you're traveling, but when you're home, when you're on your travels, you know,
14:59 how can you really embody that understanding into your own life?
15:04 You know, for some people, they may see like that trying to find sustainable travel options,
15:10 like you were saying, requires some more research and time and maybe some more money since it
15:15 is going, you know, directly back to local people.
15:19 And so for people who may see that, like, it might be a little bit more expensive or
15:23 time intensive to invest in sustainable travel.
15:25 I mean, you've already kind of hinted at it, but could you explain a little bit more about
15:29 the short and the long term benefits on both those local communities and the travelers
15:34 if they do make that investment?
15:36 Definitely get that at the end of the day, price point is, you know, can be a barrier
15:40 to making some of the decisions and supporting certain businesses.
15:44 But ultimately, you know, we really believe that travel should, it should cost what it
15:49 is, but we are ultimately supporting, like you said, we are supporting local communities,
15:55 we are, you know, paying people fair wages, we are looking at, you know, giving benefits
16:01 to people that are employed in tourism and all that has cost.
16:05 But ultimately, you know, there is a cost conservation that shouldn't, you know, it
16:09 has to be sustainable and profitable.
16:11 For example, like you just mentioned with the OTAs, that's a very simple way, it's like
16:16 instead of like looking at booking.com and trying to get that cheapest rate, that $20
16:21 that you're trying to save on booking.com, if you book directly with the hotel, that
16:25 ultimately can go back to the property and enable them to do more of the work that they're
16:29 doing.
16:30 So I think it's just trying to not think about this, you know, but you know, how much are
16:37 you actually saving in terms of choosing one over the other.
16:40 I think there's still so many things that you can do on the ground in terms of how you're
16:45 being more sustainable and more generative, like I said, with the tours, transportation,
16:50 the businesses you're supporting.
16:51 I think it really goes beyond accommodations.
16:54 Definitely I think people just have to ultimately realize that there is a cost to, you know,
17:01 investing into these new types of businesses.
17:03 And I think they should have more or have joy and appreciation for that, because you
17:09 should feel good about where your money is going.
17:12 Yeah, no, I think it's also like this idea of the kind of experience you're trying to
17:18 have.
17:19 Like you were saying, there is that very short term, insta-pic, like consumerist mindset
17:25 of like, let me go in and just like extract from this place basically to show X, Y and
17:32 Z people that like, hey, I got to experience this.
17:35 But it's like, are you really present?
17:37 Are you really engaging with the environment that you're in, with your surroundings?
17:42 Are you thinking about, you know, the impact you're leaving?
17:45 Or is it just using this up, trashing it and leaving?
17:48 That doesn't sound like something, if you do care about the environment, is worth investing
17:54 into, you know?
17:55 It's a way for you to really just to see how other people are living, appreciate their
18:02 worldview and maybe that will shift yours to really be more in tune with our society
18:09 or the global connectives of the planet and realizing that we all have such a part to
18:16 play in terms of saving our planet from climate change and just creating a more inclusive,
18:21 equitable society.
18:22 We do that every day and how we interact with people.
18:25 I think travel just offers that opportunity for us to really see that outside of our normal
18:29 environments, I think people just a bit more, you know, more at ease when they're traveling
18:34 and feel a little more open to experiencing.
18:37 I think that's just such an important part of really helping us shift our mindset.
18:43 So I definitely hope that people will continue to seek out this type of regenerative travel
18:48 experience because I really think it can really just, it has to be the way forward in terms
18:52 of how we are living our lives.
18:55 If you want to learn more about how Amanda's work is helping change the travel industry,
18:59 go to regenerativetravel.com.
19:02 Amanda opened my eyes to how easy it can be to opt into most mainstream travel experiences
19:07 without realizing the heavy environmental impact on areas that are often already over
19:13 extracted and over visited.
19:15 So regenerative travel in this way offers a simple alternative.
19:20 This also made me realize how valuable travel can be in the future as a teaching tool to
19:24 bring more people into the sustainability conversation.
19:28 We're going to take a break for a quick word from our sponsor.
19:32 We'll be back in a minute to look at a specific example of a place that has suffered from
19:36 this type of non sustainable travel and how we can instead apply a regenerative mindset
19:41 to our future trips.
19:44 Are you inspired to travel in a more responsible way?
19:56 In Asheville, North Carolina, we believe in the power of ethical travel.
20:00 We care about the protection of our distinctive natural and cultural treasures in these Blue
20:05 Ridge Mountains.
20:07 And we appreciate visitors who share our values of stewardship and sustainability.
20:12 You know, travel is transformational, and we invite you to be inspired by the creative
20:17 spirit and local flavors of our mountain home.
20:20 Be our guest.
20:21 Together, we can share adventures and preserve the natural beauty of Asheville so future
20:26 generations can enjoy these mountains for years to come.
20:30 Learn more at exploreasheville.com.
20:32 Welcome back to Unpacked by a Farm.
20:50 My conversation with Amanda made me think about my most recent trip.
20:54 In May, I spent two weeks in the Philippines, a place I know really well.
20:58 It's where my family is from and I visited and live there at different points in my life.
21:03 I've observed that many outsiders have a misconception of the Philippines as just a dirty and dangerous
21:08 place.
21:09 And because of that, they overcrowd the most travel friendly locations like Boracay or
21:14 Palawan.
21:15 On this most recent trip, I even decided to be more of a tourist myself and visited Palawan,
21:20 a highly sought out destination.
21:22 I told my family I was traveling there and my aunt found an all inclusive pre prepared
21:27 travel package for me.
21:28 I was coming off of a long work trip in Cambodia and I was all in on an experience that would
21:34 require a lot of enjoyment, but little thought.
21:36 I also assumed it was sustainable because the experience seemed to be run entirely by
21:41 locals.
21:42 But during the trip, some of my online community members shared that there are a lot of indigenous
21:47 land protectors in Palawan whose land is threatened by mining and logging operations.
21:51 They said that much of the tourism industry on Palawan actually covers up and in some
21:56 way profits from this exploitation.
21:59 I was so shocked.
22:01 I knew that my trip benefited the local economy to some extent, but to be honest, I hadn't
22:06 really done my research.
22:07 And when you grow up in a brown family and they tell you they just got the plug, you
22:11 kind of just go for it.
22:12 It felt too awkward and weird to challenge my family and demand an eco-friendly experience
22:18 when that wasn't something as readily known or accessible to them or myself.
22:22 I now know that I didn't make the most sustainable or eco-friendly decision in that moment, but
22:28 I'd like to make a better decision in the future for my next trip.
22:31 So in this next segment, as a case study, I was able to talk to a travel expert and
22:35 storyteller in the Philippines to get his advice.
22:39 For us, for myself and the team at The Grid, the real crux of sustainable travel really
22:46 is about engaging in a sustainable way with local communities so that they can develop
22:53 their model of the travel industry and have it become an income for the community and
23:00 have it last for a very, very long time.
23:02 That's Paco Guerrero.
23:03 Paco is one of the founders of Grid Magazine PH, which offers tips and advice about how
23:08 to be a more intentional traveler within the Philippines, especially when it comes to different
23:13 communities.
23:14 Paco shared that one of the things that makes the Philippines so special is the number of
23:19 indigenous people who call the islands home.
23:22 He wants to see more travelers seek these communities out, and he wants to see more
23:25 communities offer these travel experiences.
23:28 He used the island of Coron as an example.
23:31 Coron happens to be in Palawan, where I was on my trip.
23:35 But on Coron, the indigenous Tagboana people have full control.
23:40 Paco explains more.
23:41 It was given over as an indigenous territory by the Philippine government.
23:47 So this means that any development or any tourism that happens in Coron is actually
23:52 planned, controlled, monitored by the indigenous group.
23:57 Now that also means that the profits go directly to them, which is a big help to the community.
24:02 And it's an interesting model because it was a long fight to get to that point where they
24:07 could control their own island.
24:09 But now it's one of the Philippines' best tourism destinations.
24:14 And to stress the fact, one of the reasons it is the best is because it is purposefully
24:20 kept underdeveloped.
24:23 Basically the indigenous people that have limited the access of travelers and developers
24:29 to the island.
24:30 So you go to Coron on their terms, not on your terms.
24:35 So they give limited access to the beaches and the lagoons.
24:39 It's controlled as far as the number of people who are allowed every day.
24:43 And also there are no large hotels or big structures on the island.
24:47 Indigenous people have chosen to keep the structures there, built with natural materials
24:53 and in the local way of constructing, you know, the very famous Nipa huts you see from
24:58 around the Philippines.
25:00 And it's one of the most photographed islands in the country because you have these beautiful
25:05 limestone cliffs and then this really quite, very beautiful, original Nipa hut, which is
25:12 just made out of bamboo and some weeds.
25:16 That's a good example of how this sort of tourism can really succeed.
25:22 But it's not like travelers have to choose Coron over, say, a more packaged experience
25:26 in Palawan.
25:28 The travel industry does support local communities.
25:31 The reality is the Philippines actually is also a very densely populated country.
25:36 So employment and economic development is definitely at the forefront of any push the
25:43 government or the industry might have.
25:45 That's a good thing.
25:46 I mean, I think we all agree on that.
25:48 So certain areas necessarily will be, what we would say, overdeveloped.
25:54 But there's a lot left out there, small communities that are trying to develop their own form
26:01 of tourism.
26:03 And I think as a traveler, if when you book your trip, right, if you try and do a little
26:08 bit of both, you know, yes, do the five star resort, enjoy your time and then try and find
26:15 something off the beaten path, try and find something that's community based.
26:19 I mean, I don't think for the traveler it should be an either or situation.
26:24 When travelers look for, ask for and book these experiences, it can create demand that
26:29 also helps communities refocus on their natural resources.
26:32 Paco shared that the Philippines has a problem with people using dynamite and cyanide to
26:36 fish in the coral reefs.
26:38 But outsiders supporting the tourism industry can help.
26:42 As a traveler, I think what you can bring is yourself, right?
26:47 The local community and there are many stories like this around the Philippines where local
26:51 communities where we're poisoning the reefs with cyanide and dynamite and discovering
26:57 that there's a dive site nearby transforms them into tourism.
27:01 Yes.
27:02 Why throw dynamite into this water when I have, you know, these divers are willing to
27:08 come here, stay in a small hut, a resort, open a dive shop, and they'll hire me as their
27:14 boat guy.
27:15 So the more they see these things happening, these success stories happening, the side
27:20 effect is sustainability, right?
27:23 In these rural communities that are struggling with poverty, struggling with access to resources,
27:29 sustainability really isn't the primary goal.
27:31 It's always a side effect of sustainable development first.
27:36 Paco shared one of the ways the pandemic and the lack of tourism unexpectedly affected
27:41 the Philippines negatively.
27:42 I heard anecdotally, not the statistics yet, from several friends who are conservationists,
27:47 marine biologists, and they were saying that sadly because of the COVID lockdowns, well,
27:53 there are no tourists traveling around the Philippines.
27:56 So they were seeing more evidence of poaching in marine protected areas.
28:03 Wow.
28:04 Because the local communities had no money, they had no jobs, there was no tourism, and
28:10 they needed to feed their families.
28:12 So it sounds horrible, but that's the reality of it.
28:16 So you see, conversely, you can see that with tourism operations and with profits from the
28:21 tourism industry, it does have a direct impact.
28:24 It can have a direct impact on sustainable practices.
28:30 I shared my Palawan experience with Paco and this tension that can exist between relaxing
28:35 and enjoying a place while also caring about being a good steward of it.
28:39 I've realized more and more that in the face of the climate crisis, we must be active rather
28:44 than passive observers.
28:46 To build on what you said, I think the strongest role a traveler has in this issue of sustainable
28:51 travel is exactly where they spend their money on.
28:54 That's the most powerful.
28:55 I mean, you can, you know, pick up trash, you can travel with your own bottle, not use
29:00 straws.
29:01 Really, the power you have is in your pocket.
29:04 And if other businesses see that the resorts and the tours and the islands that are pushing
29:13 sustainability are making a profit, then it becomes a logical choice.
29:18 Paco talked about how tourism in the Philippines really originated in Boracay, an island that's
29:24 become one of the country's top destinations for travelers.
29:28 All the other islands and mayors and communities who wanted to start a tourism program, the
29:33 only model they had to look at and to study and to emulate was Boracay, which, you know,
29:40 had a lot of failings.
29:41 Sewage, energy, waste, very unsustainable.
29:45 But those weren't issues when the island started to develop.
29:47 So what happened?
29:48 It's a model that's been extrapolated to many other communities around the Philippines and
29:53 tourism destinations.
29:54 And now they're suffering the same problems Boracay has.
29:58 But there are resorts, resort developers, restaurant owners and other communities that
30:05 are showing a different model, showing a different way of doing it.
30:09 If you want to learn more about Paco and his team, visit gridmagazine.ph.
30:14 Now as we wrap up this episode, I want to share what I've gathered from our guests.
30:18 First, yes, environmental protections are so important, but sustainable travel comes
30:25 down to acting with intentionality and honoring and respecting the places that we visit.
30:30 We can all aim to be the traveler who leaves the land, people and waters that we visit
30:35 better than they were before you arrived.
30:38 Second, traveling sustainably can add more curiosity, joy and connection to your travel
30:43 experience.
30:44 That's because you're not just purchasing or buying into the first activity, item or
30:49 option you see.
30:50 Yes, it may take a little more time, but by being mindful and evaluating the options in
30:56 front of you, you can actually consider the ecosystem of the place and how to make a positive
31:01 impact on it.
31:02 That might mean buying locally made products and food or reading literature or watching
31:07 movies about the treatment of land and indigenous peoples in that area.
31:12 And third, it doesn't have to be perfect.
31:16 Even if your trip isn't 100% supporting the local economy, that's okay.
31:21 As long as you intentionally try to invest some of your dollars, time and effort into
31:26 locally driven sustainable tourism, you're ultimately shifting the tourist economy.
31:32 Increased demand for these experiences and increased efforts to protect local labor really
31:37 can make all the difference.
31:40 Thanks so much for joining me on this episode of Unpacked.
31:43 If you'd like to learn more about me and my work, including my own show, Brown Girl
31:48 Green, head over to browngirlgreen.com.
31:50 Podcasts, videos and blog posts discussing a wide range of environmentally conscious
31:56 topics.
31:57 We also have a green jobs board if you're looking to build a career in the sustainability
32:01 space or find me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok.
32:05 I'm @browngirlgreen.
32:11 Ready for more unpacking?
32:13 Read more at afar.com/unpacked and be sure to follow AFAR on Instagram and Twitter.
32:18 We're @afarmedia.
32:19 If you enjoyed today's exploration, we hope you'll come back for more great stories.
32:25 Subscribing makes this easy.
32:27 You can find Unpacked on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast platform.
32:31 And please be sure to rate and review the podcast.
32:34 It helps other travelers find the show.
32:38 This has been Unpacked, a production of AFAR Media and Boom Integrated.
32:42 Our podcast is produced by Aislinn Green, Adrienne Glover, and Robin Lai.
32:47 Host production was by John Marshall Media Staff, Jen Grossman, and Clint Rhodes.
32:52 Music composition by Alan Koreshia.
32:55 And remember, the world is complicated.
32:57 Being an ethical traveler doesn't have to be.
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