On March 31, the Mindful Tourist (MT) blog posted an interview of Len Cordiner, CEO of whl.travel. In a preamble to the question-and-answer, the interviewer kindly recognised that whl.travel is ‘truly doing good work’.

Thanks MT for acknowledging that our efforts are as genuine as the passion our local operators feel for the home destinations. In return for your kind words, whl.travel would like to give a broad and smiling nod to the fresh and entertainingly cheeky voice the MT brings to the space we share.

Shadia Garrison created the Mindful Tourist blog in order to bring to her daily life two things she loves: socially conscious travel and humour.

She believes that travel is an important means by which to connect with other people and that it can lead to peace, love, unicorns and rainbows. Through the blog Shadia has been able to reach out to others who feel the same way she does. One day, she would like to run a nonprofit, socially conscious tourism enterprise, like a lodge that provides both needed services to members of the local population and also meaningful experiences to tourists. In characteristically bold language, she asks that ‘if you know of anything like this or are willing to fund something like this, give her a ring!’

The MT maintains that socially conscious tourism is an umbrella term that encompasses parts of ecotourism, cultural tourism and sustainable tourism. A few tenets the MT associates with socially conscious tourism include:
1. Learn about and embrace the culture around you.
2. Contribute to the local economy.
3. Steer clear of eco-unfriendly activities.
4. Become a temporary member of the community.
5. Leave the place in better shape than you found it.

For more MT definitions, go here.

‘Remember, we’re all in this together – all people and the whole earth, reminds the MT. ‘If you remember that and act accordingly, you’re well on your way to being a socially conscious traveler.’

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This entry was posted on Thursday, April 23rd, 2009 at 5:30 pm and is filed under the following categories: