Global Citizenship: Social Responsibility
“Learn to do common things uncommonly well; we must always keep in mind that anything that helps full the dinner pail is valuable.”
― George Washington Carver
What does it mean to be a responsible traveler? It means much more than just traveling light, recycling plastic bottles or even reusing your hotel bath towels. Those things are great first steps but being a responsible traveler is a “heart action”.
Social responsibility has given a new dimension to tourism and people are indeed acting responsibly & changing the way they travel . A social responsible traveler has a heart for people. He/she ensures that negative social, economic and environmental impacts are minimized and that positive footprints that enhance economic benefits for local people and host communities are the only thing left behind.
Bottom line, a social responsible traveler is a global citizen and ambassador for humanity. Whenever you visit any new place be aware of the impact of your actions and reactions, choose social responsibility and contribute in a positive way.
Bringing Mobility and Hope to the Philippines
By Jessica BarrettCreating 19 prosthetic limbs for 13 children in under a week might seem like a daunting task, but Robert Schulman has never shied away from a challenge. The certified prosthetist and founder of US-based nonprofit Limb Kind Foundation arrived in Davao City, Philippines in September with a team of 11 … Read more Read more
Asia Accessible Volunteer Travel Social Responsibility
Dark Tourism in Cambodia: Exploitation and Cultural Insensitivity
By Tara TadlockOver four years in the early 1970s, Cambodia, a Southeast Asian country now frequented by backpacking tourists, faced one of the worst human atrocities imaginable– a state-sponsored genocide wiping out one-third of the nation’s population. Read more
Asia Insights Social Responsibility
SPECIAL: Remembering 9/11
World Footprints commemorates the anniversary of the terrifying attack that changed the world and brought heroes to the front-line. You will hear from survivors their first-hand account of the events as they experienced them. Read more
United States History Social Responsibility
A South Carolina Plantation Shows Us the Way Forward
By Erica ChatmanIt is no secret to anyone that tourism is a major industry and draw for Charleston, South Carolina. However, on my most recent visit, I became a fan of their county parks because of one particular experience. I visited MacLeod Plantation Historic Site. Read more
United States History Social Responsibility
Kenya Embraces Sustainable Tourism As The New Normal
By Bianca CaruanaSince 2013, tourism has expanded and evolved in the region, welcoming a more sustainable narrative — one far more inclusive of a positive social and environmental impact than at any time in Kenya’s tourism history. Read more
Africa Social Responsibility
Township tourism: The good, the bad, and the ugly
By Rachel FlynnIf you have traveled to a developing country, you have probably seen tours that visit favelas, slums, or in South Africa’s case, townships. Read more
Africa Insights Social Responsibility
How Tourists Play a Role in Protecting Thailand’s Elephants
By Bianca CaruanaIn the last century, Thailand has lost roughly 92 percent of its elephant population. Read more
Asia Social Responsibility
Developing a Consciousness for Marine Conservation
By Tonya FitzpatrickIf you were to hear that by 2050 there will be more plastic in our oceans (by weight) than there will be fish, would you be alarmed? I definitely was alarmed when I read white paper about the plastic economy projected by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation. Read more
The World Conservation Social Responsibility
Cause for a change: The post-pandemic future of Asia’s elephant tourism
By Bianca CaruanaIn a small town in the southwestern region of Nepal, Eva the rescue elephant and her new companion Lhamo are sprouting a charming kinship. Read more
Asia Social Responsibility
Rick Steves “For the Love of Europe” and his Travel-Driven Social Ethos
Today on World Footprints, we welcome back, author and television host, Rick Steves. We enjoy a very thought-provoking discussion about a range of topics from the current pandemic and social issues to the challenging issues facing the travel industry today. Read more
Europe Social Responsibility
Norfolk’s Underground Railroad, Student Travel and Decoding Autism
Located in the heart of the mid-Atlantic the City of Norfolk is an important 400-year-old port city and home to the largest naval base in the world. Norfolk also played a crucial role in the Underground Railroad as one of the last port stops on the road to freedom north. … Read more Read more
United States History Social Responsibility
Why I advocate for slow travel—and why you should, too
By Jessica BarrettTravel used to be slow. Granted, it was slow because there was no other way…Somewhere along the way, we got (very) lost. Read more
The World Insights Social Responsibility
Teaching Children to Appreciate Diversity
By Breana JohnsonThe best way to travel with the intent of exploring diversity is to ditch the touristy places. Sometimes, tourist attractions bring people from all over the world — the Grand Canyon or Disneyland, for example. Read more
The World Family Travel Insights The Arts Social Responsibility
The Future of Sustainable Orangutan Treks in a Post-COVID World
By Nayla AzmiAs the only primate that only can be found outside of Africa, the orangutan lures people from all over the world to see its uniqueness of being strikingly similar to human beings. Read more
Asia Social Responsibility
How to Travel Sustainably Post-Pandemic
By Elizabeth WaddingtonAfter months of lockdowns and restrictions, many of us are understandably raring to get back out there and travel again. Read more
The World Social Responsibility Sustainability