Colombian Basket Weaver

“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.


Volungear3

Volungearing: A New Way to Do Good

By Bianca Caruana

A new kind of volunteer tourism has entered the travel industry with an innovative approach; Volungearing, conceived by TribesForGOOD, taps an individual’s skills to pair him or her successfully in the social impact sector.   Read more

Asia Volunteer Travel Social Responsibility
Mumbai 1

A Walking Tour Highlighting a Mumbai Slum’s Innovative Industry

By Bianca Caruana

Dharavi, in central Mumbai, is considered one of the largest slums in Asia, but deep within this neighborhood, below the shanty grey roofs, loosely comprised of scavenged, upcycled metal, lives a resourceful and innovative community that plays an imperative role in Mumbai’s city-wide waste management.   Read more

India Off the Beaten Path Social Responsibility
volcanoes national park

Exploring the Depths of Hawaii’s Volcanoes National Park

By Michael Fil

Lush rainforest and land transformed for millions of years by volcanic activity, all spread across 520 square miles of protected space. Welcome to Hawaii’s Volcanoes National Park!   Read more

United States Adventure History Social Responsibility
Thai elephants at play

How Tourists Play a Role in Protecting Thailand’s Elephants

By Bianca Caruana

In the last century, Thailand has lost roughly 92 percent of its elephant population.   Read more

Asia Social Responsibility
plastic sled

How Breckenridge Turned a Sled Problem into Precious Plastic

By Kirsten Harrington

Breckenridge, Colorado, best known for its world-famous ski resort, had a plastics problem. Every year visitors flock to this charming historic mining town to enjoy schussing and sledding down the slopes. What do they leave behind? Sleds.   Read more

United States Eco-tourism Social Responsibility
count dracula.castle.pixabay

Following Dracula’s Trail, Paranormal Photography and Defeating Human Traffickers

Do you believe in ghosts or vampires? On today’s show you’ll meet two people that do—a paranormal photographer and a writer who traveled along dracula’s trail.   Read more

The World Experiences Off the Beaten Path The Arts Human Trafficking Social Responsibility
key west during hurrican

Meaningful Travel: When Your Trip Isn’t Just a Vacation

By Cara Siera

Our trip could be labeled volunteering since the primary purpose of the trip was to serve. “Voluntourism” – tourist travel with a volunteering component – has become increasingly popular in recent years as a way to make travel more meaningful and give back to the places visited.    Read more

The World Volunteer Travel Social Responsibility
anemone fish marine life must be preserved in our oceans

Developing a Consciousness for Marine Conservation

By Tonya Fitzpatrick, Esq.

If 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
Eco planet on sunflower

How to Make Your Trip More Eco-Friendly

By Ali Jennings

More and more of us are becoming aware of the impact our carbon footprint has on the globe and are already taking steps to limit this.   Read more

The World Social Responsibility Sustainability
chiang mai temple

Discovering Traditional Arts in Thailand’s Golden Triangle

By Katie Dundas

The Golden Triangle region of Northern Thailand sits at the intersection of three Southeast Asian countries along the Mekong and Ruak Rivers: Thailand, Laos, and Myanmar. A visit to this area is an incredible way to learn about the culture, history, and traditional arts of the region, which have been … Read more   Read more

Asia History The Arts Social Responsibility
Amenity kits woven by Mexican artisans come in 5 patterns. Credit Delta Air Lines

Can an Airline Amenity Kit Really Change Lives?

By Kirsten Harrington

Who doesn’t love to be spoiled by airline amenity kits? It’s a perk of upper-class travel to receive those little goodie bags filled with silk eye masks, rich hand lotion, lip balm, and maybe even a pair of pajamas. Sometimes the kits themselves are keepsakes, with brand name designers crafting handsome … Read more   Read more

The World Social Responsibility
Cambodia field

Dark Tourism in Cambodia: Exploitation and Cultural Insensitivity

By Tara Tadlock

Over 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
03.Kenya DMNOTP

Kenya Embraces Sustainable Tourism As The New Normal

By Bianca Caruana

Since 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
river canoe

How to Travel Sustainably Post-Pandemic

By Elizabeth Waddington

After 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
McLeod Plantation home scaled

A South Carolina Plantation Shows Us the Way Forward

By Erica Chatman

It 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