travel another india & responsible travel
TRANSCRIPT
Creating sustainable tourism models to impact livelihoods.
“The whole object of travel is not to set foot on foreign land; it is at last to set foot on one’s own country as a
foreign land.” – G.K Chesterton.
Overview
Travel Another India is a social enterprise that aspires to showcase experiences from another India to travelers, by developing
responsible travel ventures in rural India that are owned, controlled & managed by
rural communities.
Are you a Responsible Traveler?
• A Responsible Traveller is a Heart Traveller.
• The ‘Heart Traveller’ is culturally sensitive, creating space for hosts as well as themselves to respect each other and learn from each other’s diverse backgrounds and different up-bringing.
• S/he realizes that its not the beautiful places you see that stay in your heart, but the people you meet and the experiences you have.
• A heart traveller discovers an India that is not on any tourist map, but in the spaces of friendships and the faces of people.
How you can be a Responsible Traveler: SOCIALLY
• Be curious about the place you visit – find out more about your host community, how they live, their idea of fun, what they eat…
• Visit places that are not necessarily part of the regular tourist route.
• Support local artists, dancers, painters, weavers, craftsmen, musicians, performance artists so they can preserve the tradition & culture of the community.
• Learn some local language phrases – a simple greeting and a “thank you” in the languages of our people will see you embraced as a guest and not just a visitor.
• Respect the privacy of others – please ask permission before you take a photo.
How you can be a Responsible Traveler:ENVIRONMENTALLY
• Use organic food, when possible. • Avoid buying souvenirs made of wildlife products like seashells & peacock feathers.
• Please use water as efficiently as possible. Do not leave your towels in your hotel room to be washed if they have only been used once. Try to use biodegradable shampoos and soaps.
• Ask if you can refill your drinking water bottle at a safe source rather than buying water in plastic bottles each time.
• Use electricity as efficiently as possible.
• Carry back as much plastic waste as possible and all the batteries you want to discard.
How you can be a Responsible Traveler: ECONOMICALLY
• Buy souvenirs, food, etc. directly from community markets and craftspersons so that the money goes directly to local businesses.
• Bargaining for goods may not be appropriate behaviour but if the price is negotiable, pay a price that is fair for the seller and maker.
• Stay in accommodation establishments that have invested in the local community.
• Rather than giving money to beggars and children, make an effort to donate to a local charity that supports community projects. Ask the guest house manager to recommend a reputable charity.
Things you can do on a Travel Another India holiday.
Take a dip in a lake.
Join in the dance.
Learn weaving.
Support a local cause.
Sit around a bonfire.
Gaze at the stars.
Play with a calf.
Learn a craft.
Things you can do on a Travel Another India holiday.
Make salt.
Climb a tree.
Learn to make a new dish.
Learn a new dance.
Things you can do on a Travel Another India holiday.
Get in touch with Travel Another India
• Website: http://www.travelanotherindia.com • Phone: +91 9900 193 873• Email: [email protected] • Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/travelanotherindia • Twitter: @anotherIndia• Tumblr: http://travelanotherindia.tumblr.com/