Travel Habits
While researching sustainable tourism, I was curious to know what people actually do when they travel.
In an effort to understand these habits, I decided to interview a few of my friends who enjoy traveling (and do it regularly). I asked them the following question:
Do you consume local when you travel? How so?
Mariana: “Yes, I enjoy visiting local coffee shops, restaurants and buying souvenirs that were hand-crafted by locals. I also always research tour companies that are run by local people and are creating job opportunities for the local community. Additionally, I do not engage in tourist activities that might impact the environment negatively.” (M. Azarias, 2022)
An interesting fact that I would like to share about Mariana is that she actually works for a highly specialized travel agency called Epic Road, whose mission is:
“Epic Road’s mission is to raise awareness and facilitate a heightened understanding of issues like human/wildlife conflict, species endangerment, sustainability, environmentally conscious hospitality along with the empowerment of local communities. As a traveler, you can partake in local conservation initiatives that will balance the ecosystem and communities on your journey (while having a blast doing so!)” (Epic Road, 2022)
This is truly an inspiration as I research this subject. It is amazing to know that there are others out there that value Sustainable Tourism as much as I do.
My next interviewer is Meline, who is a flight attendant for the airline Emirates. She travels the world for a living!
Meline: “I love to travel to eat local foods! I always look for typical restaurants, and the less famous the better. I also love to stop by local grocery stores to take home different foods from different countries. I also purchase cosmetics when I travel, for instance, when I travel to Germany, I like to buy this one hand cream. When I travel to the US, I like to buy vegan cosmetics. Every country that I visit has typical foods that I already know that I want to eat, so when I arrive at my destination, I look for local places that serve that meal, or I order it through some app that they may have. There is also a different method for the transportation in each country, it is not always Uber (which is what we are used to in Brazil or Portugal).” (M. Garcia, 2022)
The next answer is from Viviane, a Brazilian who is currently living in Boston. She has lived in Japan and in Brazil as well.
Viviane: “To be honest with you, I don’t eat local foods when I travel — because I’m skeptical about it. I always try to eat at Japanese, Korean, or Thai restaurants. I hardly ever consume local foods when I travel. The last time I traveled on my honeymoon, I did not eat the food from the places that I visited — I prefer not to take that risk. The reason for my fear is that one time I visited Spain and tried a fish dish that did not sit well for me at all. That was in 2012. After that experience, I stopped trying different foods when I travel. I prefer to eat at places that I already know. The only place where I ate local foods was when I moved to Japan. There wasn’t a McDonald’s in town, so I was forced to eat local.” (V. Mota, 2022)
Through this research, I was surprised to know that some of my close friends engage in sustainable tourism when they travel. I also have a better understanding of why some people would rather not eat at local places when they travel.
Once again, thank you for your interest in my blog!
“See” you soon!
Participants:
Mariana Azarias (https://www.instagram.com/marianafieldz/)
Meline Garcia (https://www.instagram.com/melinegarcia/)
Viviane Mota (https://www.instagram.com/vivianemota/)
Learn more about Epic Road
Epic Road. (2022, March 9). https://www.epicroad.com/
