Its Time for Driftime
Why you should become a drifter.
Ethical and sustainable travel for everyone
More people are traveling today than ever before, 84 million travellers more than the year before, according to the UN World Tourism Organisation. When everyone and their neighbour travels we need to be conscious of our personal impact. The good news is that sustainable travel is on the up. While we all want to be travelling smarter, fairer and more aware, the question is how do we go about it?
More people are traveling today than ever before, according to the United Nations World Tourism Organisation, 2018 Tourism Highlights Report there were 1.32 billion global tourist arrivals, that’s 84 million travellers more than the year before.
Is sustainable and ethical travel possible?
Ethical and sustainable travel means minimising the negative impacts of tourism; ideally finding ways in which travel can be beneficial to local environments, culture and people. The travel industry currently make it difficult to be sustainably minded at an affordable cost — but with a little creativity and sustainable insights we can reduce our footprint whilst traveling consciously. It’s not always easy to know about pollution and the effects of waste on natural environments, resources and wildlife before we set off. Through Driftime® we hope to remedy this; sustainable travel should be accessible and convenient both at home and afar, from local hotspots through to insightful editorial.
When you’re away from home, it’s not always possible to maintain sustainable habits, often we want to switch off and enjoy all that a location has to offer. Most of us don’t have lots of time to research destinations, sustainable initiatives, foods, businesses and accommodation. Our goal is to make Driftime® a sustainable one-stop resource for local knowledge, interactive guides and sustainable know-how.
We believe travellers should have access to friendly, conscious local businesses, unassuming gems, accessible eco travel hacks and the best sustainable travel goods. A convenient, easily accessible place to transition intentions into practise. Now is the perfect time to bring sustainably minded, local businesses to a global audience; elevating local communities economic and social value.
What is Driftime®?
Driftime® is a resource for conscious travellers, comprising of an app curating walking, cycling, hiking, city & rural routes alongside an editorial journal. We’re advocates of exploring a new destination on foot or bike rather than being tempted to use cars or taxis to get around (where possible). Our routes share beautiful meandering guides through an ever growing collection of locations using interactivity and intuitive design. In addition to short routes and sweet independent spots, the journal shares sustainable travel insights, choices, brands and eco-mmodation.
In 2016 Driftime® started life as Wandering Through. A website designed and created by two designers with travel lust, a hunger for authentic experiences and a passion for next level coffee and eats. Colours, type, culture and history were all drawn from each location and referenced during the design of each guide. It wasn’t only about the destination but the journey in-between, getting lost, the scenic routes, the drifting without clock watching. This sense of freedom is exactly what we look to weave in and engrain in every route. Experiences are unique, we see Driftime® as the breadcrumbs left on trails, highlighting places of interest and serving up loose itineraries to be traveled your way.
“We aim to actively give back to local communities and causes around the world”
Giving back
As the Driftime® platform evolves, we aim to actively give back to local communities and causes around the world. Aside from interactive routes encouraging ethical travel, our plan is to give a percentage of every sale to local communities, causes and charities relevant to the location. Driftime® will support the locations we launch new routes in, aiding location specific needs i.e. waste infrastructure, protection of animals, education etc.
Be a conscious traveller
Until carbon neutral air travel and responsible land and waste management become a global norm, collectively we can cut the burden. Driftime® explores how to leave no trace and ways to respect our collective home, earth.
Advocate and support local economies by shopping small, with independent local businesses who source their products locally and sustainably. Lodgings, restaurants, coffee and indie shops, who take extra care of people and the planet, are worth investing in. Eat seasonal foods from locally run businesses wherever you drift.
Acknowledge and avoid certain aspects of travel. When gift shopping, be aware of materials used, things could be made of cruelly sourced and unsustainable products, such as coral or shells. When it comes to packing, don’t buy travel minis (shampoo/conditioner etc) — it’s cheaper and better for the environment if you pour from a larger bottle into a reusable smaller one. Even holiday essentials like sunscreen can have an impact on coral reefs. It’s small things to consider and be aware of that we want to advocate within our journal.
International travel is playing its part in elevating our emissions trajectory. Aeroplanes produce 2.5% of global annual emissions at minimum; while tourism in general accounts for about 8%, according to one 2018 scientific paper.
Do no harm, leave no trace
Or at least as little as possible. The first step is to choose a location that has the capacity to manage tourism in a sustainable way. Driftime® guides will share destination considerations which help minimise our impact whilst supporting economic, social and environmental challenges on a local level.
When it comes to flying, first consider alternatives. If alternatives are difficult to find (even from a financial perspective) we’ll look to share ways to offset and balance your trip.
Money Spent on doing
We live on a planet which gifts us everything we need — how beautiful is that! Technology continues to embed deeper into our everyday experience, this constant distraction and promise of convenience can mean we take earth’s finite resources for granted. We’re interested in exploring technologies positive influence at re-connecting us with nature and local cultures.
As our lives get busier the value and positive effects of spending time in nature becomes more apparent both psychologically and on our physical wellbeing. Like travel, experiences become part of our identity, connect us to others and broaden our lens on reality. We can derive value simply from knowing that a natural resource exists — what researchers call existence value.
“Travelling slowly can be a life changing experience, igniting a passion to explore”
Become a drifter (aka travel slowly and enjoy the journey)
The getting there can become a cherished part of an experience, by considering alternative transport methods, whilst honouring the ‘on foot’ and ‘cycle’ options available once there. With our interactive guides and editorial on conscious travel, traveling slowly can be a life changing experience, igniting a passion to explore and delve into authentic experiences. Experiences which are your own, that change your perspective instead of our planet.
Driftime explores better ways to travel. Sign up for updates on route releases and the latest insights on sustainable and ethical stays, eats, transport, boutiques and conscious travel.
