According to data from the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), international tourism rates have reached up to 90% of pre-pandemic levels. Everything resurfaces again, reaching that vibrant rhythm of flights, reservations and discoveries. However, it is worth wondering if we are traveling better compared to 2019.
These 10 tips to travel better in 2024 will help you move intelligently on a planet that needs more pampering and conscious ways to be discovered.
The train station is usually one of those places that we overlook when we travel, since it is simply another functional stop. But that is changing. The rise of the train as a sustainable means of transportation has injected new life into many stations that invite you to stay a little longer: from the Food Hall at Moynihan Station in New York, to Union Market, a stop for local food and organic products in Toronto's Union Station, many train stations around the world have set out to enhance slow travel through the palate.
Diving is one of the water sports with the most followers in the world, although this practice also generates the erosion of many ecosystems. Hence, interest in sustainable diving and companies that implement measures to reduce environmental impact have increased in recent years. Because beyond getting lost, seeing coral bleaching to raise awareness, avoid contact with animals or collect waste from the marine environment reconnects us with the environment to heal it.
In a workshop on the outskirts of an Alicante town, a potter still lives with his hands wrapped around the wheel. In the square of that other municipality, all the farmers gather to sell their kilometer zero products and, in a remote village in Vietnam, hundreds of women make items with fiber from the banana tree. Looking into the social fabric of the towns allows us to feel the full beat of tradition and memory. And enhance it, make it eternal.
In the 90s, visiting a zoo was the pinnacle of any experience with children. However, that has changed in recent years and consciously choosing those experiences to do with animals becomes more necessary than ever. To do this, try to choose sustainable companies that know the environment - no one wants you to step on a condor's nest -, avoid crowded places - an elephant does not deserve to be seen by 50 jeeps at the same time -, and encourage experiences based on care and conservation -hello, turtle orphanages -.
Overtourism is taking over the charm of many places around the world, from Barcelona to Venice, passing through natural sanctuaries condemned by Instagram culture. For this reason, going off the established route not only becomes a breath of fresh air for certain destinations, but it also allows you to live different adventures, delve deeper into the charms of a country and promote the local economy.
Travel is not exempt from certain clichés and stereotypes that, sometimes, we do not dare to break. However, traveling is not understood without communication and interaction with the people who live in an environment. A way to open our minds, familiarize ourselves with the place and plant seeds of tolerance through those women who hang clothes next to the Yamuna River, the fishermen of Burma or the taxi driver who seeks to tell you a story.
There is a phrase by the writer Eric J. Leed that says “those who travel do not have the need to appear rich or powerful [...] The absence of accumulation is understood as greater freedom when traveling.” And he is not wrong: do we need to travel with so much luggage? Not really. The best thing about this form of travel not only lies in greater comfort but also in less fuel consumption by airplanes and, therefore, less pollution dumped into the atmosphere.
In today's world we find hotels and resorts that represent an extension of the territory itself: the architecture blends with nature itself, the systems used help reduce energy consumption and the staff come from the local environment. Especially when we travel to places of great natural value such as Kenya, Sri Lanka or Brazil, opting for sustainable accommodation becomes the best way to blend in with a destination and promote a minimal impact on the environment.
Many times we travel to disconnect and end up more stressed than if we had decided to hang the umbrella at home. Luckily, travel can also be a holistic experience that allows you to embrace harmony. Around the world we find oases of peace such as the Mexican temazcal, Vipassana meditation retreats or, of course, resorts where relaxation induces tremendous peace through various wellness facilities. This 2024, invest in your health when you travel.
In recent years, traveling and teleworking has become a more than possible way of life for thousands of people. And perhaps 2024 will be the year to test this modality. Remember!: accommodations with a good desk, Wi-Fi and natural light - better in appropriate and economical destinations -, good organization and better communication so you can enjoy your work day in paradise with enough time to visit those places you've always dreamed of.
