How Can You Become A Better, More Involved Traveller?

Those who are partial to wanderlust have quite clearly been limited in recent months and especially in the last year. This is for obvious reasons that we need not go into now. That said, it can also be that societal restrictions and travel bans can seek to help us step back, redefine our approach to travel, and consider one question we may not have thought of in some time — how can we become a better and more involved traveller in 2021?

By Team Savant

This not only helps you unlock the door to curating and following better planned and more impressive experiences abroad in the future. But it helps you understand what your impact as a traveling person might be, what that means, and how you can leverage this to be better. That kind of inquiry shows a mind willing to improve, to be modest, and to show real reverence for the places we go to. After all, if anything should have made us take little for granted, it’s 2020. With that in mind, let’s consider the following advice.

Research Into Local Culture & Get Involved

It’s important to remember that culture is more than something that we ‘tick off our list’ when we hope to see it and move on. You don’t have to live in a country for 20 years to appreciate it of course, but it can be nice to spend some time learning about and researching into a place before we visit it. For instance, you might be visiting the carnival in Venice, Italy — but do you know it’s history? How important it is to the local culture? How to get the best out of it, and how to spot a good mask to purchase? Those questions can help you feel comfortable and confident while there, and it helps you get the most out of your journey.

Support Local Businesses & Enterprise

Of course, it’s also worthwhile to support local businesses and enterprise when you can. This might sound simple, but it’s very easy to spend in corporate and chain stores instead of more handcrafted and local shops. Try to do so where you can - small businesses are often reliant on this kind of tourist trade, and after Covid-19 has wreaked its chaos, it’s not hard to see how much more important this is now.

Perform Some Real Good

Giving back can be a very nice thing to do, but more than that, it can be the right thing to do. Taking some time to volunteer in Sri Lanka, for instance, can help you assist a beautiful culture in areas where it might need a little help, charting a positive impact, learning more, and of course, spending some time in a traveling situation totally outside of satisfying your own needs. That can be a character-building and healthy approach to take, and it shows maturity.

With this advice, we hope you can become a better, more involved traveller going forward.