HOW TO GIVE BACK WHILE TRAVELING
DISCLAIMER: This blog post is no way intended to hurt anyone's religious, political, spiritual, personal beliefs or faiths, whatsoever. It is written not to defame or disregard anyone's personal decisions or identity. The intention is not to hurt sentiments but a sincere effort to help and encourage others to give and help our countrymen.After every travel, we tend to contemplate on the places we visited, the people we met, and the culture we experienced. Aren't we lucky to have the opportunity to travel? That is why we try to put purpose in our travels and find ways to give back to the world.. If you purposely click on this blog post, we might be thinking of the same thing.
Here are some ways to give back while you're in a foreign country.
1. DONATE.
Give back to our fellow men. Donating to a particular organization is one Google search away. You may donate what you don't need to charity or donate through Paypal. There are also instances where you're given the chance to donate while traveling. Don't worry, there will always be an opportunity! 😉
- DONATE TO SMALL-SCALE ORGANIZATIONS. No matter which organization you choose to donate to, it would make a difference. Although, we would like to encourage you to donate to different smaller-scale organizations since they have a smaller target range. Organizations like these focus on a particular community and help them flourish to their ideal capacities.
- SHARE YOUR SPARE CHANGE. Airlines like Cebu Pacific Air gives their passengers the chance to help the children in the Philippines with the United Nations Children's Fund's (UNICEF) Change for Good Program. This shows that everyone's spare change can make a big difference to the local children.
- SHARE A MEAL. Share your meal with the locals. Pack an extra water or sandwich and give it to someone who needs it.
2. SUPPORT THE LOCAL COMMUNITY.
Give back to the community. When visiting foreign cities and provinces, choose local goods and stores owned by locals instead of buying your souvenirs at the mall or eating at fast foods restaurants. Supporting these local businesses help them to continue their passion and generate jobs for everyone in the community.
- EAT LOCAL. Most of the time, these local stores also buy their products and ingredients within the local community. It means the carbon footprint is lesser compared to importing ingredients from different places. Eat at a local food stall to experience a day in a local's life. You'll get to interact with them, and might even share stories and help you out.
- SHOP LOCAL. Patronize cultural and local-made products. We love shopping local since the designs are unique and beautifully-made. Same with eating locally, the components of their products are either bought or made within the community.
- STAY AT A LOCAL ACCOMMODATION. Local-owned is our preferred accommodations. These may not be 5-star hotels, but most of them give the same quality and friendly service. Since those who work there are locals too, they would give us advice only locals know.
Give back to the environment and fellow men. There are different causes that focus on the environment or even for a person in need. You may join benefits that could help the environment or fund-raisers. Music festivals and contests are some of the events for a cause that you could bring the family to enjoy. Beach, ocean and mountain clean-ups are fun to do with friends. Tree planting and hikes for a cause are also available for people who would like to add purpose when mountain climbing.
4. PLEDGE TO BE A BETTER TRAVELER.
Give back to the environment. As travelers, we love the environment! We travel to different places to witness mesmerizing views and scenery. Of course, we want to be able to witness them once more.
You may also pledge at Earth Hour.
1. To change the way you eat by not wasting food, observing a healthy diet and choosing sustainably-produced food
2. To embracing renewable energy by switching to green energy.
3. To restore nature where you live by supporting local wildlife and encouraging nature to grow.
4. To change what you buy by re-using, buying less and avoiding single-use plastics.
5. To using less water
(Source: Earth Hour)
Pledge here and click Pledge your support for Nature: EARTH HOUR PLEDGE
1. We advocate for each person to make simple pledges to help preserve the beauty of the Philippines' most popular island destinations.
2. We work with local stakeholders of select Philippine island destinations to achieve solid waste management targets, to pave the way for a more sustainable tourism industry.
3. We implement even more environment-friendly processes in the airline, and invest accordingly (Source: The Juan Effect)
Pledge here: JUAN EFFECT PLEDGE
- BEAT POLLUTION PLEDGE. There are 8 million tonnes of plastics entering our oceans each year. During the UN Environment Assembly in Nairobi, several countries have pledged to reduce the use of single-use plastic by 2030. The United Nations Environment Programme created this pledge to help lessen and beat the pollution in the world. Simple acts like using public transport and recycling are a few of the the actions you can pledge to take.Pledge here: BEAT POLLUTION PLEDGE
- MAKE YOUR OWN PLEDGE. You can also make your personal pledge. It may be a simple skip the straws or create a zero waste lifestyle.
5. PROMOTE SUSTAINABLE TOURISM AND ENCOURAGE OTHERS TO DO IT AS WELL
Give back by encouraging others to give back. Share your thoughts about sustainable tourism to your friends. Encourage them to join causes and other ways of given back written here. Small steps can contribute a lot if many people are doing it.
Share this so others can give back as well.
You may also read: Sustainable Traveling: How to Travel Eco-friendly?
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I love this post! I believe in trying to give back when traveling and at home. I try and visit local restaurants, shops, and hotels as much as possible. I also believe in sustainability at home on the road and am always looking for ways to reduce and reuse. Thank you for such a helpful post on incredibly important topics!
ReplyDeleteThanks! Me too. I hope to be a better traveler to help conserve our environments!
DeleteThis is fantastic!!! When I travel to poorer or less fortunate countries I bring a tonne of school supplies. Pens pencils noe books,etc. These items are expensive for them and many children do without
ReplyDeleteI'm so happy to hear this!!! I will do this as well. :D
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