What is Conscious Travel and Why is It Important?
Explore how working at a summer camp exemplifies conscious travel by promoting social, economic, and environmental sustainability while positively impacting the communities and places you visit.
Mike Haycock
Being aware of our potential impact, both positive and negative, is an important piece of travelling and of ‘conscious travel’.
Conscious travel (also known as sustainable travel or responsible travel) is c a commitment to social, economic, and environmental sustainability. Put simply, it’s a way of travelling that looks to lessen any negative impact wherever possible whilst playing our part in helping the communities and places we go. Oh, and just being an overall good person on your travels.
Working at summer camp, as we’ll look at, is the perfect example of conscious travel.
As a conscious traveller, you need to be aware of the impact of your actions on the places you visit.
Take summer camp, for example. You’ll be helping a new community in the U.S., intending to impact campers’ lives.
You’ll contribute to the local area through the businesses you use off-camp whilst respecting and reflecting the culture of the people around you. You’ll likely be living in cabins in the woods, and you’ll develop a newfound (or further) respect for nature.
You’re travelling to leave the world in a slightly better place than you found it, not the other way around.
So, to become a conscious traveller and to make your impact a positive one, we’ve come up with 7 steps you can take to respect and connect with each destination you go to.
1. Learn about the area's history
Don’t allow your only understanding of a place to be solely from Instagram or Tik Tok.
Each area you go to is steeped in history, so take some time to learn about it. It’ll add meaning to where you go and an appreciation of why some cultural monuments you’ll see exist.
The history of a place gives an understanding of why things are the way they are today, so taking a bit of time to learn about where you’re going is a healthy sign of conscious respect.
2. Respect local traditions and cultures
Following learning about an area’s history, take time to understand the customs and traditions of the place you will be visiting (especially to avoid any embarrassing slip-ups).
Respect the local culture by dressing appropriately, using the correct language, and following local customs. They may not be something you’re used to, but learning about them is crucial to cultural exchange.
Until summer camp, I didn’t fully realise the importance of raising the U.S. flag or the correct U.S. flag etiquette. It was something I made sure I understood quickly to show I respected their culture and how things were done.
By the end of summer, it would become a source of pride that I was included in traditions such as flagpole.
You’d want your culture respected, so ensure you do the same for others.
3. Give back to the local community
This is one that summer camp does heaps off.
By supporting local initiatives such as camp, you’ll help positively impact the community you serve. They’re providing somewhere to call home for whatever amount of time you’re there, so giving back is not only a way of saying thanks but the right thing to do.
At summer camp, you’ll have many opportunities to inspire, and who knows what that spark can lead to in the future?
4. Support local businesses
By supporting local businesses, you can help to preserve the local culture and support the local economy.
This could include eating at local restaurants (which will become a favourite hobby when working at camp), buying souvenirs from local artisans, and staying in locally-owned accommodations on your days off.
People are vital to local economies and businesses, so through conscious travel, you can play your part in helping them.
5. Reduce waste
Anyone who litters is an idiot, which, thankfully, everyone realises.
There are some incredible U.S. national parks, as well as great green spaces here in the U.K., and thankfully people (for the most part) keep it that way.
Leaving places the way you found them is a sign of respect. These days, plastic is everywhere, so it’s hard to avoid using it; we get that.
But, if you must use it, limit it and ensure you take it with you.
Sustainable travellers will avoid single-use plastics, take reusable items when possible, and reduce their impact wherever they go.
6. Be mindful of wildlife
Take a leaf out of David Attenborough’s book.
When travelling to natural areas, respect the wildlife and their habitats. We’re in their home, after all.
That includes avoiding feeding animals, touching them, or disrupting their natural behaviour. Getting too comfy with humans isn’t natural for them, and can cause them problems in the future.
Respect wildlife, but from a distance.
7. Be nice
It sounds cheesy, but a smile or a compliment can change a person’s day. It also reflects on not only you but your own home country and area.
Working abroad at summer camp as an international staff member means bringing a part of your home to camp. New ideas, new perspectives, and new personalities will all impact those you come into contact with.
So make sure the impact you leave is a positive one.
Conscious travel brings meaning and sustainability together.
It’s about doing what you can to maximise your positive impact while minimising negative ones.
Travelling is a life-changing opportunity, but doing so in a meaningful and conscious manner will expand your experience and the entire community you help while away.
