Tourism is one of the world’s fastest growing economies.
According to the World Tourism Organization, in 2012, international tourism generated US$1.3 trillion in export earnings, figures moving and shaking the world economy.
Let’s get vegan travel on the map.
Tourism, unlike any other industry has the potential to empower people, to lift people from poverty, to create employment, to transcend race, religion, age and economical status by knocking down cultural barriers, to inspire people and to connect people across continents.
But how vegan friendly is your holiday?
When ever I’m traveling, (which is most of the time) I am always looking to dig a little deeper, go a little further and push a little harder in order to understand the company culture, ethos and core values of people I meet on my travels and businesses that I interact with because if they are doing great things, they should be transparent.
Last year, just as the Guatemala season was coming to an end I thought I would take one last road trip before heading back to Europe to begin the season in Spain. I rode (on a motorbike that is) north of Guatemala city and stopped for a road side snack just on the edge of a small village, road side snacks in Guatemala are amazing, my options were; fresh fruit or fresh coconut water!
I noticed some crops growing in the distance and asked one of the locals what they were and with an extremely animated face, she said to me ‘Aloe, para la tienda de cuerpos’ which directly translates into, aloe for the shop of the body’s to which I was slightly baffled, she then continued to tell me how the aloe vera processing plant had created much employment in the area and all about the values of the company which had put all these systems in place, her enthusiasm for this company was infectious.
Then it twigged, the shop of the body’s, was, of course, the Body Shop that most of us know from the western world and I can only presume that they bought all the aloe from the locals in the area to use in their cosmetic products in the US. For someone who had never traveled far outside her village let alone going to the US, she was incredibly well informed on the Body Shop’s company culture.
So what can we do when we are on the road to see how vegan friendly our holiday really is, how can we travel compassionately?
Inquire about company values
Whether it’s a B&B, a small coffee shop or an international tour company, be inquisitive, chat to business owners and staff about their business in order to see if their values correspond with that of living a compassionate lifestyle.
Ask to see company policy
If you find yourself using a tour agent or operator whether it’s for a day trip or a ten week adventure of a lifetime, ask to see company policy. You may discover interesting projects they support or are involved in and can make an informed decision based on that knowledge. An outstanding individual or company regardless of size should be transparent. Get vegan travel on the map; being inquisitive also gives you the opportunity to make suggestions as businesses will always react to demand, especially within the tourism industry as it has to adapt to constant changes.
Find out where you cash is really going
Try to establish how much revenue generated by a business you are looking to use on your travels remains within the local economy and how they contribute to that economy. If a company’s website looks amazing, dig deeper and find out where your money is really going. You deserve it and the more informed you are the easier it is to direct your hard earned cash towards people, places, countries and concepts that support compassionate travel and where it will really make a difference.
About the author: Emma Fry is the owner and founder of Veganbnb Travel, vegan vacations in Guatemala and Spain, for more on trips, vegan friendly travel (and stories about motorbike adventures and vegan carrot cake) go to www.veganbnbtravel.com. Promoting the availability of a lifestyle in which animals and the environment are not exploited, one holiday at a time.
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