What you can never, EVER forget in your backpack: training!

children's project Kenya

When does a trip start? When do you get on the plane? When do you land? On the first walk in an unknown land? No! The journey always begins before leaving and it has a lot to do with reading. We celebrate World Tourism Day by remembering that there is an essential element that, yes or yes, you have to carry in your backpack: training.

Why is training important?

So that, for example, when you see a temple in india, you can identify what religion it belongs to and how you have to behave if you want to visit it.

or for what, when you go to kenya, know that displays of affection are not well seen and so you can avoid awkward situations with local people.

Or so you know that in Mexico or Peru, in the markets, prices are usually haggled.

For this reason, it is essential that, a few months before your trip, you read all the books that fall into your hands about the country you are going to visit. Or crawl every possible travel blog. History, culture, religion, traditions, ways of life, social problems… All this information will be useful to you on your journey and will make it easier for you to understand and converse with the people you meet on your way.

Also, it doesn't hurt to learn some words or expressions in the language of the country you are going to visit. Surely they make your life easier or, at least, help you win the sympathy of many people.

What do I need to know before a solidarity trip?

There are 10 basic elements that you cannot escape:

Uses and customs of the local community.
Religion and traditions.
Possible attitudes that may be offensive.
Main social and environmental problems.
The situation of women and girls and possible inequalities.
Climate
More suitable clothing.
Local practice of tipping/haggling.
Health: what vaccinations do I need and what are the most common conditions among travelers.
Services (electricity, water, bathrooms, etc.) that I will find, types of accommodation and deficiencies (if any).

Friendship on the solidarity trip to Bali.

Tumaini's new formation: 10 traveling tips

At Tumaini we have just renewed our online training so that all travelers can make the most of their solidarity trip. In it, all the people who are going to travel learn about some of the problems that affect the countries they are going to visit: hunger, poverty, inequality, access to health and education, deterioration of natural and cultural resources, etc., and know how the Sustainable Development Goals intend to fight to eradicate them. In addition, they learn practical tips on how to travel responsibly.

education and art in Peru.

We will share ten:

Do not leave waste in public spaces.
If the country you are visiting does not have a recycling system, bring back batteries and other waste.
Respect the marked trails and any indication regarding the care of nature and the protection of animals.
Do not visit or participate in activities related to animals, unless you are sure that they do not harm them.
Respect the rules of monuments/archaeological sites.
Stay in accommodations managed by local people.
Don't eat in big chains, give local food and small restaurants a try!
Never give alms to minors.
Do not go to businesses where boys and girls work, especially if you know they cannot go to school.
Support local crafts, but never buy products made from protected species (ivory, coral, etc.).

And now yes, with training under his arm, Happy Tourism Day!

September 27, 2017

Responsible Tourism

What you can never, EVER forget in your backpack: training!