Episode 26 - Going Away for Good - Sustainable Tourism with Vicky Smith

Here we are in January!  This month contains so-called 'Blue Monday' and is the time of year when many of us plan and book our holidays for the year.  We all need something to look forward to!

However there are hidden downsides to many of the trips we book, which can cause negative impacts to the communities and the environment in the places we are visiting.

Growing awareness of these problems has led to an increase in 'responsible' or 'sustainable' travel options, offering holidays that have direct benefits on local people and areas.

In this podcast episode our host Jo Salter, founder of social enterprise Where Does It Come From? is talking with Vicky Smith, responsible travel champion and founder of travel company Earth-changers.

Vicky has worked in tourism since the mid-90s, and sustainable tourism since the mid-00s.  She has worked in destinations, marketing and ecommerce, heading up operations abroad and online for major tour operators, online travel agents and media, in mainstream tourism, ski, safari, tours, charity challenges and voluntourism, NGOs and sustainable tourism accreditation organisations. She’s been a ski resort manager, a qualified ranger in Africa, charity challenge leader and is a charity trustee for SEED Madagascar. She's also on a global council for climate resilience in tourism, helps develop the Global and European Ecotourism Networks, and has been an Ambassador for the Year of Green Action for Defra – the UK’s Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs. 

Vicky is the founder of startup Earth-Changers.com, a curated collection of positive impact tourism, winner of Travelmole UK's Best Responsible Travel & Tourism Website 2019, and helps people find and book trips that change the world (personal holidays, groups and corporates). 

Links:

Where Does It Come From? - Kind Clothes that Tell Tales https://www.wheredoesitcomefrom.co.uk

Earth-changers - https://www.earth-changers.com 

Travel with Jules - https://www.travelwithjules.co.uk 

Green Tourism: https://www.green-tourism.com (Accreditation scheme - biggest for UK)

Global Sustainable Tourism Council:  https://www.gstcouncil.org/ (GSTC acts as the international accreditation body for sustainable tourism certification, managing global standards for sustainable travel and tourism)

If you enjoy this episode please consider following and rating us!  A video of this conversation can also be found on the Where Does It Come From? Youtube Channel at https://www.youtube.com/@wheredoesitcomefrom