Comments on: How do you define ‘local travel’? http://www.goinglocaltravel.com/2010/03/12/how-do-you-define-%e2%80%98local-travel%e2%80%99/ A blog for travellers looking to break off track Thu, 15 Dec 2011 02:50:46 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1 By: Smile Travel Insurance http://www.goinglocaltravel.com/2010/03/12/how-do-you-define-%e2%80%98local-travel%e2%80%99/comment-page-1/#comment-620 Smile Travel Insurance Mon, 07 Jun 2010 15:45:49 +0000 http://goinglocaltravel.com/?p=821#comment-620 It’s interesting to read that the debate about the need to define (or not) what we mean by local travel is now more actual than ever. Last May, after reading a very interesting article by Stephen Chapman of Make Travel Fair, I wrote a blog post called “Words matter: on “local travel” and other catchphrases” ============================== Daniel North It’s interesting to read that the debate about the need to define (or not) what we mean by local travel is now more actual than ever. Last May, after reading a very interesting article by Stephen Chapman of Make Travel Fair, I wrote a blog post called “Words matter: on “local travel” and other catchphrases”
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Daniel North

]]> By: Going Local Travel » Tourism campaigns: a world of stereotypes and bad slogans http://www.goinglocaltravel.com/2010/03/12/how-do-you-define-%e2%80%98local-travel%e2%80%99/comment-page-1/#comment-594 Going Local Travel » Tourism campaigns: a world of stereotypes and bad slogans Thu, 03 Jun 2010 14:20:36 +0000 http://goinglocaltravel.com/?p=821#comment-594 [...] idea of local travel is growing all the time, but is it still too niche for the big [...] [...] idea of local travel is growing all the time, but is it still too niche for the big [...]

]]> By: How do you define local travel? « On sustainability, csr and climate change http://www.goinglocaltravel.com/2010/03/12/how-do-you-define-%e2%80%98local-travel%e2%80%99/comment-page-1/#comment-368 How do you define local travel? « On sustainability, csr and climate change Thu, 08 Apr 2010 18:09:49 +0000 http://goinglocaltravel.com/?p=821#comment-368 [...] Via  How do you define ‘local travel’? | Going local travel. [...] [...] Via  How do you define ‘local travel’? | Going local travel. [...]

]]> By: Florian http://www.goinglocaltravel.com/2010/03/12/how-do-you-define-%e2%80%98local-travel%e2%80%99/comment-page-1/#comment-367 Florian Wed, 07 Apr 2010 09:41:32 +0000 http://goinglocaltravel.com/?p=821#comment-367 Perhaps, a local traveller can be best described as someone who travels with the purpose of meeting locals and a genuine interest to get to know them. Defining local travel by the type of accommodation is to shallow, in my opinion. After all, you are always staying somewhere – locally. Apart from that, even in couchsurfing networks guests (especially if they travel in pairs or groups) tend to stick together and don’t necessarily learn from the local community. Leaving alone the fact that many – if not the majority – of couchsurfing members actually are no locals at all but people drawn to the place they live in for purposes of study or work. In Barcelona, for example, the most active couchsurfers use to be from Argentina and other South American countries ... I will also post about this important and overdue discussion on my sustainability blog at http://blog.floriankaefer.com. Feel free to comment. Perhaps, a local traveller can be best described as someone who travels with the purpose of meeting locals and a genuine interest to get to know them. Defining local travel by the type of accommodation is to shallow, in my opinion. After all, you are always staying somewhere – locally. Apart from that, even in couchsurfing networks guests (especially if they travel in pairs or groups) tend to stick together and don’t necessarily learn from the local community. Leaving alone the fact that many – if not the majority – of couchsurfing members actually are no locals at all but people drawn to the place they live in for purposes of study or work. In Barcelona, for example, the most active couchsurfers use to be from Argentina and other South American countries …

I will also post about this important and overdue discussion on my sustainability blog at http://blog.floriankaefer.com. Feel free to comment.

]]> By: Gloria - Casina di Rosa http://www.goinglocaltravel.com/2010/03/12/how-do-you-define-%e2%80%98local-travel%e2%80%99/comment-page-1/#comment-366 Gloria - Casina di Rosa Tue, 23 Mar 2010 23:38:03 +0000 http://goinglocaltravel.com/?p=821#comment-366 It's interesting to read that the debate about the need to define (or not) what we mean by local travel is now more actual than ever. Last May, after reading a very interesting article by Stephen Chapman of Make Travel Fair, I wrote a blog post called "Words matter: on “local travel” and other catchphrases" (http://www.athomeintuscany.org/2009/05/17/words-matter-on-local-travel-and-other-catch-phrases/). Contrary to what I understand some of you think, I do believe that defining the issue is very important or we will end up in the same relativism that, in the end, produces buzz words rather than "principles". Of course I am not saying that there should be a "universal definition" or a set of rules, but just that we should agree more than we do now on where to draw the line. Nice post as usual Vicky! It’s interesting to read that the debate about the need to define (or not) what we mean by local travel is now more actual than ever. Last May, after reading a very interesting article by Stephen Chapman of Make Travel Fair, I wrote a blog post called “Words matter: on “local travel” and other catchphrases” (http://www.athomeintuscany.org/2009/05/17/words-matter-on-local-travel-and-other-catch-phrases/). Contrary to what I understand some of you think, I do believe that defining the issue is very important or we will end up in the same relativism that, in the end, produces buzz words rather than “principles”.
Of course I am not saying that there should be a “universal definition” or a set of rules, but just that we should agree more than we do now on where to draw the line.
Nice post as usual Vicky!

]]> By: Miami Food Adventure http://www.goinglocaltravel.com/2010/03/12/how-do-you-define-%e2%80%98local-travel%e2%80%99/comment-page-1/#comment-365 Miami Food Adventure Wed, 17 Mar 2010 12:44:40 +0000 http://goinglocaltravel.com/?p=821#comment-365 The question on this post really got my attention because I started thinking about that to me the definition for local travel is to get to know people from that culture, going off-the-beaten-path places and try the traditional and local cuisine. Nice post! The question on this post really got my attention because I started thinking about that to me the definition for local travel is to get to know people from that culture, going off-the-beaten-path places and try the traditional and local cuisine. Nice post!

]]> By: Vicky Baker http://www.goinglocaltravel.com/2010/03/12/how-do-you-define-%e2%80%98local-travel%e2%80%99/comment-page-1/#comment-364 Vicky Baker Wed, 17 Mar 2010 04:19:00 +0000 http://goinglocaltravel.com/?p=821#comment-364 Agreed! Although, don't underestimate a 20-year-old gapper. They could just as easily get the idea. I'm just teasing. I know what you mean. It could just become the 'in' thing to tell people and that's a bit of a worry. Although not, I guess, if this means the general principles have caught on. Agreed! Although, don’t underestimate a 20-year-old gapper. They could just as easily get the idea.

I’m just teasing. I know what you mean. It could just become the ‘in’ thing to tell people and that’s a bit of a worry. Although not, I guess, if this means the general principles have caught on.

]]> By: Vicky Baker http://www.goinglocaltravel.com/2010/03/12/how-do-you-define-%e2%80%98local-travel%e2%80%99/comment-page-1/#comment-363 Vicky Baker Wed, 17 Mar 2010 04:12:35 +0000 http://goinglocaltravel.com/?p=821#comment-363 Haha, don't worry Lara. Love to hear your thoughts. I agree that the 'problems' that occur when we try to pin down 'local travel' are a good thing. They get people really talking about travel, whereas I think there has been a tendency to sleepwalk into it in recent times. I maybe didn't make it clear enough that I think the debate is vital and could actually stop it getting misunderstood or narrow. I've definitely noticed a trend for tapping into local knowledge in guidebooks and other media, particularly among the more clued-up brands. I agree that guidebooks are brilliant resources but we should think outside them too. Good to see Grantourismo promoting local travel too! Haha, don’t worry Lara. Love to hear your thoughts. I agree that the ‘problems’ that occur when we try to pin down ‘local travel’ are a good thing. They get people really talking about travel, whereas I think there has been a tendency to sleepwalk into it in recent times. I maybe didn’t make it clear enough that I think the debate is vital and could actually stop it getting misunderstood or narrow.

I’ve definitely noticed a trend for tapping into local knowledge in guidebooks and other media, particularly among the more clued-up brands. I agree that guidebooks are brilliant resources but we should think outside them too.

Good to see Grantourismo promoting local travel too!

]]> By: lara dunston http://www.goinglocaltravel.com/2010/03/12/how-do-you-define-%e2%80%98local-travel%e2%80%99/comment-page-1/#comment-362 lara dunston Sun, 14 Mar 2010 14:54:37 +0000 http://goinglocaltravel.com/?p=821#comment-362 Gosh, sorry for the novel! I think my response to your post was almost as long as your post! :( Gosh, sorry for the novel! I think my response to your post was almost as long as your post! :(

]]> By: lara dunston http://www.goinglocaltravel.com/2010/03/12/how-do-you-define-%e2%80%98local-travel%e2%80%99/comment-page-1/#comment-361 lara dunston Sun, 14 Mar 2010 14:54:03 +0000 http://goinglocaltravel.com/?p=821#comment-361 You make some insightful points, Vicky, although I don't think we get into 'problems' by defining 'local travel', we simply begin to explore the complexities and nuances of the concept or genre of travel that I envisage will grow. For me, it's about experiencing a destination, culture, places, and people, through the eyes of a 'local' whether they're rich or poor, old or young, left or right, a national or expat, and so on. There are always going to be so many different experiences based on all those different perspectives, and no single experience will be more 'local' than another if seen or experienced through the perspective of someone who lives there. The important thing is to get off-the-beaten-track and out of the tourist zones and by doing so, give something back to the ordinary people who live there, not necessarily those who work in tourism and hospitality. So it's also a question of sustainability as much as it is of experience for me. The guidebooks (and here's where I have to declare myself as having been the author of over 40 guidebooks for various publishers) don't *always* get it wrong. Many books are written by people who've lived in the place for a long time, and increasingly in recent years many books have been including interviews with locals and boxes covering off-the-beaten-track neighbourhoods to explore. And one source of our research has always been locals, especially 'qualified' locals - we got restaurant tips from chefs, bar suggestions from locals, shopping tips from fashion designers, etc. But, for me, one of the problems with guidebooks is that the inclusion of a place in a handful of guidebooks ultimately changes the nature of the place and its people. Guidebooks also take the fun out of exploring and discovery to some extent. Some people become so obsessed with ticking off the must-do experiences and highlights in guidebooks, they don't do enough exploring of their own. They would probably discover the same, similar, and even better places, by interacting more with locals and having a richer experience for doing so. And these are reasons why we've embarked on Grantourismo http://grantourismotravels.com/ this year, and we're not using guidebooks this year - to encourage people to 'go local'. You make some insightful points, Vicky, although I don’t think we get into ‘problems’ by defining ‘local travel’, we simply begin to explore the complexities and nuances of the concept or genre of travel that I envisage will grow.

For me, it’s about experiencing a destination, culture, places, and people, through the eyes of a ‘local’ whether they’re rich or poor, old or young, left or right, a national or expat, and so on. There are always going to be so many different experiences based on all those different perspectives, and no single experience will be more ‘local’ than another if seen or experienced through the perspective of someone who lives there.

The important thing is to get off-the-beaten-track and out of the tourist zones and by doing so, give something back to the ordinary people who live there, not necessarily those who work in tourism and hospitality. So it’s also a question of sustainability as much as it is of experience for me.

The guidebooks (and here’s where I have to declare myself as having been the author of over 40 guidebooks for various publishers) don’t *always* get it wrong. Many books are written by people who’ve lived in the place for a long time, and increasingly in recent years many books have been including interviews with locals and boxes covering off-the-beaten-track neighbourhoods to explore. And one source of our research has always been locals, especially ‘qualified’ locals – we got restaurant tips from chefs, bar suggestions from locals, shopping tips from fashion designers, etc.

But, for me, one of the problems with guidebooks is that the inclusion of a place in a handful of guidebooks ultimately changes the nature of the place and its people. Guidebooks also take the fun out of exploring and discovery to some extent. Some people become so obsessed with ticking off the must-do experiences and highlights in guidebooks, they don’t do enough exploring of their own. They would probably discover the same, similar, and even better places, by interacting more with locals and having a richer experience for doing so.

And these are reasons why we’ve embarked on Grantourismo http://grantourismotravels.com/ this year, and we’re not using guidebooks this year – to encourage people to ‘go local’.

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