Responsible Tourism

Our commitment to Responsible Tourism

YourSafePlanet, and later Tripbod, has been built upon the principles of making travel a better deal for everyone:

1. A better deal for travellers who want to avoid being ripped off by tourist scams or wasting time following the over-trodden path;

2. A better deal for local people who suffer the often-cited '97% economic leakage' from tourism and with little opportunity to really connect meaningfully with visitors. 

There are many reasons why travellers use Tripbod and why people become Tripbods but inevitably there is one thread that links us all...

We all love exploring the richness of a new place in ways that are sensitive to environment, culture and heritage, and we know the best way to do this is by tapping into trusted local knowledge.

Too long have middle men travel companies defined what our travels should be like, offering us plastic-wrapped packages that we can 'take or leave', whilst squeezing local businesses out of hard-earned commissions.

Instead, as Tripbods we love to share our local knowledge with you because it ensures you see the authentic side of where we live and take away happy, contented memories of the places we love.

How to travel and benefit the community

Spend money locally - don't pay for a middleman to organise a trip for you - it's not as much fun and your money goes into big commissions, not to the people providing the services on the ground. Tripbod can link you straight to local people and make sure that you're getting the best offers. 
 

Find out about the culture - consider how your actions will be received and how you can fit in. Important considerations are; covering up with modest clothing, not causing offence or disrespecting cultural practices, and making an effort to speak just a few words of the language.
 

Look deeper - don't just scratch the surface of the places you visit, try and gain an awareness of the lives other people lead and the challenges they face. Become a local for a week!
 

Challenge yourself - don't take the easy route all the time. Try substituting a domestic flight for a slightly longer but inevitably more rewarding train journey.
 

Some tips on travelling with the environment in mind:

You could plan your itinerary in a way that you take the minimum number of flights possible. You can often travel between adjacent countries by train and bus just as easily as flying - and it's often cheaper. Check out The Man in Seat 61 and prepare to be inspired!

Think about your lifestyle at home and abroad. A balance across the whole of your life will have a much bigger impact than just trying to be green when you travel.

Try to use varied transport methods - so if you need to take a flight, get a train to the airport and then maybe a tram on the other side.... or book a Boris bike if you're visiting London!

Get involved in the debate. There's no better way to whet your appetite for new and innovate ways to travel than by getting your teeth into a hearty debate about the best ways to travel. Tripbod and YourSafePlanet regularly help to organise online webinars on just these topics so sign up to our newsletter to keep in the loop with our news!