I landed on this because I was searching posts on Peru (reading others’ articles after having just shared a travel inspired piece centered around the Quechua).
Thank you for highlighting the importance of community based travel AND for doing the work of providing options.
I hope you won’t mind that I’m leaving my latest piece here below!
Hi Alexander, here are a few that spring to mind in Europe, Inishbofin in Ireland, where the local islanders work together on the ‘tourism offer’ with home stays, local guides, small-scale approach - where you get to see the culture through the land, language, music. Or La Gomera in the Canaries is similar in a way (anti mass-tourism, casa rurales, local guides, emphasis on local community traditions and way of life).
Also things like local association-run archaeology digs can be an interesting way to travel / get to know a place. I’ve done that before in France, and it wasn’t fancy (sleeping on camp beds in the barn of an old farmhouse, outdoor showers and everyone mucking in with the cooking and cleaning) but it was interesting, and the people taking part came from lots of different countries even though it was locally-run. It showed a side of life in France that I would never have seen on a typical holiday stay, and felt worthwhile - plus excellent for language learning. You can do similar stays in places like the Balkans and Greece.
I also find places that have focused on regeneration, intentional community building, and locally-run tourism in rural settings really interesting - like Suderbyn in Sweden, Vrmdza in Serbia, or Muirkirk in Scotland (with its own community council).
In France there are a couple of organisations that support local associations and local-run digs. Rempart is one of the best known ones but there are a couple.
I landed on this because I was searching posts on Peru (reading others’ articles after having just shared a travel inspired piece centered around the Quechua).
Thank you for highlighting the importance of community based travel AND for doing the work of providing options.
I hope you won’t mind that I’m leaving my latest piece here below!
https://open.substack.com/pub/lizburling/p/time-travel-by-way-of-peru?r=6rijrt&utm_medium=ios&shareImageVariant=overlay
Thanks Liz, appreciate your kind words. I look forward to reading it!
Laura- Great point on community based travel here. The photographs also help paint the picture. Wonderfully thoughtful!
Thanks Thalia, glad it is useful!
Hi Alexander, here are a few that spring to mind in Europe, Inishbofin in Ireland, where the local islanders work together on the ‘tourism offer’ with home stays, local guides, small-scale approach - where you get to see the culture through the land, language, music. Or La Gomera in the Canaries is similar in a way (anti mass-tourism, casa rurales, local guides, emphasis on local community traditions and way of life).
Also things like local association-run archaeology digs can be an interesting way to travel / get to know a place. I’ve done that before in France, and it wasn’t fancy (sleeping on camp beds in the barn of an old farmhouse, outdoor showers and everyone mucking in with the cooking and cleaning) but it was interesting, and the people taking part came from lots of different countries even though it was locally-run. It showed a side of life in France that I would never have seen on a typical holiday stay, and felt worthwhile - plus excellent for language learning. You can do similar stays in places like the Balkans and Greece.
I also find places that have focused on regeneration, intentional community building, and locally-run tourism in rural settings really interesting - like Suderbyn in Sweden, Vrmdza in Serbia, or Muirkirk in Scotland (with its own community council).
In France there are a couple of organisations that support local associations and local-run digs. Rempart is one of the best known ones but there are a couple.