Note from the Road: Understanding Grassroots Travel

In my final year of university I took an international development class for first year students. I'll be honest in telling you that I took the class because I knew that it would be easy, I had already taken all the advanced courses and had done well in them. I was taking the class for the one and only reason of boosting my overall marks. What I didn't know is that there would be no class in all of my studies that would stimulate my thought process as much as this class. At one point our class broke out into a heated debate about the trend of claiming to be green, sustainable and grassroots. The truth is that so many people toss these words around without having a clue as to what they really mean. Whether it is for a publicity stunt or good intentions it seems as though each and every company on the planet claims to be one or all of these things. Within the travel community, however, there is a real opportunity to discover not only what grassroots means, but its value to us as citizens of the world.

In travel we find ways to become involved, and not just sit by and watch the world turn. We are given the opportunity through travel to join in song and dance with locals during Brazilian carnival, try the real Chinese food in China and meet people of ancient cultures in Nepal. We are given the opportunity to understand the world for what it is, and use that knowledge to become positive contributing members of society. Grassroots means learning how to become a participant and not just a bystander.

Whilst travelling, we often realise that it's not about the big picture which we so often concern ourselves with. Instead it is about the community. We learn that it is the active members of the community that define it. We see it no matter where we are in the world, whether it be a village in Tanzania or a community on Lake Titicaca, it is the leaders in the community that give it its character and its voice. Seeing this influence only pushes us to place our positive mark on the community as well. Grassroots means learning the importance of getting involved in the community.

All too often we talk about the power that tourism can have on development. The incomes earned from tourism often pay for the construction of roads, schools, and hospitals. However, what we miss far too often is how much we, as tourists, learn as well. We are often struck by the realisation that living in developed countries doesn't necessarily mean that we are living the best way. In the rice fields of Thailand and the farms of rural highlands in Bolivia we see that we could actually learn a thing or two about sustainability. We see how people are so close to their friends and families, that we misplace our values at times. And when we see a couple of children racing through the streets with a tyre wearing smiles from ear-to-ear, we realise that it doesn't take possessions to make a person happy. Grassroots means not only giving something back, but learning from the experience as a whole.

When our travels come to an end we all realise that we have been granted a gift in the opportunity to see the world. And at the end of the day that gift has nothing to do with the sites that we've seen, the photos we've taken or the places we have been. At the end of the day the greatest gift that travel gives us is the opportunity to learn, and to grow as human beings. And at the end of the day, growth is what grassroots is really all about. By travelling and placing a value on that growth we all help significantly to make this world a better place to live and travel in.

About the Author:

This article was written by travel writer and photographer Brendan van Son. For more from Brendan check out his website http://www.brendansadventures.com or keep checking in here for his next “Note from the Road.”

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