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04 March 2019

Giving Back

By *Phillip Lategan, Journey Beyond

In the past, travel was all about what people brought back, in terms of souvenirs and pictures. Happily, we’ve moved on as an industry and now what guests most want to return home with is memories of incredible experiences.

One of the best ways for them to achieve that is to participate in meaningful activities while they’re here in Africa – in other words, to give back. We’re big believers in Africa’s ability to solve its own problems, but a helping hand or two never goes amiss.

Many of the travellers who visit Africa each year bring vital skills and knowledge with him. By giving them opportunities to put these to good use, the travel industry can help them contribute not only to their own experience, but to community upliftment or wildlife conservation.

Giving back is about much more than making a financial donation. Forward-thinking operators are now offering travellers the opportunity to go on vacations with a purpose. That is, experiences that benefit the place being visited just as much as they benefit the tourist.

These trips fall into three main categories: helping with education (teaching or helping build classrooms); helping with health (talking to mothers and children about healthier lifestyle choices); and conservation (assisting field researchers with tracking or tagging).

All these options represent unique experiences for tourists and have a positive impact locally. A further benefit is that tourists return home as ambassadors for Africa, her people and her wildlife.