Welcome to Curiosity Saves Travel!
Does travel need saving? Unsustainable and harmful travel can be destructive, from exploiting local communities to degrading ecosystems and contributing to climate change. But it doesn’t have to be that way. I believe regenerative and sustainable travel can positively transform nature and vulnerable people. It is all our responsibility to take action to drive meaningful industry-wide change. Here at Curiosity Saves Travel and Curiosity Saves the Planet, I strive to bring your practical resources based on research, diverse opinions, and fact while not giving into the practice of shaming or excluding.
As travelers, we can learn so much from opening ourselves up to see how different cultures connect with nature, (ethically) meeting new species in the wild, and by seeing firsthand how wonderful our planet is and the people that call it home. In return, we need to be respectful travelers and should always strive to leave our destinations better than when we arrived and not worse off because of our presence. Travel can get a bad rep from the airline industry’s carbon emissions to the exploitative behavior of large foreign-owned tour companies, to the wasteful and damaging behavior to destinations. But, here at Curiosity Saves Travel, I truly believe that by opening ourselves to be curious about how we can be better travelers and learn from our destinations, we can come together to save travel.
Let’s Get Curious!
“Inspiring the curious mind to change their travel behaviors to be more kind to the planet and the people at our destinations.”
RELIABLE
There’s a lot of information about there about sustainable travel. It can be hard to know what information you can trust. I combine years working in the travel industry, a MSc in environmental education with a thesis focusing on travel that can benefit biodiversity and community well-being. There is no one right answer to how you should travel sustainably, but I hope to give you the tools to make the decision that is best for you and the destinations you visit.
SHAME FREE
There are definitely wrong ways to travel, and it’s important to address detrimental behaviors, but I don’t believe in harassment and shaming or cancel cultures resulting in death threats. I try to be open to understanding the nuances of travel and different people’s backgrounds to help educate tourists. We can work together to become more responsible travelers through constructive education, critical thinking, and the curiosity to learn from each other.
EDUCATIONAL
Keep an eye out for educational tips about unique species or cool biodiversity around the world. I love sharing things I learned about ecology in school and hope to bridge the gap between travel and the environment. Many people travel for food, culture, sights, I travel to learn about cultural connections to the environment, interesting species, and cool nature around the world. I hope you learn not only about travel but also, find your curiosity to find the awe-inspiring nature around the world.
Our Commitment to Equitable Tourism and to Learning
I acknowledge that the negative impacts of tourism primarily fall on marginalized communities, with many of tourism’s benefits in the pockets of large multinational companies. I am committed to changing my behavior to drive change within the wider tourism industry to create a tourism industry that can protect and uphold cultures and the natural environment while delivering equitable benefits. I also understand that some of the foundations of sustainable tourism are rooted in racist ideals, i.e., flight shaming when most of the world does not have access to fast and affordable public transportation or passing 100% of the blame to individual travelers while ignoring the role large corporations play in detrimental tourism. It is our job to do better to the best of our abilities with the resources at hand. I am committed to striving to be a more conscious and aware traveler. As much as I hope you learn from me, I can learn from you. I am not perfect, and I am always willing to learn and build better habits.
I aim to feature and pay diverse writers within the sustainable tourism industry. Additionally, I seek ways to support BIPOC and women-owned businesses when I travel.
People and Planet Over Profit
While Curiosity Saves Travel is monetized, my main aim is to educate and drive change. I prioritize people and the planet over profit where I am able. To help me on this journey, I aim to be selective with the companies I choose to work with. Through rigorous research, I aim to only work with companies and destinations that uphold my mission to follow responsible practices that do not cause outsized damage to the natural environment and the surrounding communities. Relentless tourism growth for the sake of the economy at the cost of the environment and human well-being is not sustainable. I aim to prioritize positive impact first and foremost.
MEET SOME OF OUR CONTRIBUTORS
Most of the content on the site is published by me, Susanna Kelly-Shankar. While I always strive to create balanced content to help people make decisions that are right for them, I’m also here to learn. I would love to feature your voice and expertise on my website. Read more details on how to pitch a guest post. I pay for quality, ethical, and researched content.
