Giving back

Karen Edwards looks at the most powerful ways you can support places and communities as you travel, so you can give back more effectively

- Karen Edwards

Travel can take us out of our comfort zone and catapult us into another world. It brings us face to face with the natural environments that we only see in documentaries; with cultures that we barely catch a glimpse of on the news; with wildlife that we've only encountered in books; and with traditions that we've yet to learn about. We can come to understand different ways of living through travel, and are often invited to engage in unique, sometimes life-changing encounters. If we allow it to be, travel can be enriching, liberating and an education like no other. Yet it could be doing so much more.

Why does a global industry worth an estimated £6 trillion give so little back to the people who are the backbone of these experiences? With much of the income from tourism funnelled towards international brands, very little is left for the local communities that welcome us. There are examples everywhere. According to the 2021 documentary The Last Tourist, only an estimated 14% of every dollar of tourist income remains in Kenya, while the majority of this income is distributed across foreign-owned hotels and suppliers.

Yet, when tourism money does makes its way into local communities there are myriad benefits. Businesses are able to invest in training and skill development, leading to a rise in employment levels; young people are inspired to focus on their own futures; and workplaces can become safe spaces for women in difficult family circumstances, empowering them to be independent. This positive chain effect can go even further, too. A community that has good infrastructure, steady employment rates and opportunities to progress has the means to protect its surroundings, rather than turning to quick-fix ways of securing an income, such as wildlife poaching.