3 tips to make your summer travels meaningful
If the kids are out of school and you’re thinking of taking them on vacation you should know that travelling is one of the best ways to enrich their lives and teach things they can’t learn in the classroom. But the lessons don’t just start when you drive off or board the plane. Use this wonderful opportunity to teach your kids a smart, socially-conscious way to travel that will not only change their lives, but will also change the lives of the people living in the places you visit. On your next trip, try these tips before, during, and after your getaway to make the most of your child’s summer learning.
- Before you go: Do your homework. If you’re booking through a tour operator try to find one that uses local guides, works with local communities and reinvests back into those communities. If your kids are old enough, involve them in the planning and have them help you decide which guides to use and communities to visit.
- While you’re there: Try locally owned hotels. Eat at local restaurants. Buy crafts from local artisans. By choosing to spread your money with local vendors and businesses, you can ensure it goes directly to the families involved and supports the local economy.
- When you get back: Think about giving to a charity that works to address some of the most urgent issues facing the country you visited. One great example is UNICEF, which is working with Kiwanis and the Government of Canada to combat maternal and neonatal tetanus, a disease that kills almost 50,000 babies around the world each year. Engaging your children in the issues facing children around the world helps them become caring global citizens.
Learn more about how you can help other countries at www.unicef.ca/eliminate.
Source: News Canada
