You may think of your vacation as just a way to get away and relax for a few days, but how you spend your money when you travel affects whether or not it actually benefits the people who live there.
“I think the first thing people have to do is get away from all-inclusive holidays,” said Bruce Poon Tip, the founder of Toronto-based small group adventure travel company and social enterprise G Adventures.
Poon Tip spoke to Canada.com on the occasion of World Tourism Day, an annual event marked by the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) every September 27. This year’s theme is about the role of tourism in creating jobs, something that the UNWTO says is often undervalued despite tourism generating 10 percent of the world’s employment.
“People should ask questions to make sure they’re staying in locally-owned accommodations and then when they get there, just go out and shop at different places and hire different local guides to spread their wealth when they spend their money,” said Poon Tip.