Posted 31 Mar 2009

Responsible travel is about leaving all knowledge of your home country behind and immersing yourself in the traditions and customs of another culture, according to an expert.

Co-founder of People and Places Sally Grayson said that responsible travel, volunteering abroad and gap years are all about paying respecting to communities and taking into consideration "what they want for their future".

She added that "leaving knowledge behind" may provide travellers with a better view of what people of other cultures find the most important.

"It’s about consulting the community, it’s about informed decision making, inspiring the people to make the decisions for themselves about what their future should be," Ms Grayson explained.

Responsible travel, which could include volunteering abroad and giving something back in the process, is becoming more popular, according to UK-based organisation VSO.

It revealed that between September 2008 and January 2009, it received 2,813 enquiries about long-term volunteering abroad placements.

Category: General Travel