As a digital nomad, I have so far traveled across three continents and several countries. I’ve visited different cities, islands, coastal towns and villages. I’ve hiked through forests, swam in rivers and oceans, enjoyed the view from skyscrapers and volcanic sand beaches. I’m sure many of you have too.
The trait all Digital Nomads have
Let’s face it, we decided to become location-independent and freelance workers/entrepreneurs because we like to travel, explore, live an adventure. Simply put, or as my mum would say – we have ants in our pants! And that’s true, at least for me.
For the past 10 years I couldn’t stay in one place longer than a few months (with a couple of exceptions pushing me to a year). I bet this resonates with some of you as well. So if we could pinpoint one major thing we, nomads, all have in common, that is – we travel. A lot.
Visiting places, exploring cultures, meeting new people and creating experiences is enriching for us, but can we say the same thing back? Are we enriching for those places, cultures and people we meet and explore? What do we do when we travel, how do we behave, what choices do we make? That’s where responsible travel comes in.
So what exactly would this responsible travel be?
Digital Nomads and Responsible Travel
A broad definition of responsible travel says it’s one that includes and promotes activities that make places better for people to live in and visit. The way this gets accomplished is through three primary activities:
- promoting environmental stewardship
- producing inclusive economic growth
- providing greater social well being for host communities.
My experience as a Digital Nomad
The first time I got in touch with this concept was when I lived in Buenos Aires and joined a community of digital nomads there. I met some amazing people who got together around the idea of giving back to the community. We also found an association known as Nomads Giving Back – maybe some of you reading this have heard of it or met them too.
They have inspired me to think about my actions, and become more aware. The questions above, about our choices and behaviors when we travel, are just a start to getting an insight into what we could do for the communities we touch.
Those three points above might sound a bit confusing. Actually knowing what exactly each of them means and what some hands-on activities are to leave a positive impact in your current home isn’t easy. So stay tuned to this blog as we will explore them all in more detail and with some suggestions.
For now, I’m leaving you with the idea of change, hopefully inspiring you to think about your travels and to Google more on sustainable communities and responsible tourism.
Digital Nomads, as world travelers, we have an important and powerful role. You might not even be aware of the power we have, to make changes in the world, and make it a better place for everyone. To create, promote and protect sustainable communities around the world. So let’s not wait!
by Antonija Bosanac
Antonija was born and raised in Split, Croatia. Now a restless traveller gone digital nomad in 2019, she’s passionate about building communities, volunteer work, education and human & civil rights. Currently working as a coach in the field of interpersonal communication and self development, she’s promoting change through individual work with clients; as well as being en route to getting a degree in psychotherapy. For her current location, check her Instagram profile.
