Tourism is a powerful tool for distributing wealth and the impact of the pandemic on many popular destinations proves this. According to the World Travel and Tourism Council, in 2019 tourism sustained approximately 8 million jobs (21% of total employment) in Thailand, after two desperate years foreign travellers are slowly returning.
The pandemic changed many peoples outlook on travel, bringing a heightened awareness of our impact on the environment and a desire to travel more sustainably. One way to reduce your impact is to take a longer, slower trip. Make your journey count by staying a while and increasing the economic impact on your destination.
For many, work commitments mean taking more than a week or two off is difficult. But, the pandemic has also changed the way in which we work; home/remote working is now the norm. So, could workcations be the answer to more sustainable long-haul travel? Imagine packing your sandals and laptop and relocating to a beach in Thailand for a month or two.
With young children at school and nursery, my travel time is limited to the school holidays, but we are exploring options for a workcation over the summer. We’ll be staying closer to home this year and travelling by train (Portugal or Italy are tempting me), taking a few days leave to make the journey part of the experience. I love the idea of working from a room with a ‘new-to-me’ view, then popping out for some local cuisine at lunch; keeping my hand in at work, while experiencing a different culture and spending time with my family – roll-on summer! We’ve all embraced a new way of working so let’s try a new way to travel too.
Sources: IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON THAILAND’S TOURISM SECTOR
For those looking for slower travel options, check out Byways
