What if we traveled differently this summer?

Reading an article in an organic magazine about new forms of solidarity travel, I came across a phrase (rather trite) but so true: "By buying a last-minute low-cost trip and making a same-day round trip to visit a place, it's clear that you've seen nothing, learned nothing, understood nothing." Not wrong, is it? (even if there are more and more fans of these last-minute low-cost trips).

Indeed, isn't traveling about seeking a change of scenery, encountering other cultures, other customs, and interacting with local people? And it's not in clubs (Club Med) that you find authenticity (sun and sea, I'll grant you, and that's already not bad when you live in a region where it's sunny only one day out of two during the summer! ). Of course, everyone has their own idea of travel (rest, complete change of scenery, partying? To each their own priorities!). But in any case, given the economic crisis and the growing awareness of the ecological damage caused by the mistakes of recent years, new forms of travel are emerging, and we're not complaining! Solidarity travel makes perfect sense for discovery enthusiasts looking for typical landscapes. And how? By offering total immersion in the culture of the visited country while contributing to its development. These trips provide personal enrichment both through the encounters and the sharing of customs with local inhabitants, and through what the traveler himself brings to the country and its inhabitants by allowing them to live decently. An ethical approach that C.A.BIO has been developing, not in the context of tourism but textiles, for five years now around the world, with Turkey (its very first partner) and now with new countries like Peru, India, and the latest arrival: our small Laotian workshop! Unfortunately, even if everything related to socially responsible practices is becoming more widespread, not everyone has the chance to get involved in ethical work! But now, proof that things are moving forward: we have other opportunities to contribute, even on a small scale, to fairer trade, so this summer, travel ethically!

To close this brief digression on solidarity, responsible & fair tourism, I am convinced that you don't need to go to the other side of the world to experience a change of scenery. It's the mindset you start with that makes a big difference...

Séverine