There are several ways to identify what I call niche tourisms and LOCAL is just perfect. Unfortunately many naïve tourists are still attracted by big groups and being passively transported to places. Price is certainly an issue and this kind of mass tourism can be perceived as affordable. However, what do they learn? Whom do they meet, and what do they take back home in terms of experience? Not much, for sure.

The values of traveling the local way are very clearly defined in the website www.localtravelmovement.com . They are what an increasing number of travelers look for these days.

The conference on Creative Tourism, held in Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA in 2008 represented an important milestone for me, also because it happened where I live and work. The concept of experiential traveling has grown since then in a big way. The definition of Creative Tourism gives extensive options to travel organizers to include the best their countries or places have to offer. The common threads are hands-on experiences and meeting with local people for an exchange of respective cultures and histories.

I jumped on this travel concept, as I now do with Local Travel Movement. I was indeed already on that path when I started my company Seven Directions|Cultural and Sustainable Tours, six years ago. Since then I developed what on our website is called “Santa Fe Creative Journeys”, a number of proposals for local and creative experiences that take place in Santa Fe, known as the City Different. Santa Fe is a town, actually the oldest capital in the United States, in the high desert and in the middle of a marvelous region called Four Corners. For many years what attracted people here were the fabulous natural beauties and National Parks.

I believe there is much more, not only to satisfy the eyes but the mind and the spirit. This is the place where Europeans, the Spanish, established the first colony in the US and left behind a rich heritage especially present in the New Mexican population. Not everything was good, but we won’t go there now!

People have roamed through the Colorado Plateau, which encompasses the whole Four Corners, for over ten thousands year and their culture is still strong today.
These cultures are alive in the local cuisine, the arts, music and dances, clothing and in all aspects of life.
Only with local knowledgeable guides and educators one can go inside this multifaceted world, meet the people and share a truly unique experience. Travelers can thus go home with something that may change their life, forever.

Patrizia Antonicelli