Visiting a local farmer's market is a great way to enjoy conversations with the locals and get a real taste of local flavors

Within the past few weeks, over 40 (and counting) companies and organizations from around the world – representing a diverse range of industry segments and interest areas, from urban travel to wildlife safari, from international companies to community-based groups – have gathered in support of the Local Travel Movement, a new global initiative promoting the local way of travel – getting in touch with the local people and seeing a place like a local.

One look at the list of current partners, and you’ll see that this movement has not set out to create a narrowly defined category or set of terms to be analyzed; rather, the movement is about creating and promoting opportunities. Opportunities for travelers to discover new, exciting and enriching ways to experience the world. Opportunities for tourism organizations to connect with each other and share stories. Opportunities for the tourism industry to help give locals a real voice and develop a stronger ethical dialogue about tourism’s connections with local people, the local environment, local culture and the local economy.

Promoting these Local Travel Values, TIES joins our friends and partners in encouraging travelers around the world to think about and appreciate all the things that make your travel special and memorable – learning to use simple phrases in the local language and communicating with your local hosts with and without words; experiencing an authentic taste of local specialties; being part of grassroots activities giving back to the people and places you’re visiting.

Continue reading this article on TIES’ Your Travel Choice blog