What is Sustainable Tourism

Tourists are certainly becoming more aware of the footprint they are leaving behind. Most importantly, there is an increase in global awareness of their impact on the environment and local culture. This is how the World Tourism Organization defines Sustainable Tourism:

Tourism that takes full account of its current and future economic, social and environmental impacts, addressing the needs of visitors, the industry, the environment, and host communities.

World Tourism Organization

It is also defined as “tourism that respects both local people and traveller, cultural heritage and the environment”.

In sustainable tourism people are committed to:

• Optimal usage of environmental resources.
• Respect, not interfere in authentic socio-cultural environment of the local community. Investigate through their cultural heritage and traditional values; and help them to conserve biodiversity.
• Provide complementary income for locals.

This trend results in increasing global awareness. So that people will have a minor impact on the earth and travel more sustainably.

12 Goals of Sustainable Tourism

World Tourism Organization and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) have released a Tourism Policy. That is to say, they mention 12 goals of sustainable tourism. All the goals are equally important[1].

1. Economic Viability: The destinations must be economically competitiveness among touristic sites. Accordingly, they can keep up having benefits in the long term.
2. Local Prosperity: It must maximize the contribution of tourism economically for the host destination. It includes the proportion of visitor spending that is retained by locals.
3. Employment Quality: It must strengthen the number and quality of local jobs created and supported by tourism. It includes the level of pay, conditions of service and also availability to all without discrimination by gender, race, disability or in other ways.
4. Social Equity: Local Community get a fair distribution of economic and social benefits from tourism. It includes improving opportunities, income and services available to the poor.
5. Visitor Fulfillment: It should provide a safe, satisfying and fulfilling experience for visitors. Above all, it must be available to all without discrimination by gender, race, disability or in other ways.
6. Local Control: It is better to engage and empower local communities in planning and decision making. So they will manage and develop tourism in their area, in consultation with other stakeholders.

7. Community Wellbeing: To maintain and strengthen the quality of life in local communities. It includes social structures and access to resources, amenities and life support systems. Consequently, it results in avoiding any form of social degradation or exploitation.
8. Cultural Richness: To respect and develop the historic heritage, authentic culture, traditions and distinctiveness of host communities.
9. Physical Integrity: To maintain and enhance the quality of landscapes, both urban and rural. They must also avoid the physical and visual degradation of the environment.
10. Biological Diversity: To support the conservation of natural areas, habitats and wildlife, and as a result, minimize damage to them.
11. Resource Efficiency: It must lead to minimum use of scarce and non-renewable resources in the development and operation of tourism facilities and services.
12. Environmental Purity: It should minimize the pollution of air, water and land.

Relationship between Pillars of Sustainability

As shown in the figure below [2]:

• The economic viability of tourism depends strongly on maintaining the quality of the local environment.
• Visitor fulfilment is about meeting visitors’ needs and providing opportunities (a social aim). It is also very important for economic sustainability.
• Cultural richness is often considered to be in the social sphere of sustainability. Though it has a strong bearing on environmental aspects in terms of the built environment and cultural dimensions of society’s interaction with nature.

• Community wellbeing is mainly a social aim. It is strongly related to environmental resource management, like access to freshwater.
• Employment quality and social equity issues, such as poverty alleviation, relate closely to both economic and social sustainability issues.

Nomad Tours; A Must to Practice Sustainable Tourism

Unfortunately, nomads are about to extinct these days. Their difficult lifestyle, lack of facilities, having no or a few schools around, being financially stressed, and lack of medical equipment lead to emotional and physical stress for nomads. Despite all these points, they love their lifestyle. Due to all the difficulties, they choose to leave their tents and go to cities.

Sadly, nomads are not aware of the impact of their remarkable lifestyle on the environment. As Allan Savory in his TED Talk puts it: “The ONLY option to fight desertification and reverse climate change is to use livestock bunched and moving as a proxy for former herds and predators and mimic nature. There is no other alternative for humankind.” 
In the article Preservation of Nomadic Lifestyle: An Environmental Must, you can read more about it.

Above all, nomadic culture holds a library of social, cultural and natural knowledge. We didn’t want to miss out on this cultural heritage and also were concerned about environmental issues. So we called for the aid of rural communities to join us for this goal. In short, the goal is to preserve the nomadic treasure by bringing tourists to experience their unique life. Moreover, it is a mutual benefit.

Here are the sustainable benefits for the nomads:
2. Local Prosperity: The tours bring economical benefits and job opportunities for the local community.
4. Social Equity: It provides an atmosphere in which locals can actualise their hidden talents and become more self-sufficient.
6. Local Control: After a while, developing locals abilities lead to having locals sufficient enough to hold tours by themselves.
7. Community Wellbeing: Complementary income and developing strategies result in having more amenities and resources for nomads.
10. Biological Diversity: Nomads will be aware of the consequence of hunting some animals. So they will be more considerate of the environment they are living in.

These tours will bring out the 5th goal which is Visitor Fulfillment for tourists as well. In other words, they will have an authentic experience in which they will be living an untouched lifestyle which is not easy to find.

Tourists and Iran Nomad Tours will fulfil the below goals of sustainable tourism:
2. Local Prosperity: Iran Nomad Tours is focusing on enhancing the local community’s ability. Accordingly, they dedicate more tourism income to local community.
3. Employment Quality: The more tourists visit nomads, the better and more jobs nomads will have.
4. Social Equity: Visiting more and more tourists day by day results in providing a better atmosphere with more facilities for nomads. So the gap between them and standards of normal life become less.
6. Local Control: As time passes, locals will be more sufficient and can have a bigger part in the tourism field.
7. Community Wellbeing: As income increases, the amenities and resources will be increased in the Nomads community as well.
8. Cultural Richness: Since tourists who attend these type of tours and Iran Nomad Tours are so concerned about preserving cultural diversity, they will be respecting the differences in cultures and try not to change it.
9. Physical Integrity: All the tourists and Iran Nomad Tours will care about the environment and try to leave nothing but their footprint.
10. Biological Diversity: Both tourists and Iran Nomad Tours try to conserve the wildlife of those areas and make the nomads aware of the importance of it.
11 & 12. Resource Efficiency & Environmental Purity: Since Nomads have a pure life using no non-renewable energy, preserving them is a great help for resource efficiency.

What do you suggest for sustainable tourism? How do you see Nomad Tours as a solution for helping sustainable tourism? For instance, what do you do in your country to improve environmental standards? We at Iran Nomad Tours would be happy to hear your ideas. Feel free to comment your ideas or questions in below.

[1] Making Tourism More Sustainable – A Guide for Policy Makers, p. 18.
[2] Making Tourism More Sustainable – A Guide for Policy Makers, p. 20.

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Recently, the wellness industry has expanded into the tourism industry. Wellness Tourism is a new trend in tourism where people can get a chance to reconnect with nature and their inner souls. In this article, we will first define wellness tourism. Then we will be focusing on its features and top destination in this industry. In the end, we talk about wellness tourism in Iran.

What is Wellness Tourism?

Have you ever get tired of travels in which you run around so much to get the best out of your travel? Do you almost need a “vacation from your vacation” after your travel? Have you ever wished for a journey in which you can relax and put some time focusing on your mind and mental health? Well, it sounds quite rejuvenating and energizing.

GWI (Global Wellness Institute) defines wellness tourism as

travel associated with the pursuit of maintaining or enhancing one’s personal wellbeing.

Since there are many reasons people travel for –nature, food, culture, etc.- the recent wellness tours have become pretty popular among tourists. People choose to go to places away from the hustle and bustle of the city lives to find a retreat destination where they can rest their body, soul, and mind for a while.

The experiences include healing practices, plants & forests, spiritual rituals, medicinal mud, and experience local tradition, culture, and history. The beauty of these tours is that each destination provides a specific and unique experience. It can be suitable for various tastes like outdoor activity lovers, tranquil environment seekers, and etc.  

What Things Wellness Destinations Offer You?

Since people are seeking for more organic foods and places far from the madding crowd, the wellness tours including yoga practices, long hikes, or nourishment workshops are becoming quite popular. Here are some activities that different wellness destinations bring out:

• Outdoor activities and nature gateways: Beautiful sceneries, sunshine, fresh air, astonishing trekking trails, and etc. can be unique reasons to attend the wellness tours. 
• Being active, not passive: Since modern lives bring inactivity, wellness tours get back to activities for the human mind and body. Hiking, running, skiing, SoulCycle, and yoga are some examples.
• Nutrition awareness: People being concerned about what they eat and what are the effects of their diet is the main purpose in this field. Sugar detoxes and organic foods are some examples to mention.
• Sleep Enhancement: Many people are having poor sleep quality each day. It definitively effects on their daily performance, focus, and decision making. In such programs, they offer sleep treatments and tips to enhance the poor quality of their sleep.   

Who are Wellness Travellers?

Well, to have a better understanding of these tours, let’s take a look at the GWI description of wellness travellers type:

1. Primary wellness traveller:  Those travellers whose trip/destination choice is primarily motivated by wellness.
2. Secondary wellness traveller: Travellers who participate in wellness experiences on any leisure or business trip.

Accordingly, as time passes, secondary wellness travellers ask for tours offered for primary wellness travellers and the wellness tourism will grow as well. 

Due to the Global Wellness Institute, “wellness travellers are very high-spending, high-yield tourists”. As BusinessInsider puts it:

They’re paying $1,400 per night to stay at resorts with on-site therapists and wellness practitioners and dropping more than $5,000 for weekend wellness summits.

As a result, you may think that only wealthy people attend wellness tours. It may sound a pricey trip. It might be true in some cases, but regarding the fact that budget travellers always find their way through any type of travel; So if you travel on a shoestring, do not worry for this as well. There are so many wellness tours at reasonable prices. You just need to put some time searching.

Where are the Most Popular Wellness Destinations?

Some of the wellness tours offer visiting countries like India, Cambodia, Thailand, Japan, England, U.S and islands like Bali. The programs offer local yoga, meditation, empowerment, and daily activities. Here are some famous countries known as wellness destinations: 

• India: They offer therapeutic and rejuvenating treatment, massages with oil, medicated baths, yoga, meditation, and herbal diets. They offer these lush experiences in different parts of India such as Kerala.
• Thailand: Thai is quite popular for its professional and unique messages. In Thailand, massage is considered as traditional medicine. It helps to regenerate the body’s structure and restore energy. You can find these massages in cities like Bangkok and islands such as Koh Phangan and Kho Samui.
• Bali: The famous “Island of the Gods” is a perfect stop for wellness travellers. Tourists can feel refreshed and inspired in Bali.
•  Japan: Unlike all the modernity in Tokyo, Japan is a traditional retreat destination where you can have peace of mind. There are famous Onsen Town in Japan like Hakone, Beppu, Gero, and Matsuyama.
• United States: West coast of the United States is also a great destination for peace seekers to enjoy green valleys, astonishing deserts, and canyon views. Sedona vortexes are popular for having special energies which are useful for healing, meditation, and self-exploration.   

The Business of Wellness Tourism

The modernity, city lives, less time dedication to health and sports, and increase of stress and anxiety in recent years lead to a massive increase in people attending wellness tours. As GWI reported U.S, Germany, China, France, and Japan had the most income from wellness tourism.

According to a Global Wellness Institute (GWI) report, wellness tourism has turned into a $639 billion industry. GWI has predicted that it will reach $919 billion by 2022. Which means it is a fast-growing tourism industry.

Difference between Medical and Wellness Tourism

Do not conflate wellness tourism with medical tourism. Unlike medical tourism which offers services for people having a diagnosed disease, in wellness tourism people seek for mental and spiritual retreats where they can develop personal growth and flourish in peace. 

In medical tourism, people are motivated by a desire for lower medical costs, higher qualities, and easier access. On the contrary, people seek for wellness tourism to have a healthy living, prevent disease, reduce stress, and enhance lifestyle.

Iran is pretty famous for medical tourism but surely has so much capacity for growing wellness tourism as well. There are so many untouched places where people can go to spend a peaceful time.

Wellness Tourism in Iran

Although there are so many places and capacities as a suitable wellness destination, people are quite unfamiliar with wellness tourism in Iran. Iran has a great untouched nature which makes it also an ideal place for wellness travellers.

We at Iran Nomad Tours, offer you a hiking retreat where you can wander around in the middle of nowhere and get lost in the pure and authentic lives of nomads. In nomad’s epic migration you will accompany a journey with nomads at which you will empower both mental and physical health.

The post All You Should Know About Wellness Tourism appeared first on Iran Nomad Tours.

Before the advent of travel transportation vehicles such as cars and airplanes, people often traveled slowly and meaningfully. Travel duration was longer.

Travelers mentioned their each of their daily activities and local names in their travelogues. However, these days people usually travel only for a few days. Actually, most trips last less than one week.

Additionally, the fast-paced daily urban routines have also infected people’s travels; Some travel fast mostly for the purpose of sharing photos on Instagram and to show their followers and friends what they did.

But isn’t the ultimate goal of travel to see the diversity in the world and to meet people who might be different than you? To sit, talk, share life stories, find a common thing to laugh about, and enjoy each other’s company.

What is Slow Travel?

Slow travel is about experiencing how other people live in another place. You slow down, participate in the locals’ daily activities, talk and share with them, relax and enjoy as if you are a local yourself.

You will connect to the traveled area as if it is your home. You explore the activities around you and get familiar with your surroundings.

For example, some people travel by car or bike within cities so that they can get to know the restaurants and shops of the city. They rent a hostel bed and live there until they explore every and all of the characteristics of the city and its dwellings.

Yet beyond the city, there are trekking tours which we operate every year during the nomads’ migration period.

Nomads are people who change their home base to conserve their domestic animals and the environment. They live in black tents made from hairs of the animals they own. Interestingly, these people have their own distinct culture, art, history, music, and lifestyle that is unique in themselves.

Your Health and Slow Travel

Do you remember 1990’s “Home Alone”? The mom and the rest of the family running around, trying to get ready for their Christmas vacation. It’s a great example of a typical vacation people have when they choose to travel. All this stress caused by getting on the plane, packing overweight suitcases, trying to stick to an over-packed itinerary, and so on actually harms our brain.

Although trips are meant for getting some rest or having a quick escape from our regular lives, people still tend to make themselves more exhausted than before by a fast-paced traveling style.

We travel slowly not only because it is more meaningful and enjoyable, but also because it can cure some of our health problems.

Medically speaking, rapid fluctuations in mood swings caused during a stressful trip are in direct relation to brain waves. Those rapid fluctuations create difficulties in our sleep cycle, in our self-perception, and in our ego. It completely disrupts the natural rhythm our bodies have.

A natural remedy for this phenomena is to slow down the tempo of life: exposing moderately to severely frustrated urban people to the organic and slow tempo of nature.

In saying this, we come across the importance of slow travel. From the start, you take away the pressure and stress caused by a fast paced trip. You don’t carry the weight of a must-see or must-do list. Instead, just focus on where you are in the moment and try to immerse yourself in your surroundings.

The Nomadic Experience

On our last trip with the Bakhtiari tribe, we ate as they ate and we trekked as they trekked. If it started to rain, we didn’t have any stress and we simply rested until the rain ended.

We had no phone, no rush, no worries. We paused whenever we felt like it or when we found a beautiful site to explore. This is all part of the ancient way of life that is fully intact with nature and nomadic culture.

When night fell, the local families gathered together. We joined them for dinner and after had tea. The nomads retold the epics of their brave ancestors. We delved into how they think about life and how they manage their life in nature.

This practice is a great way for a traveler to get the best out of his travel. If you have already experienced this style of travel, you know this is is true, and if you haven’t, you have to try it!

We had the best time because of the quality we experienced during this slow travel.

Most people come to visit Iran because of its history, culture, Islamic art, etc. They take a journey to big cities like Tehran, Isfahan, and Shiraz.

We start our trek with nomads from Isfahan, and we climb the Zagros Mountains to Khuzestan Province in western Iran. We design tours that showcase their unique lifestyle.

Here is the link to our slow travel tour.

History has never forgotten the nomadic tribes of Iran and neither will you once you slow travel with
them.

The post What is Slow Travel? | What is its Nomadic Version? appeared first on Iran Nomad Tours.