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"Travel is important,” says Elif Shafak. “It's one of the ways in which we can connect with people and understand that they’re no different from us and we realise how interconnected we are.”
The award-winning British-Turkish novelist and storyteller is just one of the special guests on this week’s episode of the Sustainable Travel Standard and his insights on the power of fiction to transport readers are fascinating to hear.
Indeed, the final instalment of the podcast series – brought to you in partnership with Intrepid Travel – sees hosts Juliet Kinsman and Jon Weeks transporting listeners to Turkey for a masterclass in how to make a visit there more sustainable.
With its Unesco World Heritage Sites, its growing network of cycling routes and an ambitious commitment to renewable energy, this popular tourism destination is already making itself more attractive to responsible travellers, and by making better choices in terms of accommodation, visitors can also ensure their impact is positive.
As Juliet puts it: when choosing where to stay, always try to favour locally owned businesses. Take Alavya, a charming huddle of chic converted stone houses in the hilltop village of Alaçati on the Çeşme Peninsula. This romantic boutique hotel is not just a brilliant local enterprise, but it also encourages guests to give back, by taking part in regular street-cleans, as Juliet hears from Selina Pirinccioglu, whose parents opened the hotel in 2014.
One of the best ways we can all be more sustainable travellers is to swerve peak season and visit less well-known corners of popular countries in which to holiday. Why? “You get to avoid the crowds and the increased prices," says Selina who recommends visiting the less-visited north of Turkey along the Black Sea, and the country’s south-east for its impressive archaeological sites.
Of course, becoming a more responsible traveller is a journey rather than a destination, and – as we hope you’ve learned over the course of this series – that journey is ongoing. “The emphasis on culture is so crucial,” is a compelling consideration from Elif Shafak, whose most recent novel is There are Rivers in the Sky. The author emphasiseshow a country is its people, its history, its complexity, and it cannot be reduced to a few headlines. “There are so many countries where I’ve travelled through literature.”
So, allow us to leave you with one final thought: rather than trying to pursue perfect practices and guilt-free getaways every time, just make sure you keep endeavoring to be a little better. As tourism advisor and industry commentator, Doug Lanksy puts it on his Rethinking Tourism YouTube channel: it’s not about being perfect, it’s about being “sustainable-ish”.
This is the final episode in the current six-part podcast series of the Sustainable Travel Standard, but you can find seasons one and two in their entirety on Apple, Spotify or wherever you usually stream your podcasts
