Folashade (Boundless Travel) talks to Wesley about the close relationship between food and tourism. Wesley kicks off the conversation by quoting a ChiShona saying, 'hukama igasva hunozadziswa nekudya' which means that we fulfil our personal relationships by sitting together and sharing a meal. To which Folashade adds that food is a gate way, you learn the world and experience it one bite at a time. 

This episode is filled with sustainable practices for hotels and how travellers can quickly and easily assess a provider prior to travel. Plenty of tips on choosing a destination and curating an itinerary that goes beyond the 'touristy' places and connect with locals, local heritage and culture. 

Darryl from Welcome to Travel shares why Melbourne, Australia has won the award for 'most liveable city' in the world 7-years in a row. He even gives a tip for the best spot when you are thinking of proposing to your partner during a working holiday. From sports like F1, Cricket, UFC and football - to the coolest bars you have ever been to, with some decent craft beers, and his number 1 recommendation: four pillars shiraz gin - all of which are surrounded by quirky street art. The city as Darryl describes in this episode, is a cultural melting pot with food flavours from Indigenous Aboriginal communities as well as Greek, Italian and Chinese cuisines. 

We also discussed their Welcome to Melbourne Tour, with a full itinerary of what you need to know for an epic gap year or working holiday trip. He of course let it be known that Welcome to Travel are number one ranked on TripAdvisor, and this is a result of a solid customer feedback loop. 

Crystal shares her passion for impacting the lives of young people and in this episode, she shares how as faculty they prepare students for the study abroad trips. Crystal highlights the internship sites they chose for the student placements and how such placements facilitate the learning they do in classrooms back in the States. There are a few stories from the trip itself that shows the group dynamics and the fun stuff that comes with being a mom, teacher, and psychologist.

Wesley chats with volunteer coordinator Doug who takes care of projects based in and around the newest city in Zimbabwe; Victoria Falls. During the chat, Doug talks about WHY folks should visit Zimbabwe and Victoria Falls. He shares the health projects and the education projects that all run by locals and how the financial strains associated with the economic decline in Zimbabwe led to the development of exchange programmes as a means to an end (resource mobilisation). 

Doug also shares interesting facts about Victoria Falls: you are more likely to bump into an elephant than car traffic! The episode is jam-packed with useful insights for people who want to travel with a purpose. Find out more about accommodation, things to do and how to make an impact in Victoria Falls but more importantly, an even bigger impact on your own life. 

Wesley chat with Lisa, Programme Manager at Fair-Trade Tourism; a certification body for travel operators. Lisa is an expert on certification and so this episode is very insightful and has helpful information for both travellers and travel businesses. She kicks us off by stating that, 'Tourism creates better places to live and work, and better places to visit'. Lisa does not like to be bogged down by strict definitions and so she alludes to common sense being the best way to decide what is sustainable and to inform your sustainable travel choices. 

Some of the points Lisa raised including, sustainable travel businesses embrace what it means to be truly local and it comes through in the experience they provide. She urges travellers and operators alike to make deliberate choices when choosing laundry service, where to buy beverages and food from. It's important to look through the entire chain to ensure even the suppliers conduct ethical practices.

Wesley had a wonderful chat with Valerie of Valerie Merut Consulting Ltd about the best way for conscious travellers to communicate their travel stories using social media. We are inundated with tons of information and as a social media consultant, Valerie breaks down using her own travel stories as illustrations. She was so generous with information that is also helpful to operators who could be struggling with how to make the most of their social media presence. 

In the episode, Valerie takes us to Poland, England, Peru and Morocco  where she encourages folks to open up and talk to people on the ground. Her experience in Japan stands out and so listen in and experience Japan through her eyes!

She was lucky to learn about travel and how to do it responsibly from her parents who would choose locally owned restaurants when they travelled. Her parents were interested in culture, history and art and these natural interests informed their travel choices. It led to Valerie looking towards travel to help open her mind and cultural exchanges. 

Wesley chatted with Jan on educational trips abroad for students & it turned into a two-part series. This is the second part of thrilling stories from a university professor and study abroad guru. 

In this episode Jan shares all about what to pack for a study abroad trip - Advise to faculty leaders like bring gifts & business cards but don't allow students to borrow your hairdryer hahah (she actually laughs because it's based on true stories). She also talks about how to engage study abroad providers that are operating in the destination you want to take your students for short-term summer or winter trips: how to verify credibility, ethics, and their alignment with the SDGs. 

With over a decade of leading groups of diverse students, Jan is the best person to share insights on what makes a good internship placement site for students & aligning the internship with the university curricula. 

Importantly, Jan reminisces on the leisure activities in Zimbabwe & tells Wesley about Victoria Falls, which she describes as a once in a lifetime experience. Jan says the best hiking experiences are found in Zimbabwe & the safari experience was exceptional, something that surpassed expectations, but most important are the people you interact with and how they make you feel welcome.  

Today, Wesley is joined by Michael from 10 Gates Matrix Inc - a sustainability activist and advocate for purposeful travel. Michael is very passionate about engaging with local people when travelling and highlights the importance of avoiding messing with the indigenous way of life. For Michael, it is important to listen to their story and engage in two-way communication that enriches your own as well as their experience of hosting you. Through stories in Mexico, Canada and Vietnam, Michael shares over 30-years of travel stories that will inspire you to discover authentic cultural places.