The Better Travel Podcast

We’re wrapping up Season 3 with a moving conversation with Dr. Tonya Matthews, the president and CEO of the International African American Museum (IAAM), which is due to open in Charleston, South Carolina later this year.

Dr. Matthews talks about the inspiration for the museum; how the museum approaches storytelling; and how she hopes the museum will inspire courage in its visitors. She also shares how the IAAM will help to shape Charleston’s tourism landscape.

Plus, listen up at the end of the episode, when Paige offers a preview of what to expect for Season 4.

Thanks so much for listening!

Links and things

The IAAM website: https://iaamuseum.org/

Paige’s interview with Dr. Matthews for The New York Times (unlocked link): bit.ly/3I9T4gg

IAAM on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iaamuseum/

IAAM on Twitter: https://twitter.com/iaamuseum

How do you think about the climate impact of travel? For a lot of people, this is a complex question — both technically and emotionally.

Our guest this week, Christina Beckmann, is here to help us navigate this topic. Christina is the co-founder of Tomorrow’s Air, a collective of travelers who are investing in the scale-up of carbon removal from the atmosphere. Christina talks about how technologies like direct air capture are evolving, and shares how individuals can help support a long-term shift toward a healthier climate.

Links and things

Tomorrow’s Air website: www.tomorrowsair.com

Tomorrow’s Air on Instagram: www.instagram.com/tomorrowsair_

Tomorrow’s Air on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/tomorrows-air

Christina Beckmann’s website: www.christinabeckmann.com

Paige’s NYT article on aviation and climate change: bit.ly/3HgSigX (unlocked link)

Some extra info from Christina

As Christina mentions in the episode, Climeworks is one of the companies that Tomorrow’s Air supports. Climeworks’s direct air capture service has become so popular that most of the company’s carbon credits have now been spoken for. Because of Tomorrow’s Air’s early commitment to Climeworks, it represents one of only a very few channels that allow individual travelers to invest in direct air capture carbon removal with permanent storage. Tomorrow's Air also invests in Pacific Biochar, a company that produces a type of high-carbon residue that, when inserted into the soil, stores the carbon underground, where it does not contribute to global warming. 

What does “immersive travel” actually mean, and how can you try this yourself?

That’s the question we’re exploring in today’s episode, and here to help us is Miyuki Seguchi, a travel adviser, tour guide, podcast host, and creator of the Japan Travel Essentials Course.

Miyuki talks about what immersive travel means to her and how travelers can embrace these experiences themselves. She also shares her thoughts on overcoming language barriers; offers tips on cultural experiences that you can have in Japan; and shares her thoughts on “overtourism” in one of Japan’s most popular destinations.

Thanks so much for listening!

Links and things

Grab Miyuki's free Japan Travel Guide: the 7 steps to creating your unique immersive experience

Find out more about The Japan Travel Essentials course and Japan Experts Podcast

Get Japan travel inspiration on Miyuki's Facebook group, Instagram and Website

It's been a big year for travel, so I thought we'd wrap up 2022 with an episode that looks back at 3 big travel takeaways from the year. These are trends that I've seen cutting across countries, destinations and sectors of the industry, and they're forces that I think will continue to shape the travel world in the year ahead. Plus, listen up for a special invitation from me at the end of the episode!

What do you think? What were your travel takeaways from this year? 

Thanks so much for listening, and hope you have a great start to 2023!

Say hello

Send me an email: [email protected]

Message me on Instagram: instagram.com/bettertravelpodcast

Links to a few resources mentioned in the episode

How can we travel mindfully in an unequal world? (Better Travel Podcast episode) bit.ly/3Wq3EUJ

What's going on with tourism in Venice? (BTP episode) bit.ly/3XNlqCA

Barcelona takes on Airbnb (by me for The NYT, unlocked link): bit.ly/3VpFYP9

Kyoto wants you back, but it has some polite suggestions (NYT, unlocked link): bit.ly/3hSCt66

What's it like to go on a safari in Europe? (BTP episode): bit.ly/3WQ8z1j

Award-winning journalist and author Shafik Meghji joins the show to share what he finds so captivating about Bolivia, a nation rich in culture and history that’s also home to deserts, jungles and snow-capped mountains.

Shafik — who has written and reported from six continents — also talks about his career as a journalist and guidebook writer, and reflects on how the right kind of travel writing can empower people to have more positive and meaningful experiences when they travel.

Thank you so much for listening!

Links and things

Shafik’s book, Crossed off the Map: Travels in Bolivia bookshop.org/p/books/crossed-off-the-map-travels-in-bolivia-shafik-meghji/18346909?ean=9781909014251

Shafik’s website: shafikmeghji.com

Find Shafik on Instagram: instagram.com/shafikmeghji

And on Twitter: twitter.com/ShafikMeghji

Venice is often described as a classic example of "overtourism" in Europe. But what's really going on in this famous Italian city? 

This week, Italian journalist Anna Momigliano joins the show to talk about the history and evolution of tourism in Venice, and to share how visitors to this beloved city can actually have a positive impact during their stay. As Anna explains, it all comes down to how, when, and *for how long* you visit the city. Listen up for her specific suggestions for how to plan a fun and meaningful trip to Venice. 

Thanks so much for joining us! 

Subscribe to Paige's newsletter: paigemcclanahan.com/newsletter

Some of Anna's recent journalism on tourism in Venice

Venice Tourism May Never Be the Same. It Could Be Better, The New York Times (unlocked link, good for 2 weeks): https://bit.ly/3Fexupf

Venice and Cruise Ships: A Delicate Balance, The New York Times (unlocked): https://bit.ly/3VANMhw

‘Little Venice’ Finally Gets its Moment, The New York Times (unlocked): http://bit.ly/3GVYvis

Follow Anna on Twitter: https://twitter.com/annamomi

Lots of Venice info from Anna

Venice Sustainable Tourism is run by the association of tourist guides who support sustainable tourism. They focus on organized tours in areas that are less crowded and might actually need extra visitors. In some cases, some of the proceedings go to the restoration of art that was damaged in the 2019 flood. Try emailing them to ask what tours are available venicesustainabletourism.com

Edipo Re organizes cultural events and boat tours of the lagoon edipore.it

Slow Venice is a tour operator focusing on “slow” experiences in Venice and its surrounding lagoon slowvenice.it/en

Three Venice museums that could use more visitors: 

Museo di Palazzo Grimani. It’s in the Sestiere Castello (or Castello district). A medieval palazzo that was redecorated in the 1500s, it has a stunning architecture and art collection. Also hosts exhibits polomusealeveneto.beniculturali.it/musei/museo-di-palazzo-grimani

Jewish Museum of Venice. The Sestiere Cannareggio (or Cannareggio district) is home to the Jewish Ghetto, a very lively place with plenty of restaurants and nice architecture to walk around. Don’t miss the museum museoebraico.it/en/museum

Scuola Grande di san Rocco. Perhaps the most famous of the “Scuole Grandi” of Venice, despite being in the San Polo district this place is (relatively…) overlooked by tourists, despite the fact that it’s pure Venice in all its splendor scuolagrandesanrocco.org/home

Fatima Haidari joins the show this week to talk about the rich history and culture of Afghanistan, her home country, and to share why she became a tour guide despite facing intense pressure not to do so — from society, as well as from her own family.

Fatima’s compassion and courage shine through as she describes her dedication to tour guiding, as well as the threats to her life that she faced when she left Afghanistan during the Taliban takeover last year.

It's rare that an interview stops me in my tracks, but this one certainly did. I hope that you'll take some time to hear Fatima's story. 

As always, thank you so much for listening!

Links and things

Fatima featured on CNN: https://cnn.it/3tsRGgp

Fatima on Instagram: instagram.com/fatima.haidari786

Untamed Borders: untamedborders.com

Sign up for a virtual tour of Herat with Fatima on Jan 17: http://bit.ly/3TFU7a1

This week, we explore one of the most powerful potential benefits of tourism: bringing jobs and income into rural communities. 

Our guest is Manisha Pande, the co-founder and managing director of Village Ways, an Indian tour company that was set up with the specific aim of helping villages benefit from the tourism that was already coming to their regions -- but that wasn't (yet!) doing any good for their communities. 

In this episode, you'll learn: 

Thank you so much for listening!

Links and things

Sign up for Paige's newsletter: paigemcclanahan.com/newsletter

The Village Ways website: villageways.com

Village Ways on Instagram: instagram.com/villageways

The Responsible Tourism Partnership: responsibletourismpartnership.org

Dr. Harold Goodwin, head of the Responsible Tourism Partnership: haroldgoodwin.info

This week, we're joined by Husam Jubran, a Palestinian tour guide and peace worker who has helped to lead a movement toward more meaningful tourism in the region that he calls home. In this episode, you'll learn:

If you enjoyed this episode, please consider subscribing to the show on Apple Podcasts or sharing this episode with a friend. Thank you so much for listening! 

Links and things

Husam's interview with Rick Steves: https://blog.ricksteves.com/blog/husam-jubran/

Hands of Peace: https://handsofpeace.org/

Mejdi Tours, originator of the dual narrative: https://mejditours.com/

Better Travel Podcast interview with Mejdi co-founder Aziz Abu Sarah: https://apple.co/3fMYTV2