Travel TipsĀ
Tips for Responsible Non-Travel
Donāt take a road trip
The draw to travel in the spring is human nature. The impulse to change travel plans from flying to a big destination to hitting the road for a rural destination seems logical at first. Though it sounds like a great way to get outside and have an adventure without sharing air with a jet full of strangers, itās still not advisable. Every stop you make along the way will have ripple effects on those towns, and your destination will feel your presence on a magnified scale as it responds to the urgent medical demands of COVID-19.
Buy supplies at home
Though toilet paper memes are prolific, the fact of the matter is that unnecessarily scooping up more than you needābe it hygiene products, canned vegetables, or bottled waterāisnāt a laughing matter. This is particularly true in small communities with limited supplies that arrive on infrequent deliveries.
By staying off the road through this, youāre doing your part to make sure the elderly woman in your favorite climbing town can get her produce and that the big family in your favorite lakeside community doesnāt run out of hand soap.
Shop localānear and far
We always recommend you shop locally while youāre traveling, and now weāre encouraging you to do the same at home as part of your non-travel. Look into ways that small businesses in your town have adaptedāperhaps you can order date night food for curbside pickup or work with a local artist to spruce up your new home office.
You can extend the shop local principal to your travel aspirations. Some destinations, like Visit USA Parksā own hometown of Lander, Wyoming, have found ways to āshop localā without setting foot in local shops or restaurants. Purchase gift cards online to use when you do visit later or buy art to help feed your plans to visit later.
Respect localsā needs
Before you hit the road, think about the stops youād have to make, and the ways that you may unknowingly spread disease. Consider what a sharp rise in novel Coronavirus cases might have on a town without a hospital. Respecting local cultures in this time of responsible non-travel isnāt so different from what you think about when you are traveling. Ask yourself: How will my vacation or visitation choices affect the daily lives and health of the people who live here?
Protect wild places with non-travel
If we all heeded the impulse to escape to pristine, wide-open spaces now, they wouldnāt be uncrowded for long, and weād all be at risk once again. Furthermore, our impact on the land would be difficult for land management agencies like the National Parks Service to mitigate. Letās make things a little easier for heroes like park rangers and saguaro cacti by giving them some space for a while. After all, itās their natural state to have some alone time.
Donāt drain limited resources
Weāve touched on this already, but itās worth repeating: Just because you feel safe in a car alone and hiking outside a cute town in the desert, doesnāt mean your actions are safe. Resourcesāfrom paper products to hospital beds to healthcare workersāare already strapped in many rural communities. Is taking that camping trip now worth increasing that strain?
Responsible Non-travel means postponing, not canceling
Responsible non-travel doesnāt mean canceling travel plans and trying to turn off your wanderlust. It just means taking each of the above precautions until your movement and presence wonāt put others at risk of contracting COVID-19. Heed the guidance of authorities both where you live and where you plan to travel in the future. Donāt cancel, just postpone. Keep planning and daydreaming.
If you have already booked a trip, instead of canceling and demanding a full refund, accept a voucher or reschedule for a later date. Help businesses that rely on travel hang on over the next few months if you can by keeping your plansājust keep them fluid until weāre all well and can enjoy travel appropriately again. Then carry the lessons from this saga forward as you resume your travels.