Often tourists travel to countries with unfamiliar culture and bond with locals for an unforgettable holiday experience. Although, some are solely focused on crossing off the tourist hotspots on their bucket lists and choosing to stay in a major metropolitan areas so that they have access to modern conveniences they normally have back home.
Many vacationers have attempted to explore new cultures by joining city tours, but those hardly satisfy their hunger for authenticity. According to Travel Weekly, travel operators are repackaging their tours to incorporate authentic local experiences as a solution to new market demands.
One way that these operators thought they could immerse foreigners in local culture is by inviting them on cycling holidays. Cycling as a sport, a recreational activity, and a way to commute as well as a vacation idea, has grown vastly in appeal over the last several years. With major cities now offering cycling schemes and airports such as Gatwick accommodating cyclers with parking options and access to the National Cycle Path, cycling around cities such as this has become far easier.
Yet, the benefit of a cycling holiday goes beyond fulfilling an enthusiast’s hobby. Cycling through small towns and villages presents tourists with the opportunity of traveling like a local, seeing everything through the villagers’ perspective. Cyclists from tours all around the world have received warm welcomes and excitement from the locals because of tourists’ genuine interest in their world. A tourist that embarked on a cycling holiday in Laos described her experience as “a positive representation of ethical and culturally responsive tourism.”
What you’ll see is just a snippet of their everyday lives, the tip of the iceberg. With the boom in popularity of cycling holidays, organizations have decided to combine that aspect with ethically responsible tourism, extending volunteer opportunities to cyclers. One World 365 is just one of the many organizations that make your cycling holiday count for something.
The next time you’re planning on going on vacation, consider volunteering during a cycling holiday for a truly authentic and unforgettable experience.