Travel

The Value of Genuine Travel - By Heather Morgan (May 2013)
We live in an interconnected society. We can talk to people on the other side of the world instantly via email and video conferences. Nearly anyone can quickly update information for broad audiences to see and read via blogs and other websites, as well as mobile applications like Twitter and Instagram. We can simultaneously connect to multiple locations via video teleconferencing technology. We don’t have to wait for a letter or even for film to develop to learn about a friend’s trip to Europe. The world and many of its far reaches are more accessible.

But, with the ease of communication and advances in technology are we really connecting? Do we understand the world better via technology or is it a false sense of comfort and global understanding? With improved technology in the last 100 years, more people also have access to travel opportunities. Even though video conference equipment seems to improve every day, there is still something important in physically traveling to a new place and experiencing life and the culture and people firsthand, whether for business or leisure.

Mark Twain said, “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness…Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime (Twain, 1984)." Travel helps us get outside ourselves and our routines to really learn and grow. It allows us to collaborate more effectively with business partners and build meaningful relationships by meeting face-to-face.

A July 2012 New York Times Opinionator article entitled "Reclaiming Travel" refers to "genuine travel" stating that "the humility required for genuine travel is exactly what is missing from…tourism (Ellison & Stavans, 2012)." Genuine travel means taking advantage of opportunities around us to learn and seeking out new opportunities to explore and challenge stereotypes we may have created in our minds in order to really understand the world.

There are costs to travel, but there are also great benefits to individuals, companies and communities. Considering the costs and the benefits helps illustrate the value genuine travel creates for individuals and society today. Traveling can be inconvenient and uncomfortable, but when we carefully prepare and humbly seek to learn, travel is invaluable.

Costs of Travel

The costs of travel may seem obvious. Travel can be expensive. It takes time and it may be hard to find like-minded travel companions. Depending on where we're going and how we're getting there traveling can be uncomfortable and difficult.

Money. Travel innovations today provide greater opportunities and methods of travel to more destinations, but it can be expensive. Often oil and gas are one of the most expensive considerations. Airlines continue to add baggage and other fees to cover their costs.

In difficult economic times business travel budgets are often closely scrutinized and are the first to be cut. Travel can be seen as unnecessary compared to other programs or business needs, particularly as new video conferencing equipment improves. But, when considering the case for business travel a 2009 report sponsored by the U.S. Travel Association provides an interesting insight on costs. The report concludes that “curbing business travel can reduce a company’s profits for years….The average business in the U.S. would forfeit 17 percent of its profits in the first year of eliminating business travel (Noel, 2010).”

David Danto, Director of Emerging Technology, says “Travel is a necessary evil of business.  It doesn’t go away.  To be successful people need to see clients, inspect facilities, spend quality time with colleagues and bridge cultures.  Investing in collaboration technologies just to reduce travel spend shows more naivety than savvy (Danto, 2012).”

Leisure travel can be prohibitively expensive for many people, but it’s something that people plan for and prioritize. Many people are motivated to sacrifice and save money for travel experiences and memories – giving up other things like new furniture, clothes, or other tangible possessions and comforts.

Time. Finding time to travel can be a challenge for many people. Depending on how far you’re going it may include multiple connecting flights, rest stops or time changes. A simple two-hour meeting in a neighboring state easily becomes a full day trip. It can be a distraction and hassle if you have to spend too much time on the road, but travel time may allow for extra quiet time out of the office to get other work done.

There have also been many studies that show a correlation between increased creativity when traveling and living abroad. In a March 2010 article in The Guardian, Johan Lehrer notes, “When we escape from the place we spend most of our time, the mind is suddenly made aware of all those errant ideas we'd suppressed. We start thinking about obscure possibilities – corn can fuel cars – that never would have occurred to us if we'd stayed back on the farm (Lehrer, 2010).”

When traveling for leisure, accommodating school and work schedules can be difficult. Many people find time to travel on weekends or during holiday breaks. Time off schedules can also make it hard to find travel companions, let alone travel companions who are interested in the same travel adventures as you. There are some seasons of life when traveling is more convenient and enjoyable than others, but traveling together with family or friends of all ages creates important memories and shared experiences.

Comfort. Going someplace new can be uncomfortable. Security checks, delayed flights, and hours confined to the tiny space of an economy seat on an airport are the beginning, but not knowing where to go or how to use the public transportation system can also cause stress. This can be more difficult if you don’t speak the native language, although facial expressions and hand gestures can sometimes be quite effective.

Additionally, some areas can be or might seem dangerous and difficult to get to. It can be frightening to be in an unfamiliar area. Even if it is a safe location, traveling takes you out of your regular routine and gets you off schedule and living at a different pace – sometimes faster, sometimes slower. But that is also one of the reasons travel is so important – new places and a new routine help us stretch ourselves, giving us the opportunity to learn and think differently than if we were to stay home. In a quote often attributed to Mark Twain we are reminded, “Twenty years from now [we] will be more disappointed by the things [we] didn't do than by the ones [we] did. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”

Benefits of Travel

After considering the costs, there are even more benefits to travel. Traveling is rejuvenating. It helps us learn and grow. Traveling helps us build and strengthen relationships through shared experiences. It also helps us broaden our view.

Rejuvenating. An opportunity to travel can be exciting and rejuvenating – it’s something to look forward to. It opens our eyes to new scenes and experiences – even the simple and unexpected stops or sights along the way to our destination. Chances to get out of our normal routine help us relax and think differently. It gives us time away from the normal busyness of life to focus on those we are with and appreciate them and the new experiences and world around us. It can also be a way to celebrate a special occasion.

In her book Happier at Home, Gretchen Rubin says, “People who travel to new places and try new things are happier than those who stick only to the familiar. New experiences stroke imagination. I get fresh ideas and creative energy from traveling, even if I don’t particularly look forward to doing it (Rubin, 2012, p. 219)."

Learning. There is so much to learn by visiting a new place, beginning with the initial planning and preparations. We can read books, watch videos, study websites and talk to friends to prepare for our trip. Our preparations will help us feel more comfortable while we’re there, but nothing can compare to actually hiking along the Great Wall of China, shopping at a local market in Ghana, taking a tram ride to a village at the top of the Alps in Switzerland, biking by the windmills of Kinderdijk or watching the sunset over the Lincoln Memorial in Washington DC.

Seeing and experiencing a new location and culture firsthand helps us come to know and understand things that we couldn't have reading, listening or watching TV or videos. It allows us to interact with the people, the culture and the natural environment. By feeling the breeze, smelling the smells, tasting the food, seeing the surroundings and interacting with people we have a great opportunity to learn and understand much more than we would staying home.

Ultimately, new situations help us learn about ourselves and even change our attitudes and behaviors. We learn gratitude as we enjoy and explore the grandeur and diversity of nature. We gain a new appreciation for items we miss when we're away or objects and ideas that we see for the first time. We learn new historical and geographic facts. We gain confidence in ourselves and our knowledge of the world around us. We may even become more adventurous and courageous in the process. We appreciate the connections we share with others and become more accepting and less judgmental. Afterwards, the pictures and memories stay with us, reminding us of the meaningful experiences, fun times and lessons learned.

Building Relationships. Traveling is not just a destination, but a process and a chance to connect with other people. There is so much to learn from the other people we travel with or visit. Traveling for business provides improved opportunities for collaboration, creativity, problem solving and better working relationships as we interact with co-workers one-on-one. In an August 2012 article called “Virtual Realities” Jason Chudnofsky, a frontrunner in technology business events, admits, “Virtual technology is simply a tool for augmenting time-honored strategies for connecting people (Heilman, 2012, p. 30).”

A recent study conducted by the IMEX Group also confirmed that participants in face-to-face meetings generated significantly more ideas of higher quality when compared to those meeting virtually (Alderton, 2013). Jill Smart, chief of human resources at Accenture agrees, “You don’t learn about other cultures in telepresence. You get things from being there, over breakfast and dinner, building relationships face to face (Lohr, 2008).”

Similarly, leisure travel gives us the chance to get to know people better and strengthen relationships as we spend consistent time with them and watch how they respond to new experiences. We are bound to people that we spend 24 hours with on a sleeper train across China or 12 hours with in a car on our way to Disneyland. There might not be a better way to build a relationship with someone than spending a full day hiking 25 miles through the beautiful Grand Teton National Park. Shared experiences with family, friends and even strangers can build relationships and memories.

The destination is an important part of the trip, but the journey and chances to build relationships and learn along the way are just as valuable. We can learn a lot observing fellow travelers and strangers, stopping at a new gas station, or getting on a different bus. It gives us the chance to see things through others’ eyes – those we are visiting, those we are traveling with and those we meet along the way. Watching a child experience the smells and sounds of a new place help us see life more simply from a whole new perspective.

Broadening Views. All of these opportunities to learn help broaden our view of the world. If more people had the opportunity to travel and had a desire to learn about others, society as a whole would be more sympathetic and understanding of others, breaking down stereotypes and ignorance of beliefs and cultures around the world. Traveling helps us get outside ourselves and connect with others, fundamentally changing us.

Seeing different societies and circumstances can help us understand that we are all more similar than we might think at first glance. There is great diversity in landscapes and culture, but everyone everywhere wants to love and be loved. They want to be treated with respect and dignity and feel connected to others. They want to be friendly and hospitable and provide well for themselves and their families. They want to feel important and needed. People are generally good and want to help others.

We gain confidence in ourselves and others and a greater ability and motivation to love other people and give and serve. The places we visit become a part of us and give us a broader perspective of history, geography, culture and relationships. These experiences inspire us and give us direction.

As we learn and grow individually and gain a broader perspective of different places and paradigms, we can make the world a better place because of our new understanding, increased gratitude and desire to connect with and help others. Aric Queen shares an insightful list of “10 Easy Steps on How to Be a Good Traveler” that includes ideas for giving back and building relationships and good feelings as we travel. In order to be a good traveler we should stop acting like we know and ask taxi drivers to point things out. We should get off the interstate, talk to people sitting next to us and send post cards instead of emails (Queen, 2012).

Recently J.W. Marriott Jr., executive chair of the board of Marriott International, shared results of a survey of "opinion leaders and global travelers in China, India, Europe and the United States" reporting that “people believe international travel is more important than the internet, TV, movies or political diplomacy for breaking down cultural barriers. Eight out of ten said the more people experience other countries and cultures, the more peace will spread (Marriott Jr., 2012)."

Value of Travel

Life is a journey. We are here to learn. Traveling helps us find ourselves, build meaningful relationships and understand the world around us. We spend much of our time traveling, whether we like it or not, but as we open ourselves up to chances to learn we never know what we will find or who we will meet. There is a lot to gain by traveling and genuinely seeking to understand new people and places. There are even lessons to learn from the hassles. “Travel is a search for meaning, not only in our own lives, but also in the lives of others (Ellison & Stavans, 2012).”

Building relationships and learning about the world and its people and places are even more important in the interconnected global environment that we live in now. It can change who we are and positively influence society as well. We may live in an increasingly virtual world, but genuine travel is a valuable opportunity to get outside ourselves and our routine and be real – interacting with those around us and smelling the roses along the way.

Pico Iyer says, “We travel, initially, to lose ourselves; and we travel, next, to find ourselves. We travel to open our hearts and eyes and learn more about the world than our newspapers will accommodate. We travel to bring what little we can, in our ignorance and knowledge, to those parts of the globe whose riches are differently dispersed. And we travel…to slow time down and get taken in, and fall in love once more (Iyer, 2000).”

Bibliography

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Danto, D. (2012, April 29). Real Travel vs. Virtual Travel. Retrieved from IMCCA: http://www.imcca.org/news/real-travel-vs-virtual-travel-videoconferencing-telepresence-and-the-airline-industry

Ellison, J., & Stavans, I. (2012, July 7). Reclaiming Travel. Retrieved from The New York Times: http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/07/07/reclaiming-travel/

Heilman, J. (2012, August). Virtual Realities. Meetings Focus West, p. 30.

Iyer, P. (2000, March 18). Pico Iyer Journeys. Retrieved from Why We Travel: http://picoiyerjourneys.com/index.php/2000/03/why-we-travel/

Lehrer, J. (2010, March 13). Why We Travel. Retrieved from The Guardian - The Observer: http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/2010/mar/14/why-travel-makes-you-smarter

Lohr, S. (2008, July 22). As Travel Costs Rise, More Meetings Go Virtual. Retrieved from The New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/22/technology/22meet.html?_r=0

Marriott Jr., J. W. (2012, Fall). The Golden Age of Travel. Marriott School Alumni Magazine, pp. 32-36.

Noel, J. (2010, August 5). Will teleconferencing edge out business travel? Retrieved from Chicago Tribune: http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2010-08-05/travel/sc-trav-0803-business-class-20100803_1_business-travel-in-house-meetings-face-to-face-business-meetings

Queen, A. S. (2012, June 8). The Good Traveler - Intelligent Travel - National Geographic. Retrieved from How to Be a Good Traveler in 10 Easy Steps: http://intelligenttravel.nationalgeographic.com/2012/06/08/how-to-be-a-good-traveler-in-10-easy-steps/

Rubin, G. (2012). Happier at Home. New York: Crown Publishing.

Twain, M. (1984). The Innocents Abroad - Roughing It. New York: Penguin Putnam Inc.