In our journey towards a more sustainable world, āimpact travelā solutions can provide travellers with experiences that positively mark the destinations they visit.
However, there are a few considerations that are crucial to a major breakthrough in impact travel:
1. The paradox that āgoing mainstreamā is not sustainable by its very nature (e.g. mass tourism)
2. Protecting the authentic essence and brand value of āimpact travelā so it doesnāt become another marketing tagline
3. Moving beyond simple KPIs to ensure we make a measurable, positive change in the real lives of people
Do you think "impact travel" is feasible for the tourism industry to achieve at a wider scale? What other challenges does impact travel face to become a significant force and transform people's lives and society? Appreciate your feedback!
PS: If you are interested in this topic, we invite you to join the TravaPowa impact travel community (follow the links in my profile).
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Comments
If you could recommend just ONE city in the Balkans to visit, which one would it be?
From the mystical streets of Sarajevo, the vibrant energy of Belgrade, and the coastal charm of Budva, to the historical beauty of Dubrovnik, the tranquility of Ohrid, and the bustling life of Tirana ā there are so many to choose from!
š Drop your top pick in the comments and tell us why it stole your heart!
Who knows, your recommendation might inspire someoneās next trip. āļø
I've only been to a few places in the Balkans but Bansko has been my favourite!
It's home to one of the largest digital nomad communities in the world, the Bansko Nomad Festival, and a large part of Travel Massive's platform (what you're using) was built here with @maria-stoyanova when we rebuilt in 2021 as a remote team.
But most importantly are the cats of Bansko. If you love cats, they are literally everywhere here in cafes and parks š»
I haven't skii'd here yet but would love to!
Cats have special place for all of us in the Balkans. For skiing I would recommend Jahorina and BjelaŔnica, Olympic mountains in Sarajevo. Just beautiful!
I agree to all of that.
Would love to visit Dubrovnik!
I hope you will do it soon :)
LetĀ“s first have similar understanding where the Balkans are at all, and the list of favourite towns will grow radically ;=)!
(as a result - I simply would not be able to name just one...so many lovely, beautiful and edgy places here)
Several sources via perplexity.ai give you this info:
The Balkans, or Balkan Peninsula, is a region in southeastern Europe that includes a diverse group of countries. The countries generally considered part of the Balkans are:
- Albania
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Bulgaria
- Croatia
- Greece
- Kosovo
- Montenegro
- North Macedonia
- Romania
- Serbia
- Slovenia
Additionally, the European part of Turkey is often included in the Balkans due to its geographical location.
Yes, all Balkan countries are just special!
At the moment the most vibrant city looks to be Tirana
I belive colors in Tirana these days are beutiful!
I might be biased but I love Bansko, Bulgaria š§š¬ Small, lively, very active in summer and winter, mountains, action and outdoor sports, hot mineral springs in the area, digital nomads community, low cost of life.
Second must be Zagreb, Croatia šš· I loooove how quirky the city is, the old town, the museums and stories.
Beautiful places you have there :) I hope you will have the opportunity to explore more. Also, as I am familiar with it, digital nomads love Sarajevo.
I work as a freelance tour leader and I take people around the Balkans frequently. This means that I have been to all major cities in the Balkans, several times. I have to say that as a visitor it has to be Sarajevo. There is just so much charm and history in this place. Being in my 50's I can also remember the Balkan wars of the 1990's and the winter Olympics in 1984. So walking through Sarajevo is also walking through the history of my youth. There are many other really great places in the Balkans. I like Tirana for it's vibrancy and Skopje for being quirky in its own way. The coastal places in Croatia and Montenegro are a little overrun for my liking though.
You have a great job! And so true about Sarajevo, -most people say the same thing. Sarajevo is just everything in one place.
Sarajevo, hands down.
Yeah!
Personal fan of Tirana, Mostar & Ohrid, but there are so many excellent ones to choose from.
Great list, Kelsey!
Belgrade if you want to some history and nightlife.
Ohrid, North Macedonia if you want a pleasant summer day on a lake.