Can Regenerative Travel really save the world?
COVID-19 has deeply impacted the industry, but perhaps this new landscape will be a force for good. As more people head towards their bucket list destinations, many are asking themselves: how can I leave it better than how I found it?
With months at home to muse over where to next, travelers are rejoining the world with a gentler approach to travel. By being more compassionate and holistic in our outlook, we can also align the way we travel with the efforts we make to live sustainably, healthier and with more mindfulness at home.
Kickstart your journey with Regenerative Travel to Belize.
Buzzwords long accounted for, Belize pulls on its strengths of sustainability and conservation, yes. But while sustainable tourism says, “let’s keep it as great as it is,” regenerative tourism says, “let’s leave it better than we found it.”
Seldom does a destination hit the mark on all three, but then there’s Belize.
Vacation meets values because Belize provides immersive experiences while creating a positive impact on both its ecosystem and communities.
Now that you’ve chosen Belize, let’s narrow down where in Belize will best enable your experiences to engage, learn and even invest.
Here’s 3 reasons why Belize is “the right destination” to dip your toes into regenerative travel.
1. A Strong Sense of Community
With regenerative travel focused on forging new connections, it makes sense to travel with a sense of community in mind.
When choosing your Belize resort, prioritize properties that are locally-owned and community-based, with deep roots in its local ecosystem. After all, the best places are usually settled in with years of experience, who operate thoughtfully—without a second thought.
Take The Lodge at Chaa Creek: guests can sleep better knowing that ten percent of room revenue goes directly to its “Chaa Creek Cares” initiative, which funds environmental and community projects.
Meanwhile, the Lodge encourages active participation from guests too, with programs like “Pack-a-Pound”. I mean, do you really need all 50 pounds of your checked-in bag anyway? Instead, save a pound (or two) for pens, storybooks, coloring pencils, sharpeners, and other classroom supplies; they’ll go straight to a local school and Belizean school children that can’t afford it themselves.
Regenerative tourism isn’t just about those who travel to Belize to engage in the local community, it’s also about the local community and what can be offered to them. Talk about vacationing with a purpose.
2. Holiday without harm & “leave no trace”
For a real holiday with no harm, bask in Belize’s dense sun-dappled jungles—80 percent of its rainforest remains under government protection, too. After all, Belize’s low-volume and lower-impact tourism model comes effortlessly with the lowest population density in Latin America; at just 37 people per square mile, that’s also one of the lowest in the world.
The Lodge at Chaa Creek encourages their guests to undertake their “leave no trace” ethos, too. As people become more selective with their movement, a silver lining awaits.
To minimize the impact on Belize’s natural environment, guests can stroll its Rainforest Medicine Trail, birdwatch, or canoe down the Macal River, all without leaving a trace on its 400-acre nature reserve.
3. Feeding The Soul with Organic Goodness
Whether you’re an urbanite curious about how the other half lives or simply eager to eat vegetables just plucked from the soil to feel some kind of connection to the land, find your soul food at Chaa Creek.
While providing low-key education, similar to a farmstay, this place was built for hospitality. Much like the ancient Mayas that wandered before them, the Lodge is committed to the concept of regenerative farming; it’s a simple collection of (traditional) best practices keyed on environmental sustainability.
Actually, the 33-acre on-site Maya Organic Farm supplies fresh organic produce to the resort’s Mariposa Restaurant and the Guava Limb Café in San Ignacio Town. So while guests can actively participate in harvesting, they’re also smashing food miles down to mere yards, for true regenerative travel in motion.
Traveling as a family? It’s never too early to instill regenerative practices, for another generation who care deeply about the human footprint they leave behind.
Travelers yearning for vacation experiences that will take them off the beaten path and perhaps closer to the earth can find a comprehensive list of experiences right here at The Lodge at Chaa Creek, a Regenerative Belize Jungle Resort.
And as for your next vacation? Let it be a catalyst for creating a more meaningful and deeper systemic change in the community, for a better Belize. And besides, who doesn’t like feeling like a hero?
