Step Up Travel - Responsible Travel Community

[Step Up Travel]

Step Up Travel - Web 2.0 Responsible Travel Community

Step Up Travel has recently launched their online, responsible-travel community that provides a free, easily-accessible marketing tool for local individuals, small businesses, and organizations and a network for socially-minded travelers who want to travel in a more unique and responsible way. The project was inspired by the World Tourism Organization’s ST-EP initiative (Sustainable Tourism-Eliminating Poverty) as well as work in sustainable tourism by other organizations and scholars (http://www.stepuptravel.org/library.php).

Step Up Travel comes at a time of tremendous growth in demand for sustainable travel options, and applies Web 2.0’s interactive solution for keeping up with the growth and creating a grassroots way for travelers and local people to participate. A recent TravelMole Sustainable Tourism article featured the 2007 Totem Marketing Sustainable Tourism Study which forecasts that the number of sustainable tourism travelers will reach 250 million by 2010 (http://www.travelmole.com/stories/1115910.php). Through Step Up Travel, there is significant potential for these travelers to be active in the growth of and advocacy for responsible travel.

Responsible Travel and Web 2.0: Interaction
Web 2.0 has added another dimension to the internet in that users not only are valued as consumers of services, but also as implementers and advocates of new ideas and initiatives. Platforms such as Craigslist and Ebay are two of many examples that stand as testament to the power of user-generated content that leads to the sale of goods and services, feedback ratings that build credibility for providers, and promote unique personal exchanges.

Step Up Travel has combined features from these models and applied them to create a travel classifieds and social network to help reshape the travel industry into one that is more community-based and responsible.

How can being part of Step Up enrich someone's travel experience?

1) Travelers can have richer, more authentic and cultural travel experiences by directly contacting, meeting, and engaging on a personal level with the local people who make their culture what it is.
2) Travelers can help local service providers they meet along the way by recommending that they post on Step Up Travel. The traveler may then rate a service provider’s ad and help elevate their credibility and ranking in our directory. Step Up Travel provides the functionality that allows travelers to help local people build small, reputable, and responsible travel/tourism businesses.
3) Travelers who receive an invitation may join our network of socially-minded travelers who are committed to personal exchanges, traveling in a way that benefits local people and their communities, and ultimately building a more peaceful and equitable world.

Step Up Travel has a young, dynamic, responsive team that welcomes your questions, comments, and, above all, your participation in helping empower local people and building a responsible travel community based on action and advocacy.