March 2020 changed travel for many forever, following the global pandemic of Covid-19 which stopped global travel in its tracks. Five months on, both the world and the travel and tourism industry, now more than ever, are not only thinking when we will travel again but where and why we travel.
Travel for many of us is not something we ever give much thought as to the ‘why’, but Covid-19, has made many of use rethink the reasons behind our adventures, as much as where we will be travelling to in the weeks, months and years ahead. For many of us avid travelers, we travel simply because, we have an insatiable desire to explore distant lands, where places and people are so different to our own, and to understand the world around us, experiencing new cultures and unique destinations. After months of being cooped up in our homes, without knowing how long the new normal will last, we have been given time, to reflect on whether travel will ever be as fun or as unique as it once was – and what we want from our next adventure.
Within the travel industry we are a community forever searching for that next idyllic island, the untouched tribe – a wanderlust to not just walk the path others have travelled, but create our own paths and trails, where we are the first to have provided unique enriching experiences for our guests. Experiences that not only bridge the gap between tourism, tourists and travelers, but enables us to create authentic connections with diverse communities we work with. In doing so, our team as much as our guests, create a greater understanding of the world around them – this is the foundation of Asian Oasis, a community tourism operator with a difference.
The experiences we design for our guests reflect our belief in learning from the world around us to make us all better people, but learning honestly about the good and the bad, the differences that make us question and think about ‘difference and diversity’ in the wider context long after our guests leave us.
Each of our experiences is unique, and goes back to our Founders desire to bridge the gap, that exists even to this day with many tour operators, who claim to be authentic or sustainable, or connected to local communities. Dig deeper below the surface, and you will find these sustainable programs, rely regular monetary input which is not very sustainable, and creates a cycle of reliance which sustainability aims to break, by equipping communities with training and development to become more empowered.