#8: Pushing for change from within the travel industry, with Zina Bencheikh

11/11/21 • 47 min

This week, we hear from a big player in the travel industry that’s serious about sustainability. Zina Bencheick is Managing Director for Europe, the Middle East and Africa of Intrepid Travel, a global tour operator that took more than 460,000 people on trips in 2019. Intrepid is also the world’s largest travel company to have earned B Corp certification, a rigorous standard that measures companies’ social and environmental performance, public transparency, and legal accountability.

Zina joins the show to talk about misconceptions around the term “sustainable travel,” the importance of vaccine equity, and what travel companies can do to reduce their carbon emissions. She also shares how tourism has opened up new job opportunities for women in her home country of Morocco.

Are you looking to plan a trip for next year? What issues are you thinking about, or what questions would you have for a tour operator? I’d love to hear your thoughts and hope you’ll share by sending me a voice message.

Thanks so much for listening, and have a great week!

Resources

Intrepid Travel on being a responsible traveler and a responsible business

What is B Corp certification?

Follow Zina on Twitter

Paige’s Q&A with Rick Steves in The New York Times (unlocked article)

Thanks so much for listening, and have a great week!

Resources

Intrepid Travel on being a responsible traveler and a responsible business

What is B Corp certification?

Follow Zina on Twitter

Paige’s Q&A with Rick Steves in The New York Times (unlocked article)

Previous Episode

#7: Travel writing & cultural exchange with AFAR Editorial Director Sarika Bansal

This week, we’re talking to Sarika Bansal, the new editorial director of AFAR Media and the editor of a beautiful book of essays about ethical travel. Sarika talks to us about decolonizing the travel industry and the importance of genuine cultural exchange, and she describes her vision for AFAR and the new directions she wants to take the magazine.

Sarika also tells us about how she and her husband decided to leave the United States and make a big move overseas, and how they’re enjoying life in their new home.

Plus, next week’s guest joins the podcast briefly to teach Paige a few phrases of Arabic...

And finally, we’re planning our episodes for Season 2 and I would love to hear what you would like us to cover. So I hope you’ll take a minute to send me a voice message with any questions you’d like me to explore or guests you think I should interview. Thank you so much!

Resources

Sarika’s book, Tread Brightly: Notes on Ethical Travel

AFAR Media

AFAR’s Travel Tales podcast, and the episode about tourism in a Māori village

Sarika’s essay in The New Humanitarian, As travel opens up again, aid voluntourism needs to get real

Next Episode

#9: On moving overseas and being a better resident abroad, with Jason Moore

My guest this week is Jason Moore, host of the Zero to Travel podcast and an American living in Norway. Jason talks about what it means to throw yourself into another culture; he describes some of the challenges that he experienced in adjusting to life in his adopted country; and he shares how living abroad can reveal some really important things about ourselves.

Listen up toward the end of our conversation, when Jason offers his three pieces of advice for how you can be a better resident of your adopted home.

Are you thinking of making a move overseas, or are you already living outside of your home country? How is that going for you? Or what’s keeping you from taking the leap? I’d love to hear your thoughts and hope you’ll share by sending me a voice message.

Thanks so much for listening and hope you have a great week!

Resources

The Zero to Travel Podcast

Jason’s Location Indie community

The Four-Hour Work Week, book by Timothy Ferriss

Transitions: Making Sense of Life’s Changes, book by William Bridges

When Paige was a guest on Jason’s podcast

Episode partner

Intrepid Travel is a global tour operator that has been taking adventurous travelers to the world’s most amazing places for more than 30 years. The world’s largest B-Certified travel company, Intrepid is a global leader in responsible travel. Learn more at www.intrepidtravel.com.

Thanks so much to Intrepid for supporting the show this week!