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Travel knowledge: be a globally aware traveler
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In order to become more confident, competent and responsible travelers, we must strive to develop a more globally aware perspective. We all are living in an era of globalization. Ever-increasing economic, political, and cultural globalization and global interconnectedness are a significant factor of life. Everything from business to the environment occur in a world with fewer borders and boundaries. Events and decisions in one place have a direct impact on events in many other places around the world. This is why it is important to develop a sense of global awareness in order to understand all the complex interconnections that affect everyone on a daily basis, and avoid feelings of xenophobia (fear of anything foreign, different, or unknown). This article offers of few suggestions on how to become a more globally aware traveler, particularly through the frameworks of geography, history, news and current events, and travel and study abroad.
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Geography - The first step to becoming more globally aware is to become geographically literate. Globally aware travelers know their geography. An understanding of world geography is of fundamental importance in order to know where events occur and to understand why certain events occur in particular places. Geographical literacy and knowledge also helps to understand global connections. A fun, free way to build and develop your geographic literacy and knowledge of geography is to play free online geography games.
History - Read history about various world regions to gain an understanding of how countries and regions have developed over time - culturally, politically, and economically in particular - and how they have interacted with one another. Those past interactions over time still have a profound impact on how different countries interact with one another and how the world interacts as a whole today. The internet also provides a way to search for sites where you can read about various world, regional, and national history.
News and Current Events - Another way to become globally aware and develop your sense of global awareness as a traveler is to read world news on a regular basis from a variety of sources around the world. When reading world news, don't just rely on one news source. Try to find news sources from all regions of the world. This will not only allow you to find out about events in each region but will also allow you to hear about the same world events from a variety of perspectives. The internet is an excellent resource for free access to a variety of news sources from around the world. One good place to start is Google News. This site retrieves and categorizes news articles from many sources throughout the world.
International Travel and Study Abroad - If financially feasible, try to travel internationally on occasion. Trips abroad are a valuable educational experience and serve to further increase your global knowledge and help you to become a more globally aware traveler. There really is no better way to understand the world than to experience it personally. If you are a college student, make it a priority to study abroad at some point during your time in college. This could include coursework in your major field of study, or study abroad courses in a language immersion program to help strengthen foreign language skills. Again, the internet is a good resource to investigate countless international and study abroad travel opportunities and to find out why studying abroad is an excellent and rewarding idea.
Remember to view things with an open mind and try to see things and understand events from a variety of perspectives. Staying broadly informed about geography, history, and current events, avoiding xenophobic attitudes, and maintaining a willingness to experience a variety of places, will help to continually cultivate the positive mindset of a responsible, informed, and globally confident and competent traveler.
For More Info:
“Become a geographically literate traveler” by Paul McDaniel, Carolinas Travel Examiner
“How to know why you should study abroad” by Paul McDaniel
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