Member Spotlight – Katie Diederichs

Katie Diederichs – a member of the Minneapolis- St.Paul Travel Massive – recently won the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) Responsible Traveller Competition.

Tell us about yourself, how did you get in to travel?

I got the very first stamp in my passport during university when I studied abroad in Florence, Italy. As cliché as it sounds, I have been hooked ever since. In 2014, I rang in the New Year newly married and itching to get on a plane, so my husband and I quit our jobs to go on a 3-month backpacking trip that never really ended.

What was the UNWTO travel competition and how did you get selected?

2017 was named the “International Year of Sustainability for Tourism & Development,” which is a fancy way of saying it was a year to grow and celebrate sustainable tourism. To draw more awareness, the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) held a Responsible Traveller Competition in which they selected one lucky winner (me!) to represent responsible travel on a trip around the world!

If you have a moment you can read about my UNWTO experience.

What destinations did you travel to, and what were the highlights (and challenges)?

This month-long trip brought me to 5 locations around the world that are doing innovative things in the world of sustainable tourism: Colombia, Baja Peninsula, Ras Al Khaimah, Germany and Switzerland. A highlight was interacting with locals in each of these places, especially in Colombia where I had many opportunities to really have deep conversations. A struggle was the sheer pace of fast travel!

How are these destinations making a positive change through tourism?

Sustainable tourism looks very different in each of the places I visited.

For instance, in Colombia, the focus of sustainable tourism is on ensuring that an influx of visitors is benefitting local communities rather than big businesses and international chains.

On the other hand, in Germany, there are many movements to lessen our impact on the earth whether we are traveling or living in one place.

What’s a small change we can all make for travel to be more impactful in 2018?

There are so many practical ways we can all travel more sustainably. For one, try supporting hotels, restaurants & tour companies that are locally-owned instead of international chains. Also, do your research before booking any animal encounter, as many of them can do more harm than good.

When planning your next trip, check out my tips for planning a sustainable vacation.

 Follow Katie Diederichs on Travel Massive to connect with her and learn more.