Know Before You Go

The sustainable travel topics we cover at OhThePeopleYouMeet (OTPYM) range from sustainably supporting the communities in which you are visiting, the best eco-chic hotels, wildlife conservation and extremely hard hitting topics like human trafficking.

As the founder of OTPYM and Sustainable Travel Expert, I’ve been committed to doing my research in advance of my trips and trying to make the most sustainable and responsible decisions as it relates to my travel.  Even I, a seasoned traveler operating within the travel and media industries, have made innocent mistakes along the way.

Learn What You Can Do About It

I’ve crafted this fun quiz to determine your sustainable travel IQ and provided 5 of our original videos as clues. Each video showcases different pitfalls that even the very best intentioned travelers can walk right into. We all make mistakes, but it’s up to you, to do your homework in advance and ask the right questions. Personal accountability is paramount. Just because it’s an NGO doesn’t mean that it’s a sustainable operation. Think about it.

I know…it’s hard, cute kids and baby lions. I’ve fallen for it too and I’ve realized the impact that my decisions had on the very people, places and animals I was intending to help. I hope you get a perfect score, but even more so, I hope you learn something and share with others so we can all do our part in making the world a better place.

Let’s Get Started!

Welcome to your WHAT’S YOUR SUSTAINABLE TRAVEL IQ?

Watch "How to be a Responsible Traveler in Cambodia"

1. SO YOU'VE JUST VISITED THE UNESCO SITE OF SIEM REAP, CAMBODIA AND YOU SEE SCHOOL CHILDREN ASKING YOU TO COME SEE THEIR PERFORMANCE AT THEIR ORPHANAGE IN THE MIDDLE OF A WEEK DAY. WOULD YOU:

a) Follow them to the orphanage, watch the performance, take a selfie and make a donation

b) Tell them to stop begging and to go find their parents

c) Question why young children are unaccompanied and not at school. Inquire about the name of the orphanage and do some investigating when back at your hotel to see if its a reputable operation to visit

d) None of the above

Watch our video on the Fairmont Pacific Rim.

2. YOU CASHED IN YOUR POINTS AND GOT AN UPGRADE AT THE SUPER CHIC FAIRMONT PACIFIC RIM IN VANCOUVER. BEING A SOCIALLY CONSCIOUS CONSUMER, BEFORE ORDERING THE GOURMET SUSHI AT THE LOBBY BAR YOU:

a) Read the hotel website to see what they are doing ​to support the sustainable seafood movement

b) You inquire from the chef where they source their seafood from

c) Ask to do a visit to the market with the chef to pick your fresh catch and prepare your own sushi

d) All of the above

Watch our video on Australia.

3. YOU WANT TO GO SNORKELING ON THE GREAT BARRIER REEF IN AUSTRALIA. WOULD YOU:

a) Google snorkeling and choose the cheapest tour operator

b) Ask your hotel to just book their preferred guide. After all you are staying at an eco-friendly hotel

c) Do a little research on third party sites to learn about sustainable accreditation and issues affecting the reef system. Like operators who don’t use fins in order to protect the fringing reef from inexperienced swimmers

d) None of the above

Watch "Special Announcement on Lion Conservation"

4. YOU ARE ON AN EPIC TRIP ACROSS SOUTH AFRICA. YOUR GUIDE SUGGESTS YOU VISIT A LION RESEARCH CENTER THAT DISCOVERED THE RECESSIVE WHITE GENE AND YOU GET TO PLAY WITH BABY LION CUBS AND WALK WITH TEENAGE LIONS. WOULD YOU:

a) Get the selfie stick at the ready and put on those walking shoes

b) Question how if people interact with wild animals how they would adapt to reentering the wild once they’ve grown up

c) Go anyway, your visit won’t make the difference and ask questions later

d) Write a review on TripAdvisor afterwards​ based on your experience

Watch "Ohthepeopleyoumeet with Michaela Guzy"

5. LIKE YOUR FRIENDS AT OH THE PEOPLE YOU MEET, YOU LOVE MEETING LOCAL PEOPLE. WHILE PLANNING YOUR NEXT TRIP YOU:

a) Check out sites like OhThePeopleYouMeet, and other reputable media outlets to research before you go

b) Make sure that you book a hotel, lodge or local stay from a company that works to support its local community whether it’s through employment initiatives, education or medical care for the surrounding communities, wildlife conservation or even protecting the environment/land/water

c) Reach out to your friends, social networks and friends at OTPYM for personal intros to locals on the ground like the founders of WOWCuba Cycling Tours who will take you 400km on bicycle through rural villages and three UNESCO cities or to meet the founders of The Maboneng Township Arts Experience to meet local artists and gallery owners in the townships of South Africa and buy local art from street artists

d) All of the above

Time is Up!