Travel bans, deserted cities and cancelled tours. The direct impacts of Covid-19 on the travel industry are massive. But what if we look further than the economical impact, to the social aspects of travel – the connection, the conversations and the stories.
Let’s look beyond borders & destinations, further then just that point on a map. We believe that all is connected and that in every problem lays its own solution. Let’s take this new situation to reinvent tourism, to rethink the meaning of traveling. Traveling – a state of mind.
Traveling is so much more than just visiting foreign places. When we travel, we discover new perspectives, we broaden our horizon and develop an open mind. So that we can understand ourselves and the world better. We created Tours that Matter to create connection, talk about what matters and plant seeds of positive change.
How can we create connections without traveling?
How can we plant seeds of positive change without giving tours?
Since the beginning of time, we have connected by telling stories. We are drawn to stories because we see ourselves reflected in them – by the people, the places or the situations. We engage through stories, can interpret others and understand ourselves better. As an example, let’s look at one of the most famous stories of Amsterdam, the story of Anne Frank.
23 February 1944 – “Nearly every morning I go to the attic to blow the stuffy air out of my lungs, from my favorite spot on the floor I look up at the blue sky and the bare chestnut tree, on whose branches little raindrops shine, appearing like silver, and at the seagulls and other birds as they glide on the wind. […] As long as this exists, I thought, and I may live to see it, this sunshine, the cloudless skies, while this lasts I cannot be unhappy.”
– Anne Frank
The strength of the story of Anne Frank is that she was able to fight to have her own story. Anne shows us how important it is, especially in difficult times, to share honest stories from the heart of what makes us human. Cause at the end, we are all the same. We all share the same fears and we all hope for a better future. At the end, what will remain are our stories.
Over the next few weeks we’ll be exploring the power of traveling as a state of mind. Help us to stay connected, to create awareness, to spread positivity and human kindness!
Do you have a heartwarming story that creates connection and plants seeds of positive change?
Stories Matter. Share your story. With us and the world.
Be updated when we have new tours, partners and news.
