What if the traveller became a guardian? Manifesto

AND IF THE TRAVELLER BECAME A GUARDIAN?

To marvel. Travelling. Taking care. For each other and for our living space, our environment. This is not the new way to travel. It is the only way that should now resonate.

If there was ever a turning point in the way we collectively travel, the crisis and the pandemic we have just gone through may be the trigger. The world came to a standstill for a few months. No more planes, no more travel, no more tourism. Nature has reclaimed its rights, quickly and everywhere. It gives us a lesson in humility. It is up to us to seize it. Micro-adventure is gaining ground, we are rediscovering the landscapes that surround us. No need to go far from home to experience and share great moments.

But mass tourism is no longer possible. Not even in a van. Crowded spots, litter, wasted landscapes... The traveller is no longer the only consumer, he has a place to take in the ecosystem. A role to play. A place that must not leave a trace. Or rather, a place that allows them to leave a positive trace. Today's traveller, whether on foot, by bike or in a van, can be seen as a guardian. By his action, by his look, by his responsibility.

The experience of being a nomad in the wilderness transforms us. It probably puts us back in our place in the earth's ecosystem, makes us more humble. It doesn't take much to be amazed when space is at hand. By clearing away the clutter, it forces us to see and listen better and, in fact, to respect.

WE BELIEVE HUMANS IN NATURE BRING OUT THE BEST OF HUMAN NATURE

In the image of ecolieux, inhabited spaces in nature that function on ecological principles, why shouldn't bivouac sites function on the same principle? Why should our stopping places, places for sharing and exchanging with other travellers, be degraded by our passage?

At a time when humans are coming together in communities of interest, when the principles of cooperation and mutual aid must return to the forefront, at a time when the climate crisis must be a central issue in our modes of organisation, how can we re-imagine travel? How can we bring our thirst for exploration and escape into a virtuous circle where we are not the only beneficiaries but the whole ecosystem benefits?

What if taking care of our space meant collectively buying land, sharing it with other travellers who share similar values to ours and thus creating the first community of nomadic custodians of natural spaces?

Claiming to love nature is no longer enough for us. We, nomadic travellers, who also witness our impact when there are too many of us in one place, think it is time to reclaim our role, to move from spectator to actor, from consumer to guardian. Because falling asleep in the most beautiful places in our regions is a privilege that our children should also have the right to enjoy.