Exploring Asia Responsibly: Eco-friendly Tips and Unforgettable Experiences with Jeremy Tran

Jeremy

[: 00:00:00

Global citizens who get to explore the wonder. Wonders of the world and learn. About different cultures. You've probably face multi. Multiple dilemmas. Every time you plan a new holiday. Today. What do you do when you try to combine. Being a responsible traveler with your desire. To explore and. Learn together with your family How do you find resources what do you think about how do you choose transportation and accommodation You are now listening to roaming roots podcast for the eco-conscious traveler and adventure Who wants to explore the world in a [00:01:00] mindful and responsible way My name is Veslemøy Klavenes-Berge, i'm a sustainability advisor, geophysicist futurist and travel and enthusiastic. And i'm a mother If you feel you're having many burning questions around this topic Pic, i'm sure i have them as well Through conversations with experts and from my own experiences i will do my. my best to provide you and me with. with tips and tricks and actionable advice and my aim Is to empower us to explore the world leaving only positive footprints

So let's do this. Let's go exploring together.

y. Right. He also co founded [: 00:02:00

Veslemøy: Welcome Jeremy to the podcast.

Jeremy: Thank you

very much. Thank you for having me on your

podcast. I'm very

honored.

Veslemøy: And I know that I know that you're not sitting in Asia at the moment since it's your early morning and it's my early afternoon. So where are you based at the moment?

Jeremy: Yes, I'm not in Asia, but um, I was born in Vietnam. My family's actually from Southern China, and uh, I'm actually currently in, uh, Southern California. Orange

County.

Veslemøy: so you are kind of splitting your time between, uh,

lf of the year in South Asia [: 00:03:00

My focus, my, my, my business focuses on that part

of the

world.

Veslemøy: And that's what we will, uh, talk about. And I, as I told you, I, I want to spend as much time as possible talking about all the practical stuff, like how do we actually do this with sustainable travel? But first, could you just briefly, uh, tell us about your background and why did you end up working with sustainable Travel?

Jeremy: It's a very good question. Thank you. So I have been in the, , travel marketing sector for, over 10 years now. And, um, up until the pandemic I was working at a. I was working at marketing agencies supporting, corporate travel brands with their, uh, outbound travel, , marketing specifically on China.

was Was very much about you [: 00:04:00

We all saw the impact of, um, of how, you know, we are staying at home and staying at home. And then the nature was able to actually heal hisself. You know, we saw images of the of the, of, of, of the sea of round Vee, um, become. All clean again, and then fish start coming back to life and coming back to Venice for example.

nature, we all appreciating, [: 00:05:00

So I founded the business last year to support, uh, to support brands as particularly destinations and hospitality brands. Getting getting sustainability right by, uh, integrating sustainable business practices into their operations, as well as talk about it, uh, in, in a meaningful way with their, with the Targett audience and, and, uh, and help them make the responsible travel decisions when they, uh, when they, when they

travel.

Veslemøy: So I have so many questions about this actually, but, uh, first I think we have to just, uh, put it into context at the. Approximately 60% of the world's population live in Asia. Isn't that right? Yeah. Uh, so

So what happens in Asia is obviously

really, really important [: 00:06:00

So could you give us an, a sort of an overview of the current state of sustainable travel in Asia and, and how has it evolved over maybe the last years and also maybe since. You're splitting your time between the US and Asia, how are there any differences?

Jeremy: Yes. Um, thank you so much for the question. So, uh,

Asia is a, is a massive continent, and, uh, there are countries from, uh, Japan all the way to Indonesia, to India, as well as, uh, as Afghanistan and Central Asia as well. So it's a very diverse, uh, uh, continent and um, and very diverse in terms of, um, culture, history as well as landscape and geography and, uh, the differences are vast.

s I mentioned at the, at the [: 00:07:00

Certain countries and especially in the northeast, uh, part of the, of, of the, of the continent such such as, uh, Japan and South Korea they have a stronger, uh, legal framework around around that, around environmental preservation and uh, and protection. [00:08:00] And, and we started seeing, um, which are seeing government in, in the south, in South Asia as well, particularly during the.

The pandemic. We saw, the tourism, uh, ministries in countries such as, uh, Indonesia, Vietnam, as well as Thailand. Um, talking about, uh, quality tourism and how they wanted to attract more , um, how they want to build an environment to attract more responsible tourist to the country.

And. And, uh, so it's, it's, it's a, it's a path work in the region when it comes to when it comes to responsible tourism policy. And I, I'm very, but I, the, the thing is that, the thing is that since I started working, um, my business, I have seen more, uh, private sec, more private sector players. Ticking the lead on that front, uh, to be honest.

And because [: 00:09:00

and suppliers.

Veslemøy: Right. Would you say that you mentioned, uh, briefly some areas, but can you think of, are there any specific destinations, like you said, Asia is so. Uh, diverse huge. Are there any specific destinations that are leading the way, would you say? And, and what would make them unique in that regard?

leaned way, uh, because they [: 00:10:00

They're actually not they're not also available. Um, they're not always available to To Travelers

Veslemøy: The, what did you call

Pledge.

the

P

Jeremy: pledge?

That's

correct,

Veslemøy: great. I will put that in the show

notes. That's interesting.

plicating the same mechanism [: 00:11:00

So, um, valley Pledge is, uh, is also, uh, up and running and, um, and, and which is, which is very encouraging.

Um, you.

Veslemøy: I, because that is a very popular destinations for at least a lot of Europeans. And, uh, yeah. Many people. I, I

think, yes. Can you share some, some lesser known sustainable travel destinations in Asia, uh, that, that offer unique experiences to, to tourists, and also like they aim to minimize the negative impact on the environment.

ave, which happens to be the [: 00:12:00

It's a very beautiful place that not not many people actually know of when you travel to a to Vietnam should go to Hal Long Bay, which is a beautiful place. And and many people go, go to or comb Delta or, uh, or, uh, other parts of Vietnam. But from your ca, from from your cave is special because, um, it is lesser known like you mentioned.

And number two, it's very well protected and it's very well protected and, um, not not everyone gets to go, not even get to go because you need to apply for permit and you need to be on a guided tour. Uh, and and the, and the, um, and the tour and, and the tour is not, It's not affordable to many many people, uh, many travelers that can, that, that usually travel to Saudi Asia.

So [: 00:13:00

And if you look up the, um, look up some photos of from, from your cave, it is stunning. It is stunning. You actually can, uh, the tool gas you into deep inside the cave and you can camp and sleep and, and, and walk inside the cave for days. And, uh, it's a very cool experience that. That not many, not many people actually get to get to do.

And that's actually on top of my list as well as a, uh, as, as, as, as a Vietnamese, I haven't been to that place and have heard so many great things about it. Uh, from, friends and, and colleagues who

have, who have, uh, who have done the trip.

[: 00:14:00

Plant-based alternatives adds just another. Another layer to that challenge. That's why. I have a really helpful app in today's. Today's travel toolkit, toolkit. It's called. Called happy cow. And i would say it works almost like tripadvisor you can search any. And the destination that you want to go or Anywhere Close to you like nearby place. Places And the app will suggest places to eat and filter them on Vegan vegetarian Or places With vegan vegetarian [00:15:00] options You can also filter on typo meal opening hours and other things This One has helped me a number of times in many different cities I would love to hear from you if you know of similar tools that makes life easier being a mindful traveler But this one is Is today's travel Tool kit happy Cow.

Veslemøy: So when I, when I mentioned then the, the words re influencing and de influencing, could you share a little bit about what, what you mean with that?

on social media. Brands and [: 00:16:00

And then that trend happened to push back against it. And, and then I started questioning. So if, if, uh, people were actually pushing back on over consumption, can we start a trend to push back on over tourism, over tourism meaning, um, that means as, as many cases in Saudi Asia. So for example, the, the, the, the very popular.

The beach, uh, m Mick Pablo by the, the movie The Beach starring Leonardo Deo, um, was so popular with travelers, Asian domestic as well, international when, when they come to Thailand. And it was so bad that the, the. This coral reef started dying and the wife life and marine life, uh, started dying.

And then, and then it's [: 00:17:00

It's still very popular, so, so, So start thinking travel is still important for many destinations because actually the, the one of the primary, uh, source of income for many communities and as opposed to not know the influencing is talking, telling people not to, not to travel, but it would be great to actually re influence people to places and lesser known destinations

h, places that actually need [: 00:18:00

They were they, they were telling me how devastating the pandemic was. And, uh, and they didn't receive any, uh, Visitors at all due to lockdown, due to international travel and restrictions. And they just, they, they really need, um, tourists to come back and the, their businesses are so, um, so well run and well in the sense that their family owned and they, they take care of the land and, and the area, um, very well.

t they're not, no. On top of [: 00:19:00

Veslemøy: So re influencing instead of de influencing. Yes, I

Jeremy: Yes. correct.

Re influencing people to make better, uh, travel decisions and just think of rethink about how they travel, where they travel and, and where, where the dollar is,

is going.

le looking for ways to, they [: 00:20:00

Jeremy: Um, I will start with, I will start with how you plan your travel. , when you travel, you, you start by, you usually start by, uh, being. Inspired by, uh, images. Now. We all do that now. Uh, we all get inspired by images and videos that we, that we, that we see on social media, on internet, and, uh, yeah.

Well, when you travel, I would say start, yeah. If you have a destination, great. Uh, you can travel to Paris, which is one of the most popular places in, in the Word or London. Go, go wherever you want, you know, everyone, uh, I, I go back to, I go back to. Place multiple times. But, uh, but what I suggest you do at the very beginning is to look into how you get there and where you're staying.

an a, a, a, a trip. So, And, [: 00:21:00

Fly direct number one. I know it's very, could be very expensive. Flying direct usually is less, um, it produces less carbon emission than flying. With, layover and find, trying to find a way to offset your carbon emission if you can. And you don't have to actually do it.

Uh, The, uh, the airlines directly, you know, I know the air front offers that. Think of any other independent. Independent, uh, cup, uh, cup offset, uh, agencies or companies that you can, give money to, to plant trees. It's number one, right? How to get there. Number two, how to, no, where, where to stay.

in, I've seen, especially in [: 00:22:00

as, um, economy class because Yeah, because you take up more space in a plane.

Right? And so think of that as well. And then when you stay. People, usually go to, ota, which is, um, online travel agents to book their hotels and their accommodations. But think about. Think about, um, if it would be worth it for you to, to book directly with the hotels.

er two is look at, um, look, [: 00:23:00

You know, they're not, A lot of people think that, you know, um, those small hotels might not offer a comfort and convenience and luxury. That, that you might get from a Cheang hotel, you could not be more wrong, to be honest with you. And, uh, if you look hard enough, uh, if you look hard enough, there are those out there and they all, , those hotels, those hotels tend to provide, you know, warmer services because it's their business and they would provide you, uh, better service.

And that's, that's a general experience I've had so far. And then, and then when you arrive a destination, think about where you visit and you know, what places you eat. So, and, uh, where you visit is, is important as well. Just practicing, responsible trouble behavior. Like, you know, um, I've seen when, for example, I one time, uh, just to share the story with you, one time at, when I was in Petra, in in Jordan

ate to, the monastery or the [: 00:24:00

But yes, the, they, those services are there , to help people , less able to, to walk, uh, in the heat. In the desert. Definitely use, use them, but then think about how those animals are treated as well. So think, look, look around you, and then offer the service, service provider to actually treat the animals fairly and hu humanely.

And again, this is all about going, going, you know, just a bit, be a bit more mindful as well as more observant, um, when you are a destination. See what's. What you can do to encourage the businesses to, uh, to, to be, to provide, you know, better and more responsible services to, to the travelers. And, uh, yeah.

ou know, where you stay, and [: 00:25:00

that you do as a, as a travelers,

uh, at a

Destin.

Veslemøy: Yeah, there's so many parts, so many things that I think the word mindful is very good that it. Kind of you, you stay conscious during your travel and think about all the different parts.

Jeremy: Yeah, it, and it, and it's hard to, as a traveler, when you are in a d foreign country, you don't speak the local language. You don't know, uh, where to look and who to ask. But at the end of the day, you know, we all have like what we call gut feeling, right?

When you know it's not good, then don't do it. If you're doubting yourself, don't do it. And because, because you will think about it. As a conscious person, you will think about it and you as a con person, you will think about the dishes that you made, and if it didn't feel right at the moment, it's, it's

probably not right.

he part about flying or you, [: 00:26:00

You know, that would be a expedition. Uh, but also I think,

Within Asia, you mentioned it a little bit when you said that in Europe it's easy for us to go by train. Uh, how is that in Asia? Is it, is it cheaper, more convenient, easier to fly between destinations or is is the train, the infrastructure, is that evolving so that it's easier to get between places?

itely recommended and highly [: 00:27:00

I've done it. Highly recommend it, don't you? You'd actually don't need to fly at all in Japan from going from, uh, from city to city. I, I've, I've, I traveled to Japan three times and, and domestically when I traveled from Tokyo to Kyoto, I, I, I, I took the train and that's, again, in, in South Korea, that's possible too.

Beijing because flights are [: 00:28:00

So it's, it's much way more convenient. And South Asia, that's not the case, uh, because of the geography of, the region. So, um, people rely on a lot on low cost, uh, airlines in South Asia. And, um, but again, if you, if you coming from Norway or Europe, no. You're probably going to, not gonna just spend one week or two in Thai Asia.

ho Chi, min City, my, my, my [: 00:29:00

You know, you can stop along the way. Um, in, in Cambodia, for example. You can, you can start in Cambodia and, uh, and even in sim rib and which is where the an, where the ANCO tempos are and. And then other way to Bangkok, there are ways we can do that as well. And uh, so that's by bike and you get to actually travel more slowly, get to know the, excuse me, get to know the, uh, the local communities and see, see the sites and better as, as well.

And then if you, in Bangkok, you know, bank talent is, um, has a. Great railway network. So you can travel up and down the country from north, south by train. I took a, I took a train from bang all the way to, uh, to kalo and poor, and at that time, not actually wanted to, to do, because you know what, we just spent this sl, the train was quite slow, to be honest with you, and I spent, I guess 18 hours on the train, but actually enjoyed it.

e to see the daily life and, [: 00:30:00

And, uh, and you cross border by train as well, um, from, from Thailand to, uh, to, to Malaysia and vice versa. And, um, yeah, so definitely recommend that. But then, no, the islands in various Asia, like the Philippines and Indonesia are more difficult to navigate by train. And, uh, you have the subcontinent, south Asian subcontinent, uh, in India you can definitely travel by train as well.

I've done that in India. And, uh, it's, um, yeah, it's, it's all, it's all part

of the, the

experience.

Veslemøy: I think as you say to make it a, as part, a part of the experience and a part of the journey. And you, yeah. You experience so much more, uh, when you do that.

Jeremy: Mm-hmm.

Veslemøy: Yeah. Thank you. I think we are approaching the end but.

The final question. What, [: 00:31:00

Jeremy: I guess I can think of, um, let me think. I can think of the current initiative that I'm doing. I'm, I'm, I'm introducing Asia's Sustainable Travel change Maker. Um, it's actually a series of articles that, um, um, that highlight and honor. Passionate leaders who are changing the way we travel in, , in the region.

So, um, we, cuz these are actually the unsung heroes that, um, not, not, not maybe, actually know about why they're changing the way we travel because , of what they do with their business, with their organizations. To give you an example, I. I have interviewed a fair number of, travel business leaders, um, in the region.

And, uh, I have,

een completely blown away by [: 00:32:00

,

Veslemøy: thank you so much for taking the time, Jeremy, and I will of course share all the, the information about

your company and your newsletter, which is really, really interesting. very, a lot of great information.

Jeremy: good. Well, it's actually a b2b, uh, platform, but, uh, but I'm sure Travelers can, , can benefit from reading it too.

Veslemøy: Yeah, I think so.

ike, you know, which I like, [: 00:33:00

And, uh, luckily, luckily I will. Luckily, I, or I hope that

I actually answered the

questions that you

asked.

Veslemøy: I think you had great answers. So

that's, that's good.

Jeremy: Oh, thank you.

It was, it's been fun. Thank you so much. I really

enjoyed the

conversation.

Um, that's a wrap. You can find all links and resources in the show notes. At dot C O. That is. B Y C a U S e.co. And if you're interested in all. All the resources I collect as I go along with this podcast project, you. You can find those at dot co slash resources. Until next time Time Happy green travels