Thinking Locally

Travelers looking for an authentic experience should research homestays and meet the locals programs. // © 2009 Tim Brauhn

When TravelAge West Contributing Editor Christopher Batin travels overseas, he often looks for an opportunity to do a homestay.

“I’ve enjoyed more than a dozen homestays, and often prefer this way of travel for one reason,” said Batin. “A homestay allows me to search out the simple, yet attainable, in learning about other cultures. It gives me hope in discovering more about a culture that I love, as well as who I am and why I love it so.”

Batin said some of his favorite memories include any number of off-the-beaten-path experiences — such as harvesting wild honey from a bee hive in the middle of the night or helping villagers plant rice in a field.

Homestays and “meet the locals” programs are springing up all over the world as travelers seek out one-of-a-kind, authentic experiences. Often, the highlight of a trip is not the helicopter ride or the five-star meal, but the time spent getting to know the local people and learning about their everyday lives.

Some meet the locals programs are rather informal. In Fiji, and other parts of the South Pacific, for example, many resorts offer guests a chance to visit a local village, share a meal with the chief and participate in tribal ceremonies.

At FDR Pebbles Resort, near Montego Bay, Jamaica, families get a local “vacation nanny” during their stay and, with the parents approval, the nannies are encouraged to introduce their own kids to the children they are babysitting. The result for the guests is often a week spent getting to know a new friend and a pen pal when the kids return home.

In addition, the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) has a more formal program called, Meet the People. It’s like a mini cultural-exchange program in that it matches visitors and locals with similar interests. It doesn’t necessarily involve a homestay, but may involve a home visit, and each experience is tailored to suit the interest of the visitor. Like a lot of meet the locals programs, this one costs the visitor nothing.

“The last visit I helped organize was for a teacher and her daughter from Chicago who spent a day at a local Jamaican school,” said Philip Rose, of the JTB. “It was a huge hit. I had no idea classes held outside, under a tree overlooking a lush valley could be so memorable.”

In Japan, families can try the Goodwill Guides volunteer program. Made up of mostly students, housewives and retirees in the major cities, volunteer local guides will assist visitors with their sightseeing just for the opportunity to practice their English. There is no charge for their service — you are only expected to pay for the guide’s travel expenses, admissions to attractions and meals if you eat with them. It is a perfect way to have the assistance of a local tour guide and translator, as well as to learn firsthand about the country’s fascinating culture.

So, the next time you have a family interested in getting to know not just the attractions of a place but the people who live there, look into a homestay or a meet the locals program. Not only will it enhance your credibility with your clients by providing them with something that’s complicated for them to arrange by themselves, but it is likely to be their fondest memory. And your customers will have you to thank for that.