Curious Tourism: Responsible Travel Podcast

The way that we travel is constantly changing.  Just 20 years ago, for example, travelers didn't have Google Maps to guide them, or social media to keep them connected to family and friends at home.  Join Erin as she chats with a fellow solo woman traveler, Valika Kunkel. Valika tells the story of how she boarded her first transatlantic flight in the early 60s at age 13 - completely alone. She sha...

Erin is joined by her producer, Kattie, to end the year off on a more personal note. You've heard Erin talk A LOT all year, and heard Kattie chuckling in the background, but we've never really shared what makes us... us! We thought we'd share whats been going on with us throughout 2019, what we've learned through the first year of this podcast, and what we see coming up for 2020 as conscientious t...

There is a small subset of travelers that take travel thrills to the extreme. Very extreme.  Andrew Drury joins us in this episode to discuss the ethics around extreme travel. To date, Andrew has ventured into insurgent Afghanistan, he’s been threatened at gun-point by the KKK, and he’s encountered ISIS in the Middle East. Andrew's adventures have been the subject of many news articles, and, you m...

According to a US transgender survey from 2015, nearly half of those who flew in 2014 experienced problems relating to being transgender. In this episode, Erin is joined by the amazing Peppermint, a trans black woman to discuss further (you might also recognize her as the runner up from season 9 of RuPauls Drag Race!).  Peppermint, who joined us remotely from a cab in New York, talks about her exp...

When people talk about travel, they often bring up “danger.” When you share where you're traveling to next, how often are you asked, "But is that safe?".  In this episode, we break this down into three facets, perceptions of danger, political danger, and danger imposed on local communities (plus we threw a few extras in there because this topic a big one!).  Zach joins Erin on the podcast again an...

Canada is known for its beautiful mountains, wild nature, cosmopolitan cities and more. But what’s lacking from our tourism is Indigenous representation. The National Post published an article earlier this year arguing that Canada’s “branding” as a place to visit is completely void of Indigenous culture, and that incorporating Indigenous culture would boost tourism and support Indigenous communiti...

Riding elephants, swimming with sharks, and posing with tigers make for popular content on social media. Travelers and influencers post perfectly curated images with captive wild animals... for the likes. Often, wildlife tourist attractions pose problems in animal welfare that are only worsened by consumer demand. Natasha Daly, journalist for National Geographic, joins us to discuss what these ani...

The average able-bodied traveler has the privilege of not needing to consider certain things while on the road, like checking for elevators and avoiding cobblestone streets. Andrew Gurza joins Erin to discuss the realities of traveling as a disabled person, where airlines are going wrong (take note, Air Canada), and what can be done to make travel more accessible. Guest: Andrew Gurza, disability c...

Erin and Kattie meet up with Daniel Scheffler of iHeartMedia's travel podcast "Everywhere" to join him in this episodes third part.  Daniel discovers that preparing for anything leads to the best adventures. Anything can happen, serendipity will make sure of it, as he sees in in Burma. Shavo Odadjian from System of a Down weighs in on the Armenian Genocide and growing up in Los Angeles, and introd...

Catch a sneak peek here of our first four episodes coming to your ears this October 2019. Featuring: Andrew Drury; extreme tourist notabley featured on Netflix series "Dark Tourist", Andrew Gurza; host of Disability After Dark podcast, Miss Peppermint; trans-activist and iconic Drag Queen seen on Rupaul's Drag Race, and Natasha Daly; animal tourism journalist at National Geographic. If you're a fa...

A departure from our normal structure, join Erin on her trip to Lily Dale, New York for a totally unique, narrative bonus episode. What makes Lily Dale special is the fact that its population of around 300 people, is made up of, mostly, Spiritualist mediums - people who communicate with the dead. Erin, her friends and local medium, Gretchen Clark, discuss what it means to be a Spiritualist and a m...

In part two of our Disney Parks dissection, Erin and return guest, Sennah, dive into the depths of reddit threads from Disney "cast members" past and present! We had to know the dark truth behind the veil of Disney Park happiness, and boy, did we find some juicy and disturbing stories. Resources:  23 Disney World and Disneyland Employees Share the Craziest Things They've Ever Seen at Work Walt Dis...

Are you a Disney fan, or maybe a Disney skeptic? Erin chats with her guest Sennah, who has researched the hyperrealist tactics behind the Disney parks. They dive into everything from why it's the Happiest Place on Earth to the "incidents" that have happened in the parks.   Plus, during our hiatus we'll be posting some awesome bonus content so you don't miss out on any alpaca goodness. Resources: ...

Erin is joined by global runner, Karolina, in part two of our Sport Tourism episode to discuss everything Olympics, its impact on host cities and plenty of fun facts. Karolina tells us about how her very first half-marathon went in Copenhagen... or, nearly didn't! Notes: We apologize for the bit of background noise, it was pouring rain this entire recording session!   Severe weather creates chaos...

We've got a more light-hearted episode for you this time, as Erin sits down with runner Karolina to talk about sport tourism and her global running ! Ever heard of the secret global running group events called "Bridge-the-Gap"? Karolina give us all the insider details, how she got in and how these events changed the way she plans travel! From "pre-run-runs" to becoming a six-star finisher, we disc...

In honour of Lauren's podcast, Somebody Date Us, we're talking all about finding love and hooking up abroad! Lauren's got a particular knack for finding Spanish romances, while although Erin ultimately found love while traveling, she's seen some shit while working abroad too. Backpacking's hookup culture is strange territory! Find Lauren's travel blog, Twirl the Globe, anywhere on social media @tw...

Erin is joined by Lauren, co-host of the hilarious and insightful podcast "Somebody Date Us", and fellow travel blogger, to discuss their most commonly asked question: how do you balance work and travel?! It's no easy feat! We discuss what the internet is saying you should do in order to have the best of both worlds, what the heck a "Digital Nomad" is, and Erin and Lauren are brutally honest about...

Traveling as a couple must be soooo romantic! Well, not always. In this episode, Erin's partner Lucas joins her to chat about the many many times they've encountered disaster while traveling. Some of these stories are scary, some are cautionary, and some are just plain funny. If you're a fan of the show, don't forget to subscribe, rate and review Curious Tourism: Responsible Travel Podcast! Read E...

By now you've heard Curious Tourism host Erin talk ALOT. It's about time you got to know her a little better! In this bonus episode Kattie asks Erin all about her relationship to travel, day to day life, and more! If you're a fan of the show, don't forget to subscribe, rate and review Curious Tourism: Responsible Travel Podcast! Read Erin's award-winning blog: https://pinatravels.org/alpaca-farms-...

Erin is joined by former cruise staffer Jessica to talk all things cruising! From what happens behind the scenes on cruise ships to the impact of cruising on the environment, Erin and Jessica delve deep into the world of floating vacations. If you're a fan of the show, don't forget to subscribe, rate and review Curious Tourism: Responsible Travel Podcast! Read Erin's award-winning blog: https://pi...

Food allergies are serious and scary. Erin chats with her producer, Kattie, and guest Carleigh about life with allergies. When you put three allergy kids in the same room, there's lots of shared experiences to laugh about! But FYI, there is talk about needles, hospitals, and medical stuff that might be triggering for some listeners.  If you're a fan of the show, don't forget to subscribe, rate and...

Erin and Carleigh share their experiences of traveling with severe allergies, as well as tips on how to do it yourself - from hoarding food everywhere possible, and how to stay safe when there's a language barrier. Plus, the ridiculousness of it all when it comes to dealing with airlines - seriously, why can't they get it together when it comes to food allergies?! If you're a fan of the show, don'...

In this bonus episode Erin and Kattie head to rural Ontario to meet REAL ALPACAS! Many thanks to Caroline and Doug at Kickin' Back Alpaca Ranch in Ontario for the amazing day of learning all about alpacas: http://www.kickinbackalpacaranch.com/ Side note: We apologize for the sketchy audio is this episode, we're not sure where we went wrong with our mic and hope you can enjoy it anyway! If you're a...

Most of us experience homesickness at one point in our lives. Erin chats with Anabelle about the experience of homesickness: what it feels like, when it happens, and how to cope with it. If you're a fan of the show, don't forget to subscribe, rate and review Curious Tourism: Responsible Travel Podcast! Read Erin's award-winning blog: https://pinatravels.org/ Follow us on social media @curioustouri...

Immigration is pretty different from travel, and Erin wanted to learn more about the experience. Anabelle tells us about her experience of moving to Canada from Mexico, and then she shares some hot tips for visitors to Mexico City! If you're a fan of the show, don't forget to subscribe, rate and review Curious Tourism: Responsible Travel Podcast! Read Erin's award-winning blog: https://pinatravels...