Until recently not many would’ve thought of luxury travel as an agent of world peace and understanding. Even now this aspect of travel hasn’t quite rung a bell, generally speaking. Are tourists responsible for more than their luggage when they travel? Yes, of course, a whole range of things from toddlers to passports. But, world peace? Surely you can’t hold them responsible for something so intangible and more at home in the realm of political diplomacy, especially when all they want is to leave responsibilities behind and have some unrestrained fun. Well, luxury travellers are certainly not expected to transit in the Middle East and start negotiations before they continue to the warm tropics to work on a tan. The point here is that an understanding of the people and the culture you would be interacting with at your luxury travel destination is a great way to enhance the trip.
These are the days when luxury travel to exotic foreign locales is a matter of routine for most people. Oddly enough the search for the exotic often takes one to far flung corners of third world cultures totally alien to the visitor in terms of language, customs, and etiquette. Some take it in their stride and blend in effortlessly with an open mind and have the time of their lives. They are eager to learn more about the host culture and come away enriched and enlightened in more ways than one; go native, as it were. There might even be an invaluable exchange where the host steps out from behind their cultural curtain and greets you with a hand shake as you bow with a wai greeting. Worlds meet and a relationship is born. It might not be a momentous occasion marked by clashing cymbals and trumpet calls. But from the perspective of luxury travel this may easily be considered an achievement that bodes well for us human beings who sojourn in troubled times.
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