Travel is basically the motion of individuals between different, often remote, geographic locations. Travel can take place by foot, car, bike, train, plane, bus or any other means, with luggage or none at all, and is usually one-way or round-trip. It can also involve travel between adjacent locations in different time zones. The word ‘travel’ has various other meanings in addition to traveling between locations: it can mean travel within a country or within a geological area, it can indicate the movement of a nation’s people or a collection of nations, it can indicate a journey between inhabited or uninhabited parts of earth, it can indicate a migration of an individual from one town or district to another (often accompanied by companions), and it can indicate a series of activities or events in which people interact within a certain geographic area or over a period of time.
We can further divide travel into two major categories. One category is tourism and the other is commercial transport. For example, while a plane takes off from an airport across the city to take a holiday on the coast, that plane will be transporting people from one tourist destination to another. However, when a truck driver travelling from his home in Texas to his final destination in New York carries heavy loads of goods back and forth across the country, it would clearly be considered as commercial transport rather than a leisure or holiday pursuit.
There are numerous types of people who go about exploring new places and this can include hiking, trekking, travelling through a cave, mountain climbing, swimming, cycling, kayaking, rafting, paragliding, mountaineering, rock climbing, etc. Hiking is a common hobby of many young adults today and it brings to mind the images of early adventurers. Hiking allows one to see and experience different geographical, cultural and climatic features of the country. Some of the countries with a very beautiful landscape and superb hiking trails include Italy, France, South Africa, New Zealand, Canada, the United States and Alaska.
Another way of travelling is by air or sea. Air travel provides a relatively inexpensive mode of travel and it lets the travelers interact with the new cultures and meet friends and loved ones. On the other hand, sea travel enables the traveler to experience a new culture along with learning about the traditions, foods and histories of that country. Cruising on a ship also allows for a unique opportunity to see and explore a foreign land while at the same time enjoying the fresh air and scenery of the place.
The travel industry has been developed in such a way so as to allow the customers to customize travel experiences according to their preferences. These preferences may include a tour to a far-off place where there is little or no personal interaction. This type of trip may be called a relaxation tour or a romantic trip depending on the preferences of the travelers. In a nutshell, travel means having a different way of looking at and interacting with the environment and people around you. This will allow you to redefine travel.
We need to realize that travelling means encountering different things and this is one reason why travellers are encouraged to take up activities such as backpacking, trekking and camping so that they can broaden their horizons. There are many ways in which we can minimize the effects of travelling and at the same time maximize its positive aspects. Such methods include packing light, eating healthy and travelling non-routine. Taking up these non-routine activities will let us look at travelling from an innovative viewpoint.