For five days, Planet B Travel had the pleasure of running sustainable travel workshops for the students of École Sainte-Sophie. It didn’t take long to realize these sessions would become something far richer than a simple presentation.
Our goal was never to tell children they should travel less or give up on discovering the world. Quite the opposite. We wanted to show them that sustainable travel is just a series of small choices: hiring a local guide, buying a souvenir from a local artisan, respecting the people you meet, protecting the environment you’re visiting. Small gestures on their own — but add them up, and they truly make a difference.
The workshops were tailored to each age group, so every child could grasp these ideas in a way that felt real and hands-on. The youngest students experimented, observed, and designed their own “Sustainable Traveler’s Passport,” while the older ones analysed different travel scenarios, compared their impacts, and worked out more responsible alternatives on their own.
One of the most memorable moments was an experiment on ocean pollution. Watching clear water slowly cloud over with just a few drops of oil, sunscreen, or litter, the students immediately grasped how small actions can carry large consequences.
But these five days taught us just as much as they taught the students. Their – sometimes surprising – questions, their ideas, their curiosity, and their willingness to challenge what seems obvious — all of it reminded us that a workshop is always a two-way exchange. We came to share what we know, and we left with new things to think about ourselves.
Because raising awareness isn’t about dictating one right way to travel. It’s about giving people the tools to make their own choices, consciously and deliberately.
If, by the end of these workshops, we managed to plant even a small seed in the minds of a few future travellers, then we can already call this a real success. After all, tomorrow’s travellers are sitting in classrooms today.
