California RESPECT. With a Small Ventura Addition.

Featured Image by Jeff Bartlett

Let’s be wholly honest. We remain entrenched in chaotic times, here in Ventura and everywhere we look. Things change with lightning strike speed — and sometimes, with lightning strike severity. This requires adaptability, grace under pressure, selflessness, and healthy doses of understanding and kindness.
Maybe it requires remembering things we already know, but we sometimes forget.
Because right things remain constant, no matter what the times.
With right things in mind, Visit California, the organization that leads (and inspires) the drive to bring tourists to our beautiful state, came up with a Responsible Travel Code. It is based on the simple, noble premise of Respect.

Image by Briana Diamond

When you are willing to travel, it will be a fine code to tote along. It weighs nothing and ferries so many things.
Because it is the small, not-so-small things that have always made the world a better place. Now, in a strange time when we ask everyone to wear a mask, and before and after these strange times, when civility, selflessness and human decency are always welcome lights.
Visit California asks us to travel with Respect…

Roam Responsibly. I will explore California thoughtfully and responsibly, maintaining the utmost respect for everyone and everything I encounter.

Educate Myself. I will do my research before traveling across the state, familiarizing myself with local regulations and community concerns, which may have changed over time. This is especially important in rural communities with limited healthcare resources.

Safety First. I will follow public health directives from government officials, including physical distancing measures. I will take all necessary steps to minimize health risks to myself and others and stay home if I’m sick.

Preserve California. I will protect and nurture the Golden State’s pristine outdoor spaces and cultural icons, by maintaining a light footprint at every turn and paying special attention to delicate ecosystems.

Embrace Community. I will support local businesses and do my part to ensure the long-term prosperity of the places I visit.

Celebrate Culture. I will immerse myself in California’s diverse local cultures and embrace the traditions and practices I encounter.

Teach Others. I will lead by example and share these practices with fellow travelers, acknowledging that we all share the responsibility to protect California.

To this last point, we here at Visit Ventura might add one small not-so-small addition.
We all share the responsibility to protect each other — and this world we are so lucky to travel.
In these chaotic times, and also in the good times that will one day certainly follow. 

Image by Michelle Evans