心導旅遊 Intravel

Intravel is a local organisation aiming at advocating mindful tourism in Hong Kong. Mindful tourism is an alternative and contemporary travelling style that incorporates mindfulness into travelling. Mindfulness means “awareness of present experience with acceptance” (Germer, 2005: p.7), i.e., being aware of here and now, and embracing the present reality non-judgmentally.  One can practise this concept through simple activities, for example, dining and walking, under guidance. The benefits of practising mindfulness on physical and mental health are proved by much empirical research (Williams, 2016). On the other hand, travelling is an activity that everyone in Hong Kong is familiar with. According to a report by Skyscanner in 2018, although Hong Kong people mainly travelled for relaxation, the majority of them adopted a “3-2-1” travel pattern, i.e., they had more short trips than long ones. As a result, they may rush through their itinerary within the short travelling period, which diverges from their original purpose. Therefore, we would like to promote mindful tourism, a travelling style that genuinely suits their needs. In our tours, a variety of activities would be introduced, such as mindful breathing, mindful walking and mindful eating. Tourists are provided with an opportunity to appreciate the beauty of the places with five senses, enjoy the environment without distractions and visit obscure historical sites. We aim to offer a truly relaxing travelling style, popularise mindfulness via tourism and ultimately improve the mental health status of Hong Kong people.

Our name “Intravel” combines “in” and “travel” -- to travel in one’s mind. We hope Hong Kong people can immerse themselves in the moments during travelling, and hence have a mindful heart in the journey, whether it is in travels or lives. In the beginning stage, we mainly aim at serving young adults who currently suffer from tremendous stress in their studies, work and even during social movements.