From Backpacker To Entrepreneur: A 25-Year-Old’s Journey To Promote Sustainable Slow Tourism

Taking handicraft lessons from locals

How It All Began

As an avid traveller since college, Bengaluru-based Danappa had been backpacking around different parts of India on his bike, posting content on his YouTube channel called Map My Stories. It was right after his graduation that he pushed off on a year-long trip, which culminated in what he rightly calls a ‘transformative experience’. “I found a home in Sikkim and Arunachal; I was welcomed by the local communities in remote villages and spent months learning their culture in a truly immersive way,” he shares. From here, his experience took him on a new journey. In 2021, three years after he had visited the eastern states, he launched Map My Stories—a community-centric social enterprise aimed to give discerning travellers a bite-sized experience of slow, immersive travel.

Cooking with bamboo and a riverside picnic with foraged produce

Map My Stories

At Map My Stories, Danappa curates sustainable, slow trips across remote villages in Sikkim and Arunachal in partnership with local communities. The idea is to go deeper into a locale and not just cover popular destinations already reeling under the burden of relentless tourists. And there is a catch. “I take a small group of like-minded individuals on a curated itinerary to these remote villages across the two states. But we never disclose what these destinations are, even on social media, to prevent over-tourism. Travel has become less of a transformative experience and more of a backdrop for a growing group of travellers. I do not wish to impose that burden on these local communities,” he explains. To this end, Shreyas has an exhaustive application form on the website, by which he understands more about the applicants and makes an informed choice.

Naba teaching travellers how to make a Bamboo beer mug ‘Achiphru’

All the curated itineraries have one common thread—to allow travellers an insight into the local culture and community’s way of life. Some activities offer incredible experiences that a regular vacation would not provide. On a trip to North Sikkim, the 25-year-old entrepreneur curates offbeat, slow experiences. “We do not just go to a monastery; we are renovating a portion of a 19th-century Buddhist monastery and learn Monastic painting techniques from local artisans. We also focus on learning new skills, such as understanding how bamboo mugs are crafted from local materials and even brewing local beer,” he shares.

If you accompany Map My Stories to Arunachal, the gamut of experiences are a little different, focusing on the outdoors and reconnecting with nature. “You can camp near the Indo-China border, learn how to make bamboo rafts and go bamboo rafting, and much more,” he adds. All these experiences are not only creative; they give back to the communities that need the support. Local artists, craftspersons, guides and homestay owners are the ones who benefit from this form of slow travel.

Painting a monastery in Sikkim

The Future Of Tourism

When asked what this young entrepreneur aims to do with his enterprise, Danappa quickly responds, “When I had initially started this passion project, it came from a place of love and respect for locals. People ask me to expand to other states, but I don’t want to. It needs to be holistic and add value to a place. So far, my focus is the local communities in Sikkim and Arunachal, where I want to create a sustainable ecosystem, create livelihoods and provide a platform to them to express their craft. I take the tours now, but I am training the local guides and want to hand over the whole process to the community itself. This is why I want my roots to grow deeper here instead of branching out.”

Shreyas’ sustainable slow tourism initiative is an excellent example of how young entrepreneurs can positively impact the environment and the local communities. Through his initiative, Shreyas aims to promote responsible tourism practices and offer visitors an opportunity to experience any destination more authentically. “Most tour operators exploit locals by creating an unsustainable environment and promoting a superficial travelling experience. I want to show people that slow tourism is the only road to sustainability. And it can be done with the right efforts.”