In these times when sustainability and ethical ways of life are gaining more importance, travellers must think about these concepts while travelling to avoid harming the environment in any way. We as tourists should not only keep in mind the ecological aspect of a place but also the cultural and social peace as guests.
What is Responsible Tourism?
The United Nations World Tourism Organisation has defined responsible tourism as the practice of tourism that strives to provide meaningful, challenging, and rewarding experiences for the local community, and that does not exploit, threaten, damage or exploit the environment. Hence, responsible tourism has become the need of the hour. Instead of supporting the business of unethical tourism which exploits people and the environment, a positive alternative has been implemented which leads to a positive impact on the lives of the locals. How to be a Responsible Tourist? From activities like visiting the offices of the hotelier, buying souvenirs made by local artisans to serving the locals meals or even dropping litter, you can always do something to contribute to the betterment of a region.
Why is Responsible Tourism Important?
Most travellers may not realise that the harm caused by tourism can last longer than the original harm. While the original harm usually leads to the degradation of the environment, the side effects of tourism can last even longer because it involves other social and economic consequences that may never be solved. It is essential to understand that the tourism industry exists because the benefits from tourism outweigh the costs. However, with more and more travellers arriving each year, the challenge is to sustain the livelihood of local people, as well as ensure that the environment does not get affected in any way. A couple of examples that represent the harmful effects of tourism can be seen in the Philippines and Greece.
Issues created by Irresponsible Tourism
We all know the stereotypes of all the travellers of previous generations who came to certain places with their purses filled with foreign currency and all the promises of a beautiful experience at the end. They made the place ugly and bad, where they came from not as a guest but as a colonist. Some of the worst examples include the colonialism of the Indian Ocean in the Arab states and the newly found imperialism in Western Europe and the United States. With the advent of cheap flights, tourists have started to come to countries not only to do a bit of sightseeing but to build resorts and housing structures on the people’s land. In the end, they want to sell the place to someone else. This is known as colonialism by another name.
How to Travel and Support the Local Community
We can easily live out these ideas while travelling since it has become cheaper and accessible than ever before. It is also vital to realise that the environment has become the most precious and the most difficult thing to protect. Therefore it is essential to make sure to behave in a responsible way towards our planet so that the survival of the human race will continue to be possible. Certain simple steps can be followed while travelling that can support the local community. Travelling local, tourists can enjoy the best of nature and culture while learning about the local communities, without harming the environment. Travelling by local transportation means that we have to pay our transportation costs through local businesses instead of buying a plane ticket. Also buying locally made products from vendors and brands is ethically driven for a responsible tourist.
How to Travel and Protect the Environment
People nowadays are heavily concerned about the environment, how they can help reduce their carbon footprint, preserve our natural resources and protect the world from human-made disasters. Although we cannot undo what has been done by previous generations, we can ensure the future by leaving a positive impact on the present and doing everything that we can do to preserve the environment, for ourselves and future generations. Sustainable Tourism: An Overview There are two sides to sustainable tourism: the environmental aspect and the cultural aspects. We can combine both to make the most of these vacations.
How to Travel and Preserve the Identity of a Place
Relevant regulations and rules exist in various countries, for instance, there is the Ecotourism Law (2011), and the government in places such as France, Spain, and Portugal have already introduced certain provisions on sustainable tourism. Moreover, the World Tourism Organisation (WTO) in 2008 has taken up an initiative for the sustainable development of the tourism sector as a part of the 10 Global Sustainability Goals (GGS) set by the United Nations. One of the ten GGS is the eradication of poverty in less than a decade. How Do We Travel and Preserve the Identity of a Place? According to the ESA, sustainable tourism has three major elements. These are Responsible Travel, Responsibility Tourism, and Living Ethical Tourism.
How to Travel and Respect the Individuals
Travelling requires time and a lot of effort. Just like travelling from one city to another, it is not possible to visit every place at the same time. We must understand and accept that as tourists, we must visit some places in our lifetime while not visiting others. We need to choose the best places for a holiday and visit the less important places after taking care of our time and budget. Going on a big holiday to see some place is not good enough to experience the place. It is a fact that the places that are least accessible to the tourists are more popular as compared to the highly touristy ones. The place you want to visit must also be able to keep up with the people of the place.
Responsible Tourism in India
Responsible Tourism in India has existed for several years and is gaining popularity in the world. We have brought together various organisations that are working to change the perception of the average Indian, especially regarding foreign tourism. The concept of responsible tourism is getting more recognised in the travel industry and more independent tourists make sure to keep the ecological and ethical issues in mind while travelling.
Conclusion
Ethical tourism is a growing practice that may be applicable to different people and cultures at different times. In the current context, because of the so many conflicting conflicts, ethical tourism must be appreciated by all. This is a guide to “investing in culture for travel” in a bid to help travellers “feel more included and be better understood and supported.” Lastly, she offers, “Perhaps, travelling by walking, rather than by air, would be preferable. So, here’s a rule of thumb for ethics on the road: use whatever you need. No more, and no less. If you can take a cab, use a cab. If you can, take a bus. If you can take a boat, take a boat. If you can take a taxi, take a taxi. If you cannot walk, hop on a bicycle.