Responsible and ethical travel choices make your vacations rewarding and meaningful. Responsible tourism means learning about local cultures and customs, supporting local businesses, and making environmentally friendly choices. This article includes simple tips for making your vacation ethical and sustainable.
An environmentally conscious traveller avoids unnecessary flights, lises public transport such as trains and buses, saves water and protects wildlife.
A responsible tourist also supports local businesses, learns about different cultures and respects local customs. Support Local Businesses When you go on a vacation anywhere in the world, support locally owned hotels, restaurants, shops and tour companies. Even if you book a package holiday that includes accommodation in a resort, get away from the resort every day and eat in local restaurants or shop at local markets and in locally owned shops. Make sure that at least some of your money goes directly to locally owned businesses.
Use local tour guides and buy locally made arts and crafts as Souvenirs Respect Local Culture Ethical and responsible tourism means respecting local customs and cultures.
Read about your destination before your trip and be aware of customs and religious traditions, including what kind of behaviour could be considered offensive. Know the appropriate dress code when visiting religious sites. It is best to dress conservatively when visiting temples or churches
It is always a good idea to learn a few words of the local language. Greeting or thanking people in their own language usually makes a positive impression.
Knowing a few important words can be very useful in an emergency or when you need to ask for directions. Responsible Photography Almost everyone wants to document their vacations on social media but remember to respect people’s privacy when taking photos. Would you want a stranger to take a photo of your children or your home? If not, then you should not take photos of others without asking their permission. It is also polite to ask for permission before posting a photo of a person on social media.
