Putting eco tourism under the spotlight: how to be a more responsible traveller

Posted by Linda Markovina on 7 June 2012

Here is a great definition of eco tourism:

Eco-tourism is the  “responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and improves the well-being of local people.” (TIES, 1990)

Increasingly, environmental and humanitarian projects are learning how to harness tourism dollars to make a difference.  For nearly 83% of developing countries, tourism is the principle foreign exchange earner, and it is the top earner for a third of the world’s poorest nations. But how do we know that what we are participating or putting our holiday dollars into is in fact real eco-tourism and not ‘greenwashing’?

It is up to us to do our homework when we lend our support to groups, activities, and projects and please that use the label as being eco tourism. True eco tourism is about uniting conservation, communities, and sustainable travel.

Here are some guidelines to help you become a more responsible eco traveller:

1. Do your research

Look for information and resources on responsible travel, eco tourism, or sustainable tourism online. TIES has a great interactive online directory – educate yourself on the traditions, customs, current affairs and eco system of where you are going. If you approach with the desire to learn and not just blindly observe you will gain so much more and also be able to identify anything that might not be responsible tourism.

2. Ask questions

Talk to your hotel/backpacker/tour operator or guide as much as possible. Let them know that you are a responsible consumer and ask about their social and environmental policies. Try and choose people and places that have good firsthand knowledge of the place you are considering visiting.

3. Choose wisely

Are the businesses you’re considering certified? Do they have eco label ratings, or have they won an valid eco awards?

4. Respect local traditions and etiquette

Be sensitive to things like the way you dress, taking photographs or different ideas of social values and customs. We don’t all have the same way of looking at time, personal space, and the way we communicate and no one way is more inferior or superior to another-just different.

 

5. Don’t be a passive traveller

Getting to know the person sitting next to you on a local bus or the person cooking your food takes some effort but can often be very rewarding – remember to be street wise but not completely paranoid. Adapt yourself to the situation rather than trying to adapt the situation to you.

 

6. Think about the resources you use

Many areas we travel to are already under incredible pressure when it comes to the resources they have. Think about how much water and wood you would use and also how much waste you might be producing. Don’t allow your guide to hunt endangered or threatened species or harvest rare plants for your consumption. Don’t ever purchase souvenirs made from endangered species skin, feathers or anything from the sea (corals, shells etc). A large luxury hotel in the middle of nowhere takes far more resources to build and maintain than does a small family-run inn.

 

7.  Support local economies

How will your visit directly benefit the local economy or entire community?  This is an integral part of true ecotourism. Use local transportation, guides, inns, restaurants and markets. This helps create a buffer zone for the environment surrounding protected natural areas by giving locals an economic alternative to potentially destructive practices.  Community based ecotourism spreads the wealth and workload.

 

8. Don’t stop!

Eco tourism doesn’t need to end as soon as you get home.  Follow through on your commitment to conservation in your everyday life.  Share your experiences, let people know what is working and what is not, talk about it.

 

The idea is that eco tourism provides a tool for sustainable opportunities, empowerment and conservation long term and minimizing the impact on the environment, building environmental and cultural awareness and respect, and provides positive experiences for both visitors and hosts. Many ecotourism operators have gotten away with greenwashing their image because there is no rating system, but many in the industry are hoping that will change So it is up to us to really take a close look at something before we just blindly accept.

The best part of eco tourism is that it encourages dignity and responsibility. Realising that being a responsible traveller is just about taking the step to care more about how you travel and being more responsible when you arrive and move around a country. It is more than just a way of travelling, but an exiting and easy way to have an amazing and beneficial experience for both you and the people, animal and plant life that you visit.

There are so many resources you can draw from, especially in this day and age of digital media where you can be in the middle of a tropical jungle and still have access to information (which I have experienced). And this information sometimes does not have to come from the internet, understanding and taking the time to talk to the local people of wherever you are is so incredibly important, it’s amazing what you can really learn once you bother to try and care for the people and the place you are visiting. Since I have tried to implement it in my life and incorporate it into my travels I have had far more rewarding experiences than before.

 

Photo by Jason du Plessis

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