What is responsible travel?

Responsible travel is a bit like The Big Bang; most people believe in it but can’t always explain it! Well, while I don’t know much about the origins of the universe, I can certainly shed some light on what responsible travel’s all about and a few ways of being a responsible traveller, especially while on your gap year.

Firstly, to nail my colours to the mast, I believe in responsible travel. I believe both in its ability to provide unforgettable travel experiences and its power to reshape the travel industry. Responsible travel is challenging the idea that the only way to see the world is through the hotel window or the tour bus. Real travel is about learning and exploring, rather than just kicking back and getting a tan.

What isn’t responsible travel?

Low-cost airlines are flying to more and more distant places, making travel more easily accessible. The downside of this is that it risks flooding the planet with aimless tourists. In the rush to tick off another place on their personal travel maps, many people think very little about their impact on the world. While individually this doesn’t seem like such a disaster, the unintended consequences of mass tourism include countless stories of small businesses overpowered by large chains and massive ecological damage. If people are going to travel in such great numbers, it’s imperative that they do so responsibly.

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Green Holidays: Having (responsible) Fun in the Sun

Our yearly trip abroad is under threat, threat from the groups of people who tell us we shouldn’t be flying in aeroplanes and that we’re damaging the environment. This argument is essentially true, planes do cough up a lot of exhaust fumes but it remains the most convenient method of long distance transport, unless you plan to spend a few weeks at sea on a freighter.

With recycling and other green initiatives being drummed into our conscience it is understandable that many of us are now thinking about what we’re doing to the planet and how we can help alleviate some of the stresses being put upon the environment. The thing is that unbeknown to many tourists is that there are many ways in which you can look after the planet but also have your week in the sun feeling guilt-free.

In t5he past travel companies have been accused of not providing information on the true cost of holidays and not been forthcoming with social and climate responsibilities. 80% of people surveyed about holidays said they felt they were not provided with enough information on the environmental costs to make an informed choice.

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9 Responsible Travel Planning Tips

Copyright (c) 2009 Linda Rivero

Travel responsibly with these 9 simple travel planning tips.

1. Know what responsible travel is. Responsible travel simply means traveling with not only your own needs in mind, but also the needs of your destination. Responsible travelers realize that when they travel, they are entering someone else’s home, whether they literally visit someone or not. Responsible travelers treat others as those people would like to be treated, and they care for the environment in their destination as they would care for their own home and community.

2. Think: What exactly do you want to experience? You’re about to travel, and you’re looking at an array of possibilities: new people, intriguing places, and the hope of memorable experiences. What are you interests? What do you love to see, feel, do, taste? Why have you chosen your particular destination? Whom would you love to meet? What would make this trip really memorable for you? Once you know that, you can create ways to get the most of those very special experiences out of your trip.

3. Go surfing – and read! Do some searching online for resources specializing in sustainable travel, or responsible travel, in your destination. You can seek out resources on ecotourism, too; just be aware of the pitfalls of “greenwashing.” (See Number 4, below.) Some guidebooks can be very helpful in your planning, as well. Rough Guides and Lonely Planet guidebooks (as well as others) are oriented toward sustainable travel, and they give you a great overview and starting point for your planning.

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Green Travel: Use the Power of Responsible Tourism

The economic buzz of green travel creates both practitioners and impostors. Responsible tourism is not a fad. Good operators understand the issues and incorporate appropriate practices as part of their business strategies, not as part of empty eco-slogans.

For earnest travellers it’s hard to decode all the eco-friendly greenwashing and determine what’s really happening to natural habitats and surrounding communities. This is the dilemma for tourists wanting to choose green destinations without contributing to ecosystem degradation or disrupting local economies.

Tourism operators have a choice to make as well. The current model still supports the pre-Internet generation, when tourist information moved as slow as a lingering tropical day. Today, however, the lightening speed of global communications and a newfound sense of social responsibility urge travellers to make conscientious decisions.

Tourists are no longer just carefree and whimsical sightseers; they are savvy consumers. Instead of just grabbing a Lonely Planet guide and heading out, these days tourists log on, read website travelogues, discuss issues on forums and research potential sites like a corporate raider getting ready for a company takeover.

In the climate change age, travellers seek to use their quota of carbon credits on environmentally sound destinations. They don’t want a journey spoiled by unsightly resorts where pipes spew sewage into beachfront waters or plastic bottles, soda cans and wet waste smoulders in a slow burn under a coconut tree.

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