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10 tips of being a responsible traveler

Posted on 23. Apr, 2009 by Abhishek Daga in Adventure

Responsible traveling is about minimizing one’s impact and maximizing one’s connection with the people and the environment. Enriching one’s traveling experience by making positive contributions to the places is the essence of responsible traveling.

A traveler that is cautious about making minimum negative impacts on the environment, who respects the culture and fosters authentic interaction with the hosts and who is concerned about what the hosts would gain financially at the end of the trip is the one that can be addressed as a ‘responsible traveler’.

An ethical traveler should keep the following tips in mind which will help him through out his journey.

Pre-requisites

(1) Research : It is advisable to research about the place one is intending to visit as it helps one to understand the people and culture. This way it saves time and makes one easier to adapt to the surroundings. Learning a few words of the local language may come in handy if the place one is visiting is foreign.

(2) Decide the mode of travel : It is very important to choose the right option to travel, whether it is feasible to travel by train than flight, by bike rather than the car. The idea is to make the journey ‘carbon nuetral’. It’s is believed that since climate change is a global problem, an emission reduction made elsewhere has the same positive effect as one made locally.  ‘Carbon offsets’ are available in the market these days which are simply credits for emission reductions achieved by projects such as wind farms, solar installations, or energy efficiency retrofits. One can purchase these credits and apply them to one’s own emissions to reduce the net climate impact.

(3) Packing and Hotel Bookings : Carry as little as possible. Try not to make

the hosts sweat and worry about space for unnecessary luggage. Carry

only the essentials such as - a few pairs of appropriate clothes keeping

the climatic conditions and the culture of the place in mind, toiletries

and a first-aid kit.

When booking for the hotels bear in mind that tour operators, hotels and lodges that are genuine in their approach to responsible tourism will generally have a written policy covering their environmental impact, employment and cultural policy. If they don’t, question them and then decide.

On the run

(1) Purchase local, support local : While on the destination stress more on

buying local produce and less of imported goods. This way one can enhance the earnings of the local people there. Avoid buying goods made from the skins of endangered species. Support wildlife preservation. Do not buy goods made from hard woods or ancient artifacts either.

Hire a local guide as he is already familiar with the place, knows it like the back of his hand owing to his own personal experiences. That way one not only helps the locals earn some income but can also have additional information which the books might fail to provide.

(2) Conserve natural resources : One tends to waste more water while on

holiday than at home. Try avoiding that. Keep in mind that the country you are visiting might not be that rich materialistically rather more dependent on natural resources. Respect that.

(3) Stay Green : Keep in mind you are on a holiday but the locals are not. It

is necessary to be aware of social and ecological responsibility each one of us has at all the times. Hence turn off lights when not needed, use air conditioners and heaters sparingly and do not waste too much food.

(4) Adapt, Experience and Make a change : Acceptance makes adapting

easy. Rather than just being an observer, aim for becoming part of the local community. Get involved with the on-going events and absorb as much of what is available.

When one indulges, one adapts and unknowingly contributes. The experiences received while one travels broadens the mind and enriches the soul. Bear in mind that the place one visits is different from the place one is coming from. Hence ask as many questions as possible, keep that curious mind racing.. that way the travel becomes much more than just visiting the places.

Post-requisites

(1) Respond to the tour operator : Everyone likes being appreciated.

Especially the well-deserved ones like the tour operators who have made sure the visit was comfortable. Write a letter thanking them with the comments or feedbacks if any.

(2) Revert to the locals : If one has made friends while traveling and

wishes to bond further, the best way is by sending trip pictures and e-mailing what one experienced during the travel. If one became too familiar with the local guide it would be a touching gesture to write to him and send some gifts.

(3) Food for thought : Just like it is important to prepare for the trip, so is equally essential to reflect on the trip and its experiences. This way one can review the entire trip, go through the challenges one had, and plan the things to be done differently for the next time.