ECO TOURISM

Responsible Tourism

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Ecology is one of the topics very close to my heart; that’s actually why I have a section dedicated to it!

Tourism often has beneficial impacts on the development of a country and its populations, but there is always a flip side because there are often perverse and unwanted effects on social, cultural, and environmental balances. It’s a blessing and a curse!

This is how responsible tourism came into being!

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The goals of responsible tourism are diverse:

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• Encourage qualitative and responsible tourism in the right way,
• Promote a fairer economic benefit,
• Respect and enhance cultural and natural heritage,
• Give travelers the opportunity to discover authenticity, quality, and respect from locals and for the heritage!

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Eco-tourism benefits for locals:

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• Prioritize local employment,
• Respect and guarantee good working conditions,
• Limit the environmental impact of tourist activities!

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While doing my little research, I saw that a label was created called “ACT FOR RESPONSIBLE TOURISM,” I immediately looked into it and it perfectly matches the ideologies of responsible tourism. These ideas of responsible tourism are conveyed in a so-called “charter”!

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The main commitments:

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• Towards the client: provide traceable and clear information, inform and guide them in responsible tourism, give them information on respecting the environment, heritage, local cultures, and collect their feedback.
• Territorially: prioritize local employment, develop existing infrastructures.
• Locally: respect working conditions for employees, take care of ecology and natural resources, which is often a critical point during travels!

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An interesting site that talks about the subject is: http://www.tourisme-responsable.org.

Country	Eco practice
Costa Rica	25 % in national parks
Norway	Hydroelectricity, right of access
Slovenia	First country with 100 % eco-tourism
Switzerland	Hydroelectric trains
Bhutan	Carbon-negative since 2015

On this site, you can find partners and certified members of responsible tourism.

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Things to do to promote this spirit of responsible tourism:

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• Avoid giving gifts because locals do not have the same value for things as you do. Avoid certain gestures (example: giving money increases begging, children stop going to school because of it), the value of money is probably not the same and can create disparities. Make donations to hospitals, they will know how to manage it!

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• Avoid chain hotels and favor local hotels.

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• Use local transport as it allows you to see another aspect of the country. I remember taking a bus in Thailand, very different from the comfort of Western travel, no air conditioning, windows wide open!

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• Be like a local, don’t walk around with your watch, camera, or valuables. Be just an ordinary person.

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• Support local businesses by bargaining.

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And you! Are you ready to try the experience of responsible tourism? When you travel, do you respect certain ethics?

If you are preparing for your departure, take a look at our guide on responsible tourism which complements the topic well. The feedback around tourist offices also provides useful benchmarks to avoid unpleasant surprises. And to go further for inspiration, the article on traveling economically is worth a detour.

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