worldtravellermagazine.com 17KNOW-HOWMake sure you leave a positive mark on the places you visit by swotting up on the
principles of responsible tourism. Here’s what you need to know...Not to be confused with sustainable
travel, the responsible tourism
movement is all about empowering
travellers to make a positive
contribution to destinations
around the world. “It aims to help
create better places for people
to live in and better places for
people to visit,” says responsible
tourism expert Dr Harold Goodwin
(haroldgoodwin.info). “This means
taking action to help make tourism
more sustainable by maximising
the positive economic, social and
environmental impact of your trips.”
Here's how...CHECK IT BEFORE YOU
WRECK IT
“Before setting off, the most
important thing to do is to learn about
the local issues, whether it’s a lack
of employment or water shortages...
get informed,” says Harold. Once you
have the scoop on the hot topics of
the area you can tweak your plans,
if needed. For instance, you could
spend some of your holiday time
volunteering for a worthy cause.
At Anantara Dhigu Resort in the
Maldives, you can join the Coral
Adoption Programme and help care
for coral in the resort’s reef while
at Atholl Palace in Perthshire in the
UK, you can plant your very own tree
on the grounds. Being responsible,
however, can even be as simple as
making sure you’re up to date on all
your vaccinations and have a good
travel health insurance policy in place.
By taking control of your health, you’ll
be less likely to need to draw upon the
local health services.MEET THE LOCALS
While travelling, make an effort to
broaden your cultural understandingThe Knowledge
of the traditions and values of the
native people. “Tourism is positive
when it increases the understanding
between cultures and people,”
says Harold. During your trip, get
stuck into meeting the residents
by visiting local haunts. “By using
a tour guide who is from that
region, you’ll get to understand and
share some of the real atmosphere of
the place,” says Harold. Find a local
guide who can curate your perfect
tour by thinking outside the box –
enjoying a home cooked meal at
your host's house may well rival your
typical fine dining expeirence.GO FOR HOMEGROWN
Quite often, countries and local
families are reliant on the income
brought in by tourism so you can pay
it forward by carefully selecting where
you spend your money. If you’re in the
market for some unique keepsakes,
use the knowledge of your tour guide
to hunt down the boutiques of localartisans where you’ll find a range of
handmade items that not only look
good but do good supporting local
trade. Choose to stop for coffee in an
independent café rather than a global
chain and your money will go straight
into the hands of a local entrepreneur.BRUSH UP ON ETIQUETTE
As in our home towns, each place
you visit has a set of social norms
that you will do well to adhere to. In
Japan, it’s considered rude to tip the
waiter and while you may be used
to jumping in the back of a taxi, it’s
a social faux pas to not ride shotgun
with the driver in Australia. It’s easy
to research and, just like making the
effort to learn some language basics,
it’ll help put a smile of the face of all
those you meet.To learn more, check out Harold’s
book Responsible Tourism: Using
Tourism for Sustainable Development,
available at amazon.comHOW TO...
Have a holiday that gives back