Wherever your travels may take you, you can contribute to the natural and cultural habits and possessions of that country. Being a responsible traveler is easy and your experiences will be even better by knowing that you made a positive impact on the place you visited. Here are 8 tips to make your travel responsible:
- Search for a responsible travel agency and ask them questions about their policies such as: What percentage of their employees are local citizens? Do they support any projects that benefit the local community?
- Read up on local customs and pack appropriately in preparation for your trip.
- Once you have arrived at your destination, use locally run services whenever possible, choose local buses, locally owned lodges and local car rental agencies and airlines. That way, money spent in the community stays in the community.
- When shopping don’t engage in overly aggressive bargaining for souvenirs and don’t shortchange.
- Be respectful of local citizens’ privacy and ask permission before entering protected places, homes or private land. Another thing is to be sensitive to when and where you take photos or pictures of others. Always ask first.
- Pick up after yourself and put your trash in the appropriate receptacles. Recycle whenever possible.
- Observe animals at a respectful distance when visiting natural areas. Don’t ever feed the animals, this can make them sick and expose them to predators and other dangers. Don’t remove plants, rocks, shells or other items from protected areas.
- Finally, save water and energy and accept hotels suggestions that towels and sheets aren’t washed daily.