Travelling is not just boarding the plane, catching up with cabs, booking hotels, clicking Instagram pictures, or gazing pieces of foreign arts for hours. While travelling we get to encounter varied cultures and people that might not share the same lifestyle and way of living as ours. If we will not be a responsible traveller, maybe next time someone comes to this same place, they will have a different experience, to be precise shabbier than before. When travelling you aren’t just covering the world but also leaving your footprints behind. You have to decide if these footprints will leave behind a scar, or a path for others to follow. Here are few tips on how to be a Responsible Traveller.
Eat Locally – Rather than dropping by the local Mc Donald’s, or Starbucks, you should try the local food joints and cafes. Remember this will be your contribution to the local community, and not to that multi coloured international clown. This will be a support to keep alive local culture n cuisines.
Souvenir Shopping – Here is an honest question, what would you prefer a Chinese made local souvenir from a large supermarket, or handmade traditional one from a street vendor. This is no brainer and comes without a fancy carry bag. But won’t you like artisan generation to flourish.
Shout Outs – When visiting a local hotel or a local restaurant or café or any mention worthy place, don’t forget to use your social media or word of mouth back home, to praise what good they have. This will strengthen the authentic experiences that normally don’t have large marketing budgets.
Don’t feed the animals – This might sound a little philanthropic but is destructive for animals. The food you will give them will be processed and un natural, that will only ruin their digestive system. Plus you will make them dependent on human food, and compel them to leave their natural habitat.
Bring your own bags – It’s time we should open up that there is absolutely no shame in carrying a tote bag. Yes it is reusable and a strong weapon against pollution of plastic. Remember this is not your home. Being a foreign place you have higher responsibility to not litter plastic bags around.
No to Straws – Most of top tourist destinations being tropical and best time to travel being summers, straws have to come in the scene. We can’t stress enough that world doesn’t needs plastic. Hence you must say no to Straws. Try to control on how much to drink at a time.
Do not throw Touristy things – Many travellers who are on their own buy travel maps, and local guides that become kind of obsolete when the trip is over. Either they will occupy your house store room or trash. Rather leave it in your hotel room or at hotel reception for other guests to reuse.
Use Public Transportation – When travelling your objective is to open up to a new world, so there will be no excuses. Rather than hiring a smoke emitting vehicle, use public transportation to commute, or better a bicycle. This will be your eco-friendly gesture towards that destination.
Keep the reefs safe – Beaches being top favourite of travellers are also getting subjected to corrosion. You might be scuba diving, swimming, or snorkelling, without realizing that chemicals of your sunscreen are damaging the reefs down under. So use ones that are Reef Safe.
Take care of costumes – This applies especially in Pilgrimage sites where there are proper costumes to follow. Some might not make it mandatory, but doesn’t means you will enter them in your shorts. Respect the local culture, take help from hotel staff and arrange for a proper local costume.
Try Local Experiences – It could be a cooking class, or a dancing session, or a handicraft workshop, or an enriching homestay. You got to try it, both for culturally rich experience and support such activities that make that particular place distinct from rest of the world. You can make a difference.
Don’t take pictures of everything – There is a thumb rule of taking pictures that says, always have the consent. It will be disrespectful and sometimes an act of mockery to people being clicked. Also many places don’t want to be clicked, like few protected tribes, etc. So mind your camera.
Haggle for Good – When buying an item, bargaining is common, but don’t make it hard for the seller. Most of these local merchants sell for meeting their ends. Your point is not to get thugged. So try finding a fair price and not the minimum one. This will keep both seller and you happy.
Be Watchful of Over Tourism – This is becoming a hue and cry of top ravel destinations like Venice, Barcelona and more. The locals in there have started cultivating rejection towards tourists. So keep this mind before choosing travelling spot, and also mind the calendar when you are visiting.
Don’t take it at granted – Hotel stays can be little overwhelming. It might result in lights, air conditioner being open 24 by 7, even when you aren’t in room. Tap flowing for hours, or even entire day. Be little caring towards nature of that destination, and use only what you need.
Leave no Trace – When with partners or lovers, people tend to tell the world that they were there at this place by carving their name within a heart on a stone of wall built by Romans, or fitting a lock on some bridge with their name. This all is romantic, but very damaging too. So please refrain.
Volunteer for Good – This is the best you can do on long holidays. Once you have had the pleasure of local culture, tradition and people, it is time to give back. Use your skills and make the difference. It could be teaching English to local kids, or conservation of nature, or a sea cleaning drive.
Minimise Carbon Emissions – The flight that you sit on is not operating on air, though it’s up above in air. The carbon emitted is larger destruction to nature than what joy you will get of travelling. Plan the shortest possible route by air, and prefer travelling in trains. It will save the nature least by bit.
