Our 3-Step Guide to being a Responsible Traveler.
The Revenge travel trend has proven to be a force to reckon with this last year as travelers have made up for lost time and taken that vacation trip. You’ve seen the airport queues, baggage halls full of unclaimed luggage, and the must-have accessory of 2022 ,the Apple Air Tag. The bumpy customer experience aside we wanted to take a moment to think about the effect on those local communities and how travelers can try to avoid these tourist traps and pitfalls and be a more responsible visitors, here’s our three-step guide to being a more responsible traveler.
What is a responsible traveler?
Firstly, let’s describe what we mean by being a ‘responsible visitor’. The Global Sustainable Tourism Council describes Responsible tourism as travelers aspiring to make choices on their trip according to sustainable tourism practices. In our book, we think that this is someone who tries to be aware of the history and customs of the local community they’re visiting, someone who is trying to tread lightly and leave as little environmental impact as possible, and who has actively trying to improve the place for those who live there permanently. Ultimately to determine if you are a responsible visitor, ask the question “Did I leave this place better than when I found it?”
Here’s our Guide to maximizing your trip and your Guide to being a responsible Traveler:
Travel outside of Peak Season.
Tourism relies on the social license of local communities. BY traveling off-peak, you are less of a strain on local infrastructure and are more likely to get the reservation you were after. Prices will be lower and it will be a more efficient use of your time not to have to wait in queues, ultimately you should have a much better experience! Traveling off-peak doesn’t mean that you need to travel in the dead of Winter, instead look at the Spring and Fall times which are less busy and still with reasonable weather.
Base yourself in one place.
Today, one of the popular airline industry models of operation is the hub and spoke model, this model has proven to be an efficient way to get people to their destinations. When planning our trips we should also think about having a central base and venturing out on day trips, rather than hopping from one town to the next. This allows travelers to look beneath a destination's surface and explore the local’s version. When you stay in one place you will consolidate your tourist dollars into that community and offer more positive economic benefits. This approach also means you lower your environmental impact also, as it reduces the need for new linens, towels, and those small bottles of shampoo at each new hotel!
Do some reading.
Reading up on the history of your intended destination helps give you some idea of the challenges and concerns of the locals. You should be able to find some good information at your local library or on a quick Google search. We also recommend booking through a travel advisor who specializes in the destination you are visiting; they are generally more familiar with independent hotel and restaurant options and how to avoid tourist traps. lastly learning a few key phrases in the local language can go a long way to demonstrating that you are open-minded and hoping to understand more. Ultimately if you prepare yourself to have an open mind about what you may be venturing into, you should be all set!
The final word for those of us aiming to be more responsible travelers is to make sure you have fun! Go with an open mind and remember that we as travelers are visiting temporarily while the locals live here permanently.
