How to be a responsible tourist when everyone around you is being a menace
Recently, graffiti have scribbled a wall in Barcelona Read: tourists go home. In Paris, the Louvre was closed last month due to a staff strike launched by overchurism and its impact on working conditions. In Venice, the inhabitants used water cannons on tourists who overcut their streets. Closer to their homes, in Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, the residents expressed their frustrations in the face of the strain that mass tourism puts on water, waste systems and means of subsistence.
The decline of the inhabitants is not a personal attack on the tourists themselves, but a global commentary on the way, when and where we choose to travel. It is easy to consider ourselves as travelers conscious in theory: obviously, do not throw or increase your carbon footprint, avoid places that are already creaking under the weight of tourists and try to travel during the shoulder season to compensate for the effects of the high season.
However, with work and family commitments, most of us do not have the luxury of traveling out of season. Holidays must often align themselves with school breaks or limited free time, which makes peak travel periods difficult to avoid. So how can we balance our own desire to travel and the restrictions that we can have with an equally urgent desire to preserve the destinations to which we travel?
Below, travelers share advice on how to be a responsible tourist in a world full of nightmare travelers.
Book an Eco-Homestay inheritance
“The held helding confermers of eco-consciousness are one of the best ways not only to travel [in an eco-friendly manner]But also to understand the local way of life, ”explains Nivetha Kannan, based in Chennai. Il. “Catering in these reception sessions is most inspired by catering in these accommodation.
Opt for reusable bottles and straws
While Vani Sahjwani was traveling to California in June, an apparently simple and simple practice helped her reduce her waste while she explores the west coast of the United States: transporting a bottle of water and reusable straw. An average of 1.67 kg of waste is produced by tourist per day, most of them being small plastic packaging with a limited lifespan, commonly known as single use plastic (SUP). “It is also useful to have your own bottle of water on flights. Even if you cannot transport a full bottle of water thanks to the safety of the airport, you can avoid the smallest plastic bottles by asking the on -board agent to fill your empty bottle instead, “advises Sahjwani.
Discover culture beyond the bare minimum; Buy local
Imming in the local culture of a region is an important travel practice for Isha Chawla. “Half of the beauty of travel is to be able to meet different types of people, have new experiences, learn about cultures and, of course, become familiar with the nature of a place – because countries were countries, they were ecosystems,” she said. Chawla finds it useful to take an interest in local specialties of the place she visits, such as the search for native herbs or seasonal fruit, as it helps her keep track of the provenance of what she eats. Sharing the monetary advantages of tourism with the local community is of the utmost importance for it, so it recommends abandoning international luxury brands in favor of local treasures. “Each country has tons of crafts, jewelry and works of art made by residents so unique at this place, you will never find it elsewhere.”
Don’t leave any trace that you were there
Navjot Nagi, an author and defender of regenerative tourism, tries to move in places without leaving a trace, whether physical or energetic. “Waste is not only what we throw away, that is also what we consume unconsciously. I try not to transport excess luggage, to consume without thinking or to take more than what I need,” she shares. Nagi also believes that the energy we put in a place is also important. “Sometimes I sit, observe and let the place meet me. I don’t document everything. This silent consciousness is what helps me to leave less and to kiss more. ” So, the next time you feel tempted to Geotagr this “hidden gem”, did you come across your trips on Instagram? Determine if it can manage the influx of visitors that your coil could reach.
Promote the use of renewable energy sources
Ishita Khanna, co -founder and director of the social enterprise ecosphere, recommends using renewable energies whenever possible during travel. Make effective exchanges such as the use of solar chargers instead of batteries or promote accommodation that uses renewable energies such as solar bakers and solar lights. This not only helps to considerably reduce energy consumption, but can also educate travelers with similar views of the hotels they should choose.
Also distribute the economic advantages of tourism
“Each decision you take – where you stay, where you eat, what and where you shop – has a training effect on the local community,” explains Sri Lankais Dikkumbura Creator. “Consider going beyond tourist hot spots and venturing into less known areas, as this helps to spread the economic benefits of tourism more uniformly. This also reduces pressure on popular places that can suffer from burst, ”suggests Dikkumbura. “These choices really count in destinations with fragile or unstable savings, therefore support for local businesses helps maintain tourism income within this community, where it may have a significant impact.”
Low impact
Opt for low impact modes of transport such as trains and buses instead of taking short flights to and from different cities. Although this increases the journey time, I find that traveling by road is a relaxing way to see the picturesque in the Betweens and the endless open land. More recently, I took a Vienna train in Prague while traveling across Europe, and the hours seemed to pass as smoothly as the wooden card -shaped woods outside the window.
Do not stay on your culture on passers -by without mistrust
A better understanding of the environment is only one of the answers to the way of being a responsible tourist. A crucial part of temporary assimilation in a place also consists in maintaining peace and respecting its customs. Which reminds me, surely, there is a better way to express your patriotism than by entering Garba on the top floor of Burj Khalifa or in the middle of a street in Austria. What can you do instead? Well, do what each Indian has done since the Stone Age: Fish this Kakras box out of your backpack and polish in one go.
