How to Travel Responsibly
Being a responsible traveler is an integral part of ecotourism and green travel ideals. There is a saying in the travel community that the best places in the world get ‘loved to death.’
This simple adage sums up a big part in why responsible travel is so important. As more and more people travel the world, more and more places will be visited. It has been projected that in the year 2020, 1.5 billion people will be traveling annually. This sobering statistic not only reflects how large the travel industry actually is, but it also shows how many people are likely to visit and impact the places they love.
Think about your house. If you had people staying in your house and each week you came in to check on it you would probably notice some wear and tear. Even from the best house guests in the world, things will be worn down simply due to the presence of people in your home. Overtime these guests will inevitably break a glass, scratch floors and make an impact on the things in your home. This is what happens all over the world when travelers visit new places. It isn’t such a big deal when they visit Paris, for example but as it relates to ecotourism and green travel that ‘broken glass’ or ‘scratched floor’ might be local floral and fauna. But now imagine irresponsible travelers who make harmful long lasting impacts to a place. It is easy to see why being a responsible traveler is so important. Just the act of consciously trying to minimize your presence helps to preserve the natural environment of the place you are visiting.
It is an unfortunate side effect of travel that places inevitably get loved to death. So many people are eager to see Machu Picchu, or Bali’s Kuta or the falls at Iguazu that the face of these places changes over time. As they gain in popularity the footsteps and impact left by travelers changes it forever.
Because you cannot un-discover a place, hotels go up, restaurants, shops and small island economies can become huge tourism hubs.
Responsible travelers have the ability to make big impacts on the natural world. By positively contributing to the cultures and environments you visit, you not only make a positive contribution to conserving biodiversity, but in maintaining peace, helping poverty and making a positive impact on the places you visit.
By adopting green travel ideals and by becoming a responsible traveler, it helps preserve the planet and allows other people to enjoy the world’s wonders to the same degree that you did. More than ever tourists and travelers are realizing the significance behind being a responsible traveler.
