“I take the meaning of our life these days in a global neighborhood very seriously. And the first thing to do in such circumstances, and one of the most rewarding things, is to go meet the neighbors, find out who they are .are, and what they think and feel. So traveling for me is an act of discovery and responsibility, as well as a great adventure and constant liberation.” – Pico Iyer, renowned travel writer

Travel today is literate with new vocabulary: sustainable, responsible, ecotourism, community-based, fair trade, voluntourism. There has been a shift in awareness and conscientiousness in travel and tourism to “create better places for people to live and better places to visit”. This essay will discuss the concept of Responsible Tourism, its benefits, and what you can do to ensure you are a responsible traveler.

The 2002 Cape Town Declaration describes the main pillars of responsible tourism as tourism that:

• Minimize negative economic, environmental and social impacts
• Generates greater economic benefits for the local population and improves the well-being of host communities
• Improves working conditions and access to industry
• Involves local people in decisions that affect their lives and life chances.
• It makes positive contributions to the conservation of natural and cultural heritage that embraces diversity.
• It provides more enjoyable experiences for tourists through more meaningful connections with local people and a greater understanding of local cultural, social, and environmental issues.
• Provides access to people with physical disabilities.
• It is culturally sensitive, fosters respect between tourists and hosts, and builds local pride and trust.

These pillars seem like common sense, so why has responsible tourism recently become such an important principle? There are three reasons, namely climate change, customer demand and corporate social responsibility.

The climate change conversation has increased global environmental awareness and we are more aware of our personal impact on the Earth. Carbon offsets when booking a flight, green accommodations, and hotels that save water by not washing towels every day are all examples of companies buying into the climate conversation.

However, consumer awareness extends beyond climate change with increased demand for a holistic approach to responsible global citizenship. Travelers want to ensure that their holidays are less intrusive and more beneficial to local communities. There is an interest in engaging with communities and understanding different cultures, rather than sitting on a tour bus gawking at foreign lands behind security glass. Tour operators are almost required to incorporate community visits, and communities are realizing that it is beneficial for them to open up their towns to tourists (the ethics of this is another matter, for another article).

Third, Corporate Social Responsibility means that it is good for business if consumers believe that organizations are good global citizens. The fair trade movement is proof of this, as consumers are willing to pay much more than standard brands for fair trade chocolate, coffee and other products. Capacity building programs are a way for large corporations to demonstrate their commitment to responsible global citizenship. Staff are offered the opportunity to volunteer in a developing country, training local people in their field of expertise. Done right, these programs can be enormously beneficial to both parties.

But why is it necessary to travel responsibly? Perhaps it is better to consider the question backwards: what happens if we do No travel responsibly? We can already see evidence of centuries of irresponsible travel with the growing list of endangered species, prostitution and sexual slavery, poverty, bigotry and racism, and exploitation. To prevent these terrible things from happening, we must treat the entire Earth as our own home. We need to protect the world’s treasures for future generations.

Then, how do we do it? There are already two important promises that responsible travelers can sign up to. One is the Hippocratic Oath: First, do no harm. The second is the golden rule: do to others what you would have done to yourself. The responsible journey is treating others the way you want to be treated. For example, putting cameras in a person’s face without asking permission or entering a stranger’s house uninvited are probably not acceptable behaviors in your home country, so why on vacation?

It is up to people to travel responsibly and contribute positively to the well-being of others. Some actions you can take at this time include:

• Do not litter and educate those who do. For example, while traveling on the Trans-Siberian Railway, wagon attendants often empty the garbage bin out the window. You can ask them to keep it in the smoking area and dispose of it yourself at the next station.
• Shop local. This usually means you have to haggle, so be fair. When you find yourself arguing over 50 cents, ask yourself what that 50 cents means to the supplier compared to you.
• Don’t give alms. Instead of creating a sharing society, we should encourage the attitude of winning. That means if someone helps you, it’s good to give them a small tip.
• Choose local guides. This not only supports the local community, but also gives you access to the best knowledge, because who knows their homeland better than a local?
• Stay in locally owned accommodation.
• Compliance with local regulations. If the locals dress conservatively, dress conservatively as well.

There are a few things to consider when choosing a tour operator:

• An operator calling himself responsible is not a guarantee – ask questions
• Investigate your accommodation
• Check out their other services; Are they in line with what is offered?
• Is the operator part of a conglomerate? What are the values ​​of that conglomerate?
• Use the travel forums to review travelers’ experiences with the operator. Check that they kept their promises, treated people well, etc.
• Do they give back to the community?
• Check operator activities against the Cape Town Declaration

Five years ago, the World Travel Market and the United Nations World Tourism Organization designated November 7 as World Responsible Tourism Day. It is an event of global importance that brings together travel and tourism professionals to build a strong and sustainable future for the industry.