Ethical Tourism

What is ethical tourism?

In basic terms ethical tourism is the impact of your trip on environmental damage, local economy, local people and on nature. There is so much that can be said on this issue so we have tried to narrow it down a bit. There are some links on our links page if you are interested in delving deeper into ethical tourism as it's a very important issue and as a traveller we have to think what are impact we leave behind us, hopefully a positive one.

    Ethical Tourism

 There are many things we can do before we go on a trip and also whilst you are there. We all know the ecological impact on flying to destinations with carbon emissions and the damage it causes; for example from London Heathrow airport to India Indira Gandhi International Airport Dehli the flight will emit 2.15 tonnes CO2 so carbon offsetting is a great way to offset your carbon footprint on long hall flights. You will need to plant around 15 trees to offset your carbon foot print and if possible buy direct flights to your destination as more fuel is used in the ascent and descent of your flight. The weight you carry also has an impact so don't over pack, think carefully what you're taking with you, if anything you take comes in packaging leave packaging at home as a lot of countries don't have recycling facilities as we do in the west. Plastic is a major problem so use a reusable water bottle. If you're heading to the beach use reef friendly sun screen as 10000 tonnes of sunscreen enters the ocean which washes off us whilst  swimming, scuba diving and snorkelling which in turn affects coral reef environments as some sun screens have chemicals like oxybenzone and octinoxate, these chemicals kill coral. The best way of travelling whilst on a trip is using local transport like trains or buses or another great way is by bike or boat as it's much better for the environment than internal flights plus its a fun way to travel. Try to put money back into the local economy using local businesses or not using big chains when buying food. Why travel all that way to eat a Big Mac when you can eat it at home, Eat local cuisine and try things you have never eaten before, you might like it. When buying crafts buy fair-trade, it's always nice to buy from the people who produce it but also think what you're buying for example don't buy crafts where  animals or the environment has suffered and bargain fairly and only bargain if you are serious about buying an item. Animals are still mistreated in a lot of countries for tourism like Elephant rides as they have to break the spirit of an elephant, the process called “crush” the elephant which is restrained, inflicting pain to the elephant using  a bull hook and withholding food. They are kept in chains for life in small pens with no interaction with other elephants. Shows with performing animals like dolphins which are kept in tiny swimming pools, having your photograph taken with wild animals like tiger cubs that are taken away from their mothers as tiny cubs and kept in small cages. Check before you see wildlife, make sure it's ethical and not cruel. Be respectful by learning a few key phrases in the local language, check the local customs - some countries don't like to see too much flesh so cover up when necessary and try not to offend. Do your research. Most countries you visit the local people enjoy interaction so be part of the tribe you may learn something. When taking photos if it's of people ask first and be careful taking photos of military and in restricted areas like some airports, think before you click. If you are going to volunteer make sure where you're volunteering is reputable there are a lot of scams out there. When you see children begging, as hard as it is not give money, the children are normally being exploited by someone else. If you want to help find a reputable charity that helps street children with clothing, feeding and eduction. When you see disabled adults begging it's a difficult one as there is no social security in most developing countries. The general advice here is to use common sense, it’s okay to give and in many cases this will bring much relief. You can always buy a meal for someone in need. Think about how much water you use on your trip as in a lot of countries water is a scarce resource, for example don't get your washing done at a hotel take it home with you can always wear clothing more than once, have showers not baths and make sure you turn taps off properly. Think carefully on your impact on the country you visit as the only thing you want to leave behind are your foot prints.