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Tourism is one of the greatest industries; no other industry can bring the world together and propagate peace as tourism does.
We live in a wonderful world that is full of beauty, charm and amazing people. There is no end to the adventures we can have if only we seek them with our eyes open and tourism gives us just that. It connects us with these precious aspects of our world like stunning landscapes, wildlife, history, culture and people. But beyond tourism, Sustainable Tourism is the need of the hour as this wonderful world has been exploited beyond imagination. We now must come together and take the necessary action as service providers or as consumers to save this industry and the planet.
Tourism plays a major role in the local economy's growth, providing quality jobs, business opportunities, local economy's growth, local economy's growth and funds for conservation. But if not managed well, tourism has shown a negative effect on local communities and the environment, creating long term problems for locals, which will ultimately lead to the decline of tourism in the destination.
Sustainable tourism aims to increase the benefits and to reduce the negative effects caused by tourism. This can be achieved by:
- Safeguarding environment, wildlife and natural resources while developing and managing tourism programs.
- Providing tourist experiences that conserve heritage and culture
- Creating socio-economic benefits for local communities by giving them employment opportunities.
Here is how you can contribute to Sustainable Tourism
- Honour Your Hosts
- Be An Informed Traveler
- Use Digital Platforms Wisely
- Make Tourism The Force For Good
Lead by example - And Set A Good Example For Other Travelers!
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Support The Local Artisans
There are plenty of ways to support the local economy. Firstly, buying anything from small local businesses or street vendors is a great way to support them; it also ensures the money going directly to them. Buy something handmade instead of vast choices of plastics. In the world of rampant artificial material selling, hand-made materials are to be tressured. To appreciate their underlying principle of beauty means to understand these things reflect their makers' enjoyment of life, their deep feeling of harmony and joy.
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You will know how rich they are in their simple life. The simple artists are nourished by what natural beauty is around them. The flowers, leaves, and colours they see around them go into their art, enhancing your beauty if you wear it or decorate your house with it.
Support Wildlife and Animal Welfare
Animal Welfare is another segment of sustainable travel. Till now, humans have used animals to earn money from tourists. To travel sustainably also means not paying such organizations or people and their services responsible for any harm to animals.
It is scientifically proven that wildlife, including marine life, in captivity suffers from depression, as they don’t get the freedom to live according to their instincts. Preserve wildlife is an important part of sustainable tourism.
Conservation of Culture and World Heritage Sites
Culture is the outcome in any society of its history, its faith, its thinking, its emotions, its aspirations and its ideals. It is revealed in the behaviour of people among themselves and in interaction with people of other cultures.
The traditions and cultures have constructed some wonderful heritage sites and valuable architecture worldwide that need to be protected for future generations.
These cultures and heritage show the social heights in serenity, wisdom and morality. The innate culture of innocence and spirituality creates peace, honesty and moral sense. Overall, a good culture gives a sweet and good language and peaceful existence of personal life and society.
Respect the Locals & Their Customs
It is just a testament of good breading to respect others, that of course, includes respecting the locals when you travel, which means to respect their religion, custom & traditions, and the way of living. Learning the basics about the culture and unwritten rules in the destination country before your travels is an important part.
It’s also important to treat the people we meet with respect, to show interest in their country's customs and. There are more chances to get into a friendly conversation. This can even lead to some great travel tips to an off-beat track or destination or a dinner at a local’s house. But more importantly, this could gain you great friendships.
Ask People Before Taking Their Photos
As a traveller to new cultures, you are always curious, and it is always interesting to take photos of people and their daily tasks. However, you should always demonstrate consideration before taking their photo. No one would probably like it if done with them without their permission. This tendency becomes more prevalent as you go to developing countries that probably would not create an issue as locals from developed countries might do. Exercise empathy and give them the freedom to choose.
Reduce Non-Organic Waste
There are many ways you as a traveller can contribute to reducing non-organic waste. There are quite a few effortless ways of reducing contamination, and most of these can be applied in your daily life and while travelling.
For example, you can switch to eco-friendly camping gear, travel gadgets, and toiletries. One simple way is to make sure your rubbish always goes in the bin and, if possible, recycled. Also, you can take care to generate waste as less as possible. Staying away from all the plastic stuff is what makes a difference.
Choose more Environment-Friendly Stay and Transport
The lifestyle changes and the demand for higher comfort by the end-users manifested in rising energy demand through more electrical devices, especially air conditioning installation. Hospitality is one industry that is totally dependent on consumers, who in turn demand comfort, resulting in high-energy consumption.
The hospitality industry has many aspects, which are not in harmony with the principles of sustainability. Its dependency on the splendour of its design, hi-tech gadgets, perfect comfort in all weather conditions result in total dependency on energy.
Currently, 80% of the world energy supply comes from fossil fuels (coal, petrol and natural gas), which emit greenhouse gases, causing climate change and other negative environmental impacts.
You, as the end-user, can play a key role not only through your responsibility to use the building efficiently but also through your demand for integration of sustainable building design aspects as an additional quality element, thus influencing and orienting the future building sector.
Travelling with public local transport is another way to contaminate the environment less. As you fit more people on a bus or a train than what you do in a taxi, the footprints are less per person.
When you take a flight, you can reduce carbon emissions by paying a few bucks more for your flight to give money to carbon offsets. This means paying money to support a project that reduces carbon emissions somewhere else to compensate for the ones released from the flight. Some airlines work more actively towards reducing their negative impact on the planet.
Help To Conserve Our Precious Natural Resources
Tourism has been a fundamental factor of economic growth, for example, in coastal regions. But uncontrolled and irrational urbanization of coastal areas because of weak regulatory instruments have raised environmental and sustainability problems related to the tourist presence.
This form of tourism has a strong environmental impact in coastal areas and small islands since the local infrastructure is usually built for a specific number of residents that is much smaller than the high season tourist footfall; The consequence is cramming of roads, beaches, loss of natural ecosystems and excessive pressure on natural resources; congestion in the use of public utilities.
You can contribute to conserving our precious natural resources by deciding when and where to visit such places. Also, you should save and nurture our precious ecosystems by avoiding any programs or companies that hurt the land, animals or birds to prepare their products.
Support Local Tour guides
By supporting local tour guides or business, you can learn about the culture and environment from the people staying there. They give you real knowledge, not an orchestrated and scripted discourse. The local guides have deep-rooted stories to tell about their land, one that they have lived.
People connected with tourism at the local level are the one’s who take pride in their country and appreciate the goodness. They are the ones who talk about and promote the essence of the nation and advance conservation projects by engaging with visitors and creating awareness.
It is paramount now to create a space for tourism where entrepreneurial spirit, creativity, innovation and education merge into one - promoting equality, self-sustainability, and preparedness to face adversities.
Sustainable Tourism Is Not Only About Creating Better Places To Visit But Also To Live
The sustainable tourism industry helps maintain the natural land and culture of the place, generating employment and empowering the locals. An easy way to support the locals is by promoting homestays, hostels and Airbnb. They don’t charge you much as the hotels will. Take an interest in cultural and heritage tourism, which is steered in a way to meet the needs of the local population and visitors and make it beneficial for all.
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Support Sustainable Tourism
There is nothing to lose by being a part of it, but there is a confidence that the natural places where you stayed will still be thriving far into the future.
Together we can preserve the world where we live and the cultures that are around us.
It’s all about becoming a more responsible traveller!
