Just what is responsible tourism?

In the last decade, sustainability has become the new hot topic among travellers. More recently, the term ‘responsible travel’ has begun to creep into the industry’s vernacular.

It’s a nebulous term; often used interchangeably with sustainable tourism. In reality, the ideas are mutually exclusive. Sustainable tourism describes actions taken by the industry to support environmental, cultural and even economic goals. Think of a community-owned ecolodge in Africa for example - they may act sustainably by choosing to employ locals, or only use local produce in their meals. Responsible tourism however focuses on the actions taken by the individual traveller - people like you and I who choose to visit that ecolodge instead of staying an international chain hotel.

So…what’s in it for me?

It’s a fair question to ask - becoming a responsible traveller requires some extra legwork during the planning process and people love to be able to track their progress. Responsible travel can be hugely rewarding:

• Deeper cultural experiences verses surface level interactions

• Environmental stewardship to preserve destinations for future visitors

• Supporting local businesses, contributing to community growth and development

• Preservation and safeguarding of cultural heritage. This helps safeguard landmarks, traditions, and artifacts for both locals and future visitors to appreciate

The beauty of responsible travel and tourism is that change can be affected in the smallest of ways, and the results can be incredibly meaningful, if not life changing.