iVillage logo
Search iVillage
Home & Garden
Food & Drink
Work & Money
Travel
Beauty & Fashion
Diet & Fitness
Health
Entertainment
Relationships
Pregnancy
Parenting
Horoscopes
Baby Mama the movie
Interviews, clips, quizzes and more
Video nasty
Jordan wants movie about her life
Why does he do that?
Unravelling man mysteries
Travel 
  |  Experts  |  Travel Expert  |  How can I be a responsible tourist?
Advertisement
Topics
Inspiration
Essentials
Destinations A-to-Z
Romance and dating
Community
Seasonal specials
Budget travel
Family Travel
Motoring
UK Travel
Travel photo galleries
iVillage shopping

Hot stuff
Olympics 2008
Things to do in London
Find your dream holiday!
Find a spa
Family fun in Miami
Family friendly Eurocamp
Plan your honeymoon
Book up with HotelPronto
Travel to Tuscany
Vote for a good cause
Save money on holidays
Get ready for summer
Great days out in the UK
Competitions
Special offers
Newsletters
sign up for FREE!




 
Promotions

How can I be a responsible tourist?

by Dierdre Rooke

question
I've been reading a lot about responsible tourism recently. How can I find out if the holiday I've booked isn't going to harm the environment or negatively affect the community I'm going to?

answer
Responsible tourism is the hot subject at the moment. It refers to the need for tourism to prevent adverse impacts on the environment or local communities. The travel industry is aware of the need to provide travellers with a way to check whether their chosen trip is 'responsible', and the international community has set out charters that demand a more responsible approach to tourism planning. One method is 'labelling' travel companies based on their adherence to agreed responsible travel guidelines. Unfortunately, agreement has proved hard to reach on an international scale and that makes it hard for consumers to know just how conscientious a travel company or operator is.

There are several places I recommend for some sound advice. The first is the award-winning website www.responsibletravel.com, which gives a very good overview of responsible travel and lots of ideas on responsible travel companies and tours. Tourism Concern is a campaigning organisation that also has good advice on how to be a responsible traveller. You might also read 'The Good Alternative Travel Guide' by Mark Mann, available from Tourism Concern.

Always ask questions before you book, and don't be afraid of challenging claims that seem dubious or sweeping. Avoid 'all inclusive' holidays as these rarely benefit the locals but rather 'leak back' to the companies (based in the US, Europe, and so on). Investigate the companies available and don't ignore the smaller ones, which can offer tremendous value for money and a personal touch. They often have a good insight into which hotels or projects do the least damage to the communities and environment, so it is really worth doing your homework and shopping around.

Delicious     Digg     reddit     Facebook     StumbleUpon