Simple Ways to Promote Sustainable Tourism
When we travel to new places, we often only breathe in the faces and scenes we pass through – new restaurants, World Heritage Sites, art galleries, works of art, temples, stupa and basilicas, contemporary architecture, etc. Some of them are there indefinitely, but we pass them only for a glance; after all, we will probably never see them again. We assume that these regions will be there for another creation, not just ours, but we know this is not necessarily the case.
The places we see are homes for people like those who live and work there. How should the people who own them behave? Think about it! When you are the landlord, it is a great pleasure to show what you have. But when people leave today, they expect you to clean up and take only good memories, not part of your heritage! If we are good tourists, let’s try to create a place where we can progress a bit more during our journey, or leave it as we arrived. We also don’t have to give up our holiday to try. It might even give us real pleasure and offer our experience a distinctive touch. Here are some tips to travel at sustainable countries.
Go Green at Your Hotel
The opportunity to go green starts at your hotel. If you stay longer than a day or two, ask not to have your towels and bed linen changed every day. Even better is to stay in hotels that have recycling programs and follow their recommendations.
Reduce Carbon Footprint
Despite some airlines, you now can option that anyone booking a ticket can buy credits to offset their carbon footprint. However, there are many other ecological tips to offset your carbon footprint beyond just buying credits. This may not be possible from time to time, which means that you may have to consider decisions such as purchasing organic products, local grocery shops, and farmer’s market products.
Buy from Local Companies
Buy from local companies so that money can circulate in the sector and create jobs for local women and men. Protect companies that are not involved in trafficking, handling people (especially children), and looting manufactured goods. One such prohibited business in Southeast Asia is, for example, the rosewood trade.
Support Sustainable Options in Island Destinations
Coastal cities and islands are often dependent on tourism money, so an increasing number of coastal and southern areas are developing in many countries worldwide. Of course, these developments also create jobs; unfortunately, they are often full of skilled workers outside the islands. They will, therefore, function as mangrove forests, which are important for many island ecosystems.
Care for Cultural Heritage Sites
The sites you visit are probably seen by hundreds of people every year, so you should take care of them so that others love them too. Should you take this picture of yourself and a monument, especially if the signs say “NO”? About 5,000 Muslims live in Koh Yao Noi today – most of them are fishermen and farmers – who want visitors to their islands to dress decently and make their corals and shells rather than dirty them. The inhabitants, who have dared to prevent poachers from exploiting their marine resources, have finally decided to tackle the influx of tourists to their islands. In many countries, people with sleeveless shirts and shorts are not allowed to enter these places. If you see many shoes at the entrance, bring your own.
Use a Reusable Bag
This should be the easiest way to promote sustainable tourism. Always do this to discourage using these plastic bags, which fly over many sites, waste, and dirty water systems. In my travels, I have used a carrier bag to carry some snacks for beggars and children because I believe that giving them money will only encourage addiction (if you want to share, you will find solutions to which you can contribute or to which you are willing to offer part of your time).
