- Overfishing is causing environmental and cultural damage in popular destinations around the world.
- Travelers are increasingly interested in sustainable tourism but often struggle to use it.
- Tourists can make a positive impact by engaging in community-based experiences and supporting local businesses.
Tourists have always gotten a bad rap, but their impact has become less permanent in some destinations. It has passed because of trying new methods. From the Canary Islands to Hawaii, destinations around the world are facing the challenges of tourism and climate change. Over the past year, residents across Spain and Greece have been protesting against increased tourism. At the end of last season, 67% of Hawaiians said they felt the islands were “run for tourists at the expense of local people,” citing overcrowding, environmental degradation and a lack of respect for culture.
When left unmanaged, mass tourism can cause environmental and cultural damage, displacing local people, and infrastructure and resources.
“These results not only harm the destinations but also reduce the quality of the travel experience itself and in the end can lead to its decline and disappearance,” said Paula Vlam, Chief Impact Officer at Tourism Cares, a non-profit making positive changes in the travel industry.
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By now, most of us have heard about responsible tourism, or the idea of ​​making “choices that focus on the well-being of destinations” and reconciled with the values ​​of sustainability and equality, as Vlam puts it. In the Booking.com Sustainable Travel Report 2024, 71 percent of 31,000 respondents said they want to leave a place better than when they arrived – up from 66% in 2023.
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Still, putting it into practice has been a challenge, with 45% saying durability is not a primary consideration when planning their trips and 34% feeling they lack the power to make a meaningful impact, according to the report. Making an effort to find a community-based experience while traveling not only supports the destination but also allows the traveler to have a deeper and more authentic connection to their trip, not just a commercial one. Sounds like a win-win, right?
Here are some practical ways you can become a more sustainable traveler.
Map out: You can use this tool
If you don’t know where to start your research, the Tourism Travel Map is a great place to start. This recently launched interactive map features 30 member areas and more than 400 organizations of local impact, “from diverse and inclusive businesses to organizations focused on environmental or cultural preservation. Simply scroll to your destination of choice to see suggested activities.
The idea of ​​the map can be traced back to 2018, when a non-profit partnered with Visit Jordan, the country’s tourism office, to identify presented communities, non-profit organizations and social enterprises that could benefit from tourism and introduce them to consultants and operators. of tourists.
“We wanted to lead travelers beyond famous sites like Petra and into local communities, where tourism can change people’s lives, especially women and families,” Vlam said. The nonprofit expanded on that successful program to other places like Colombia, Puerto Rico, and Lake Tahoe before creating a global map.
This is what it means to ‘go in’
Travelers hear all the time that they should help locals, but what does that mean? “Looking for community when traveling, you should prioritize experiences that encourage meaningful interactions with locals in their real environment,” Vlam said.
Consider activities led by local people, such as a volunteer opportunity with a non-profit, historical walking tour, a cooking class on local cuisine or a visit to a cultural center or indigenous community. You can also plan your trip to coincide with a cultural event or holiday important to the locals, such as Lei Day in Hawaii.
To get to know the destination, don’t be afraid to take public transport or start a conversation with the locals to learn more about their way of life or your favorite restaurants and shops.
When in doubt, check approval
It can be overwhelming for travelers to decide whether a tour operator or hotel is sustainable or green. “The challenge today is that there is no unified international standard for sustainable tourism businesses, so travelers will have to do a bit of ‘homework,'” said Vlam.
Some good third-party features focus on positive social and environmental impacts that you can look for during research:
Everyone hates crowds
For most of us, completely removing timeless haunts like Venice and Amsterdam from our travel bucket list just won’t do. If this is the case, Vlam recommends people visit during the off-season to minimize overcrowding and respect visitor limits at popular attractions and local laws. Find other experiences than you have to and give your money to small businesses instead of big corporations.
At the end of the day, remember not only in a fun destination but a person’s real home. “It’s important to treat these communities with the same respect you would want to treat your home,” Vlam said.
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