How to be a more responsible traveler
Ethical and responsible traveling is critical. As we travel more, we gain more experiences and more exposure to other cultures. The way we treat our destinations, from environmental practices to the way we interact with the locals, can have a huge impact on these societies. It isn’t hard to be a responsible traveler, but here are some reminders for when we do experience another culture.
Respect nature and leave no trace. We all know this by now, but please DON’T LITTER. I once saw a sign on a hike that put it perfectly, “Please take nothing but pictures. Leave nothing but footprints.” This means don’t take sand from beaches, rocks from mountains or rivers. Leave everything the way you found it. If you’re hiking, stay on the marked trail. You could damage plants by walking off the trail. This should be common knowledge by now. A story was recently published about a Canadian woman who took some rubble from Pompeii and she experienced horrible luck afterward. Not saying you’ll have a curse put on you for taking things from nature, but you may deserve it if you do.
Remember you’re a guest. Respect the rules and laws of your destination, even if they don’t make sense. When you’re traveling, you’re a foreigner. Your ideas and customs may be completely different, and that is partly what makes travel so beautiful. If you’re visiting a religious site, make sure you’re wearing the appropriate attire. If you are visiting somewhere with very strict drug laws, obviously please don’t do drugs. Keep an open mind and remain respectful.
Show respect at significant sites. Being respectful at places of historical significance is so important, especially at places of tragedy. The amount of people taking sexy photos at Auschwitz is horrifying. It is tactless, rude, and completely shameful. That is all I will say about that because we should all know better.
Don’t feed, touch, or harass wildlife. If wildlife gets too comfortable around humans, wildlife officials are forced to kill the animal because it is considered a threat to public safety. Also, just let animals be??? Leave them alone, don’t mess with them or feed them snacks, and let them live their lives (common sense for day-to-day life). I’ll admit, I wanted to pet Mr. Pizza in Tulum SO BADLY (check out my Instagram highlights to see who Mr. Pizza is), but I refrained from touching him. I just took a ton of videos (with no flash).
Research your wildlife tourism. We all see photos of people riding elephants, petting a tiger, swimming with dolphins, etc. This is incredibly problematic. Most of these animals are heavily drugged, tortured, and abused for human entertainment. Elephant sanctuaries especially are very traumatic. Elephants are highly emotional animals and are often abused and broken down for humans to ride them, which is known as “the crush.” (Doesn’t that name just sound horrifying?) They also are not built like horses and should not be ridden anyway. Sanctuaries are places where animals live without harm and interference and they are getting harder and harder to find. Please do your research and do not give your money to places where animal abuse is happening just to post a picture on your Instagram. If you are having a hard time finding a safe and reputable sanctuary, PLEASE reach out to me and I will research for you for free. We have to do better.
Be aware of child welfare issues. I always feel bad not giving money to someone homeless, especially children. However, according to Uncornered Market, you are probably doing more harm than good. "Travelers usually care about and want the best for the local children they meet on their trips. However, sometimes the actions we think are ‘helping’ may actually have unintended negative consequences for those same children. For example, lots of ‘ordinary’ situations and encounters with local children—like school visits, giving money to a child who is begging, buying from a child vendor, or photographing local children—can actually do harm or disrupt education by encouraging the parents to keep the children begging.”
Make sure your volunteer program is actually helpful. Volunteering while traveling can be very impactful and rewarding. However, it is sometimes detrimental to the locals and their environment. According to Grassroots Volunteering, “Realistically assessing your own qualifications for the volunteer work you seek is an important first step. Do you have the right skills and enough time to meaningfully contribute to the issue your volunteer work will address? Ethical volunteer programs start with only allowing qualified volunteers, not anyone with a hankering to do good in any given location.
My go-to initial check for a project is what I call the ‘two Ds’—dignity and dependence,” she explains. “Does your project allow locals to maintain dignity in the interactions? It really depends on the type of volunteering you’re engaged in and how the program is structured to ensure the interactions respectfully engage the local community. And dependency is also a varied answer because every volunteer project has a different timeline. Perhaps it's completely appropriate to consider reforestation projects on a 20-year timeline before locals should be trained and managing the project, but the idea is: there's an out planned for the project. In too many cases volunteer projects are designed to perpetuate more opportunities for paid volunteering.” Here is a comprehensive list of ethical volunteer opportunities.
Buy locally-made souvenirs. Most of the cheap magnets or coffee mugs you buy as souvenirs are not made in that country. If you want a truly authentic souvenir and want to support the local economy, find local artisans. You may pay more, but a handmade jewelry box from Mexico is way better than the little sombrero figurine.
Travel off-season to avoid over-tourism. Overtourism is the congestion or overcrowding of a city or sight that negatively impacts locals and the experience of the visitor. It drains the resources of some places, contributes to more water consumption, litter, waste, and air pollution. Venice has recently begged tourists to give their city a break (prior to COVID), and many over-visited locations have started taxing those who visit. Not only is off-season cheaper, but you can provide the locals with tourism money at all times of the year.
Use environmentally-friendly sunscreen. Sunscreen chemicals like oxybenzone and octinoxate are pollutants and cause a LOT of damage to coral reefs. Even if the sunscreen says reef-friendly, it doesn’t mean it actually is. Check the ingredients and make sure the 2 listed above are not on there.
Try to be eco-friendly. Choose eco-friendly hotels or accommodations, use a water bottle, use shampoo and conditioner bars instead of single-use containers, pack a stainless steel straw. Quite a few hotels have started marketing that they are eco-friendly, but for the most part, they aren’t. Research the impact they’ve made in the local environment (especially in areas surrounded by jungles or forests) and see if they employ locals, HOW they’re eco-friendly, and if they offer any continued education or a path towards succeeding to their employees. I’ll admit I’m not the most eco-friendly traveler, but I have been making a more concerted effort to reduce my plastic usage and to be more green while traveling.
Do you have any more tips on how to travel more responsibly? If so, drop them in the comments below :)