Travelers have an important role to play in the development of Responsible Travel within the travel industry, so everyone can enjoy exploring destinations around the world while reducing their impact on the local society and environment.
Be a positive visitor; follow these suggestions to fully enjoy your trip:
- Research the places you are going to visit
- Learn some basic words and phrases in the local language
- Respect local rules and cultural differences
- Dress properly when visiting churches or holy places
- Don’t give candies or money to children, it doesn’t help them and generates dependency on tourists. If you really want to help them, donate educational materials
- Ensure your financial contribution to the local communities by buying from local people and businesses
- Ask for permission before you take pictures of local people
- Help preserve the local environment by respecting posted rules & regulations
- Don’t buy handicrafts made from protected flora or fauna
- Try to reduce to minimum garbage waste, especially around green or protected areas and dispose of them properly by utilizing the trash bins & waste receptacles (even if you have to have to carry your trash for a little while)
- Do not approach or interact with local wildlife, including nesting birds, to a point which disturbs or displaces the animal, using flash photography could disturb them as well