A Responsible Traveller

Sustainability in tourism isn’t far off from sustainability in everyday life. Why should we then think differently when on holidays? Global trends are being geared towards sustainable tourism and complying with the principles of sustainable tourism, and rightly so, however, mass tourism still takes its toll. But there is much each individual can do about it. Awareness and thinking about the problem alone mean great progress for society, though, personally I think a kind of ignorance of the problem in question is still present. People think that if they live somehow commendably in general, that one week of holidays won’t really help make the world a better place. On the contrary, each decision and every step counts. It is that very week of holidaying when we can do a lot to help preserve the natural environment, culture, local development and much more.

In general, this means spending a little more time planning your holidays. Of course, it also means all kinds of holidaying in resorts with hotel complexes, pools and other infrastructure these resorts offer is first and foremost out of the question.

You can put in some more effort and reward yourself with holidays that you’ll be gladly sharing with your friends in the form of a travelogue.

The first thing that pops into mind when planning a trip is transport. If you’re not travelling far, then the train is an ideal choice. A train journey gives you a chance to see the landscapes and places you couldn’t see otherwise. In addition, you can plan your journey with a few stops in mind, so you can get off the train, explore around and then continue onwards. You can also change or add the stops along the way.

Even when you’re at your desired destination, you don’t have to use public transport for every inch of the way, especially when you can walk instead. That way you’ll get to see much more and a little recreation never hurt anybody, right?

The second, usually rather important, thing is accommodation. The HI network of hostels has more than 4,000 hostels all over the world, so you can easily find yours wherever you go. Choosing a HI hostel helps you find exactly what you need. Besides the fact that the organisations supports and promotes environmental care, development of the local environment and tourism sustainability, it also offers a unique accommodation experience, since HI hostels can be found in all kinds of locations, including mansions, interesting architectural buildings and even in castles or boats. To makes things even better, staying at a hostel helps you make new acquaintances that can lead to unforgettable adventures.

Of course, responsible tourism also includes learning about the culture of the place or country you’re visiting. Naturally, you don’t have to dive into books on geography, history and ethnology to learn all about a certain culture, but some basic facts should suffice. Visiting a culture completely different from yours may not even necessarily be the case, you could be visiting a country with a similar culture or religion as yours, but there are always things that make your culture different from others, so having some prior knowledge definitely can’t hurt.

It’s good to support everything local. If you prepare your food yourself or run to the shop for a few snacks, there are a lot of suppliers you can choose from. If possible, pick a small local shop. That way you can turn shopping into a true experience and might even find different, maybe even unfamiliar, ingredients because you’ll be in touch with the local people and can also engage in conversations. Subsequently, you’ll also be supporting local production. The same goes for restaurants, cafés, pastry shops and clothing shops as well as others. It’s incredible how many interesting things one can find just by avoiding large shopping centres.

And sightseeing? Yes, some landmarks are worth visiting, though they’re not exactly on the list of things that promote sustainable tourism, though it’s still worth considering whether you truly want to tick everything of your must-see list, jump from one queue to another while waiting in the hot sun or huddle under umbrellas during a downpour. If you think there’s a great chance you’ll be returning to the place again sometime, then it’s a particularly good idea to save something for next time and spend time, you’d otherwise waste lining up in a queue, to see things that are usually left out of big lists, which, however, doesn’t mean they’re uninteresting or not worth visiting. On the contrary, things and places that are hidden from the crowds can often lead to great new experiences. These places are small museums, galleries, personal collections as well as parks, gardens and various others. You’ll just have to put in some more effort to find them because they’re not listed on the first page of every guide book.

Many locals would also gladly show you their familiar surroundings in exchange for a cup of coffee and a conversation.

Another important element is the waste we produce by staying in accommodation. If possible, shop responsibly when on holidays as well. Priority should be given to products either without packaging or those that come in paper or glass packaging. If you’re in an environment with drinking water, you can solve everything by bringing your own refillable bottle. Wooden or metal cutlery that you bring from home or store it in a hidden compartment of your backpack for such occasions also comes in handy. You just need to pay attention and you’ll see there’s an awful lot you can do.

You can also contribute by booking a date outside the high season for your holidays if possible. In addition to becoming another burden for the environment, you’ll save yourself from long queues, crowds and the generally crowdy atmosphere.

Maybe this isn’t the lazing around type of travelling, however, tourism does have much more to offer when it comes to sustainability. New experience, knowledge, skills, interesting adventures and experiences, getting to know the culture and specific local features, cuisine and many other things. So, there’s no need to worry about boredom because you’ll be experiencing exciting and diverse holidays, plus you’ll contribute to local development and help preserve the natural heritage as well as help raise the culture of living. Despite all this you can take time in between to laze around, without feeling guilty, and simply relax and enjoy.