How to Be an Ethical Traveller
Making travel more ethical, sustainable, and meaningful!
For those of us who spend most of our days living out of bags (and love it that way) – the digital nomads, globetrotters, and travelling yogis – it’s hard to consider a downside to travelling. Travelling expands the mind, exposes us to new cultures, and has been a catalyst and constant guide on so many of our spiritual journeys. And when it comes to the places we travel to, tourism can have many economic, cultural, and environmental benefits, such as generating revenue, creating jobs, developing infrastructure, and promoting the preservation of heritage, culture, and nature. But for all the good travel brings to our lives, it also has its cons. As with most things in life, capitalism, greed, and just plain ignorance have corrupted the tourism industry, causing more harm than good. As overtourism continues to be a problem, we are seeing a mass displacement of locals, loss of culture, commodification of sacred traditions, and increase in pollution, which has led to a much needed and long overdue global conversation about the importance of ethical tourism and what it means to be an ethical traveller.
To become ethical travellers, we must consider our intentions while travelling and think about the impact travel has on the local people, economy, and environment. Ethical travel, sustainable travel, and conscious travel all have to do with the same thing. They all invite us to think about how we can leave a positive impact on the places we go. To be an ethical traveller is to be a responsible and conscientious visitor and participate in a positive exchange of reciprocity.
Combating the Negative Effects of Overtourism
As we’ve noted, the impact travel has on a place and its people can go one of two ways, and we see the negative effects of overtourism when travellers become a burden to a place and its people rather than a benefit. Mass travel puts strain on a local community, creating congestion, litter, pollution, traffic, and impacting the quality of life of its residents. So how can we avoid contributing to overtourism? Travel off the beaten path. Taking the road less travelled creates opportunities in other places. But don’t feel bad if you want to visit a more popular tourist destination. You can still practice being an ethical traveller by travelling off season and avoiding high-density times. This will also end up being a great decision for you as prices will be lower during these times and there will be smaller crowds.
Consider Where Your Money Is going
It can be easy to get caught pouring all your money into big corporations that don’t actually benefit the local economy while travelling. When you stay in a large, multinational owned hotel, resort, or cruise ship, your money goes toward an already overpaid CEO. Want the money you’re spending to go directly to the local economy? Then shop local! Stay in local hostels or b&bs, buy food from local markets, eat at a local restaurant, and get souvenirs from local artisans. There are also ethical travel companies starting to pop up that are working to create more transparency and ethical spending options for travellers.
Travel Sustainably
The catch-22 of travelling is that it will always be damaging for the environment since a substantial portion of the global CO2 emissions come from flying. However, this doesn’t mean there aren’t swaps we can make and things we can do to take a more sustainable approach to travel. When you’re at your destination, consider alternative travel routes for getting around, such as taking public transportation instead of renting a car, which has a higher carbon footprint. Though it takes longer, you can also opt for taking a train (if possible) instead of flying to get to your destination.
Where you stay also plays into the impact you have on the environment as a traveller. Large hotels waste a lot of energy and resources. Instead, choose to stay in lodgings that value sustainability, such as permaculture farms, homestays, and ecolodges. And steer clear of travel greenwashing!
When choosing what to pack, go with eco-friendly travel products, which are easy to find today, from purifying water bottles to reusable cutlery. And when planning what activities you want to do, consider the impact they’ll have on the environment. Many popular tourist activities are harmful to the environment and can lead to the loss of natural habitats or threaten the wildlife, animals, and ecosystems. Going snorkelling for example? Go with a tour group that understands how to do so safely and will advise you how to best prepare so that you don’t harm the coral reefs. Chances are, if you choose to do activities led by local guides, they’ll have a better understanding of the environment and be able to educate you on how to have fun responsibly.
Ethical Tourism Leads to More Meaningful Experiences
Why travel somewhere to do the same things, eat the same things, and be around the same people as home? Many of the things we can do to be an ethical traveller, actually enrich our experiences by calling us to slow down, be more mindful, and make authentic and genuine connections with the people and places we’re in. If you’re feeling called to really make a meaningful impact while travelling, you may even consider volunteering or doing a workaway. Being an ethical traveler means being aware of our options, conscious of the choices we make, and travelling with the intention of educating, conserving, and giving back to the local community.