Responsible Travel

• Small scale, locally owned accommodation & home stays
• Local restaurants and markets to dine in
• Public Transport

We may not all be responsible. We are often not responsible in the same ways. We might not be responsible all of the time, but we all have a responsibility! However, lets not get too worthy about it - being responsible is about getting a little bit more out of your travels and about putting a little bit back.

• Read up on the countries you plan to visit - the welcome will be warmer if you take an interest and speak even a few words of the local language


• Think small when booking a holiday - for example bed and breakfasts, village houses and locally owned accommodation benefit local families


• Travel like Gandhi - with simple clothes, open eyes and an uncluttered mind (Rick Stevens)


• Ask to see your tour operator's responsible travel policy


• Help the local economy of developing countries by buying local produce in preference to imported goods


• If bargaining to buy an item, bear in mind that a small amount to you could be extremely important to the seller


• Realise that often the people in the country you are visiting have different time concepts and thought patterns from your own, this does not make them inferior, only different


• Instead of the western practice of knowing all the answers, cultivate the habit of asking questions and discover the enrichment of seeing a different way of life through others eyes


• Use public transport , hire a bike or walk where convenient - you'll meet local people and get to know the place


• Remember that man travels the world in search of what he needs and returns home to find it ( Moore 1916)


• Use water sparingly - it is precious in many countries and the local people may not have sufficient clean water


• Find out where the locals go when they have time off. Visit the main sites but get off the tourist trail too


• Don't discard litter, take it home with you. Waste disposal is a major expense in poorer countries


• Respect for local cultures, traditions and holy places earns you respect. For example, ask permission before you photograph local people - in some countries it can cause offence


• Spend time reflecting on your daily experience in an attempt to deepen your understanding. It has been said that what enriches you may rob and violate others


• Do not buy products made from endangered species, hard woods, shells from beach traders, or ancient artefacts (which have probably been stolen)


• Pack small gifts from home as gifts for your hosts - ask your tour operator to ask the local community what would be of most use to them


• If you really want your experience to be a 'home away from home' it is foolish to waste money on travelling


• When you get home drop your tour operator a note to let them know how you got on


• Enjoy the memories!