Did you know that in 2015, the
number of international tourist arrivals worldwide amounted to approximately 1.2
billion? That’s a lot of traveling going around. It may not seem like
much if translated to percentile, but if you come to think of it as 1.2 billion
ambassadors exchanging cultures with others around the world, maybe it’ll then
scale to something noteworthy.
While tourism contributes greatly
to global economy, reaching up to USD
7.17 trillion in 2015, it can also have grave repercussions on both natural
resources and cultures if not handled responsibly.
Whether you’re traveling for
adventure, recreation or stretching your horizons of cultural knowledge, here
are some ways you can be a responsible traveler who leaves behind nothing but positive
impact:
1. Do Your Travel Homework
Travel is serious business that
requires plenty of research and preparation. While most of the preparation revolves
around putting together the perfect itinerary, one critical aspect that you
should include in your pre-trip readings is that on the culture of the country
you’re visiting.
As a guest, one thing you
certainly don’t want to do is offend your hosts. Some cultures are heavily
influenced with the practiced religions while others have deeply rooted
traditions which govern much of their social conduct with one another as well
as with visitors. In some cases, a single country may have various cultures
within, each going about its social norms differently.
A good starting point would be travel
blogs which publish stories on how foreign cultures are individually and
personally perceived. Another good lead is travel applications and websites through
which you can get in touch with locals.
Needless to say, the more you
know before you actually arrive to your travel destination, the better.
Nonetheless, there will always be plenty that you may not have encountered.
While research is key to smoothly
navigating new cultures, observation can be as informative. At any given point
where you feel like you can’t get your head around the governing norms, we bet the
locals will always be glad to provide you with further insights if you ask.
2. Pollution is a Buzz Killer
One of the most obvious ways of
polluting a place is by littering, something we find somewhat redundant to
bring to your attention not to do. However, the other kinds of pollution which
some travelers may not pay attention to are noise and visual pollution.
Travel is fun, but fun and noise
should not be synonymous, especially if you are visiting places where serenity
and spirituality seekers are likely to take refuge. Such places include
religious sites, hiking routes through national parks and nature reserves or
other spaces that people go to for activities such as reading or meditation.
Visual pollution on the other
hand manifests mostly in leaving any manmade marks that are unnecessary such as
forging text or images on trees and rocks. While visual pollution stands out
clearly in purely natural settings, it is still as irritating in urban contexts
as well.
3. Cultures Too Go Extinct
Many indigenous cultures face the
dangers of going extinct as they continue to battle the sweeping influence of
globalization. While most urban communities have today morphed into a mostly
similar identity, visiting remote places that still foster authentic cultures
can be a rather thrilling experience – one that ought to be treated with
ultimate care, sensibility and respect.
Among the primary perks of travel
is that it exposes you to the world, allowing you to learn about it firsthand and
not through someone else’s interpretation – our favorite way to learn, we’d
say. As tourists grow into avid travelers and global citizens, they start to develop
an appreciation for cultural diversity and its relation to its surroundings
whether natural or manmade. In light of understanding how different people
around the world have uniquely forged their identities over time, it becomes
more troublesome to see more genuine cultures die in hopes of belonging to the
modern, globalized identity.
Similar to preserving anything,
the first step is to learn as much about indigenous cultures as possible,
seeing them for what they are beyond the paradigm of prejudices and stereotypes,
and valuing them for how they’ve come to be.
While we’re mostly naturally
wired to reach out and connect to one another, difference gives this social
context a new edge, all the more reason to maintain the differences that make
us all human in our own ways.
4. Buy Local, Don’t Appropriate
No matter what the main purpose
of your trip is, you’ll definitely want to spare at least a couple of hours for
shopping. As you choose from a wide range of souvenirs, the most jaw-dropping
gifts are usually the locally made ones which exhibit mastery of skill and
craftsmanship.
While many travelers prefer to
buy local to support the country’s crafts and industries, not giving them
proper credit and reference, especially if copied and reproduced on a wide
scale, could lead into cultural appropriation which in turn jeopardizes local
industries.
Unlike mass produced products
which aim at making big and fast profit, local industries and arts channel
cultural history which reflects one face of the culture’s collective identity. Local
arts are mesmerizing because of their captivating aesthetic beauty, but we
believe that the real magic they withhold is that of all the stories they tell,
whether they are stories about the culture or the artisans behind such mini
pieces of art.
5. Wildlife Tourism Slavery
It’s fun to ride an elephant or
watch a dolphin jump hoops, but that’s not what they were created to naturally
do. Similar to anyone who’s forced to do something against their nature, many
wild animals go through heart-aching processes in order to become those
obedient performing animals.
If the country you’re visiting is
famous for incorporating wild animals in any focal touristic activities, make
sure these animals are not tortured or forced against their nature to perform
the stunts many visitors applaud.
6. Observe, Don’t Intervene
After spending months or even
years on end away from the embrace of nature, the minute we finally have access
to nature in its full glory, we can barely contain our enthusiasm to immerse
ourselves in it. Unfortunately, some people go a bit too far in hopes of
interacting with the wildlife they rarely witness in the city.
Most commonly, travelers would
feed wildlife creatures to lure them in. Although the intentions are usually as
innocent as hoping to get up-close and personal with wildlife, this oftentimes
disturbs the eco-system and its natural flow. Wildlife is meant to remain wild,
whereas over domestication often jeopardizes their safety, a matter all travelers
ought to be mindful of.
Furthermore, if you’re pushing
the limits of adventure and you decide to spend longer durations walking in
nature, make sure that you consume only what you need from the available
natural resources such as plants and water sources which may often be scarce.
It is much easier to whimsically and irresponsibly have fun,
but it is particularly in a time when this has become the norm that the world
needs more responsible travelers who safeguard the fine line that lies at the
heart of all that is balanced.
