Responsible Tourism
10 Nuggets of Advice
There are so many pieces of advice that I could give from my travels; I could talk all day of the unique times lived and endured.
Travel is about experiencing new sensations, away from the rudimentary existence of everyday living. The main pulse of advice is just go. Just do it! Travel is the superior form of education.
But to help a little here are things I wished I was told before I set off with my rucksack on the bumpy caminos of Latin America.
1. Dream
The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page. - St. Agustine
Watching the sunset whilst sharing a humble meal of rice with Tibetan monks? I learnt that whatever you want to do - there's always a way to achieve it.
2. Preparation
Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity. - Seneca
Researching the destination, documents to take and preparation is useful; the best form is speaking to fellow travellers before and during your trip. But beware the enemy of no preparation, too much preparation! Never be paranoid in preparation detail. As long as you have a credit card you will be fine.
3. Travel Light
He who would travel happily must travel light. - Antoine de St. Exupery
Daypack and rucksack. Bare minimal clothing but suitable for your destination and activities. Everyday items (t-shirts, trousers) can be bought there, often for the equivalent of a few pennies and you'll fit in more with the local scene in a llama poncho. Some gadgets are very useful - Swiss army knife is a must, from opening a tin of baked beans to preventing a loco Brazilian taxi driver kidnap you, it is a mastery piece of genius.
4. Lingo
The limits of my language mean the limits of my world - Ludwig Wittgenstein
Learning a foriegn language will enrich your travel. Its fun and allows you to talk with the locals which can lead to unique opportunities. Learn the basics before, take a phrasebook and most importantly have confidence to take the opportunity to practise with anyone.
5. Always have a book
The proper study of mankind is books. - Aldous Huxley
As well as a travel guidebook, always carry a book to read. There will be a lot of time on bumpy chicken buses.
6. Open the eyes for the unique experiences
A good traveller has no fixed plans and is not intent on arriving. - Lao Tzu
There are outlines to travel but the details are to be filled during the journey. Many of the memorable moments are unexpected, away from the tourist track, like being invited to an indigenous family hut for supper in the jungle.
7. Responsible travel
If we live peacefully, help others, and at the very least refrain from harming or upsetting them, our visit is worthwhile. - The Dalai Lama
Travel is good, responsible travel is essential. Volunteering is a great way to give something back and gain a better knowledge of a community. My favourite part of my trip and from which I carry many of my favourite memories was at a Honduran orphanage.
8. Open the mind
One's destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things. - Henry
The less inhibitions, the more you learn, from the culture, the surroundings and more importantly the people you meet along the away. I was brave, held my nerve and took my cup of 'ojo de cordero' (drink with sheep's eyeball). Food markets are great - for a couple of pesos you receive a heaped plate of the local cuisine and get the chance to meet the locals.
9. Record the experience
I never travel without my diary. One should always have something sensational to read in the train. - Oscar Wilde
A travel journal is great. There will be so many new experiences that spark new thoughts. It might make embarrassing reading but is essential and is useful for collecting random tickets, leaflets, beer mats. A camera is essential. Photos are the proofs of memories and capture the moment like nothing else. More importantly they will form the foundation of the wild stories you have to tell your friends. Copy the photos to CD whilst travelling. Upload them to the Internet. Send copies home so that when your camera is stolen in Ecuador you lose that priceless shot. A blog page is a great way to record your ongoing experiences so that friends and family can follow your adventures and live a little through you.
10. Enjoy
No one realizes how beautiful it is to travel until he comes home and rests his head on his old, familiar pillow. - Lin Yutang
Every moment of travel should be cherished; the bad, the good and the unforgettable. And I predict on that old, familiar pillow you will dream of past escapades and where your next adventures will take you...
By John Elliott on 01/07/07
Ethical Volunteering
For anyone who wants to take time out from the rat-race, experience a different way of life or just give something back, ethical volunteering provides the perfect opportunity to make a real difference.
Being a volunteer is not just a trendy way to go abroad. It's about making a commitment to give your time and effort to a cause you feel passionate about. If you decide volunteering is for you then your first step is to ensure that you volunteer through an experienced, ethical company. Make sure you do your research, as signing-up with the first organization to show you an emotive picture and some heart-warming text is not always the best option.
Think carefully about what you want from your time volunteering:
What do you want to do?
Research is crucial if you're going to find the perfect volunteering experience for you. Ask yourself what you hope to achieve from the trip and what type of volunteering you think will help you to fulfill your goals. Would it be working on a conservation or humanitarian project? Are you interested in teaching children or would you prefer to work with animals? There are hundreds of options available to eager volunteers, so make sure you find out exactly what each trips involves, and what is included in the volunteer package.
Do you have the skills required?
A good volunteering organisation will always take time to ensure a volunteer has the right skills for the placement. Look out for organizations that have some form of selection process, be it a comprehensive application form or even a quick telephone interview. It might seem time-consuming, but it will be worth it to ensure your happiness during your time abroad.
How long do you want to volunteer for?
The length of time you volunteer for can vary from as little as 2 weeks to over a year. Think about how much time you have and then find a project to match your requirements. Ask lots of questions about the trip so that you can make a well-informed decision e.g. what does a typical day look like? What is the objective of the project? What sort of accommodation is provided? How do you get there? Will you need money for food? Are there any excursions or trips you can get involved with?
Which organization should you travel with?
Volunteers should look out for organizations that that support and directly benefit the environment, the local community, or both. Consider volunteering with an experienced and ethical company, who are committed to long-term involvement in the projects and who will look after you whilst you are working with them. Look out for organizations that are endorsed by local governmental organisations or independent charities as this will show their level of commitment.
Once your research is complete and you've found your dream volunteer experience, rest assured, you are likely to have an experience you'll never forget.
Tabitha Symonds of Global Vision International says: 'There is definitely a growing awareness amongst people about the true satisfaction that one can get by taking time out to volunteer. We see plenty of people who come back from volunteering with a new lease of life, enthused by their personal ability to make a difference on important humanitarian or conservation projects.'
By Stephanie O'Grady on 26/06/07 who recommends GVI's site
Finding your unique travel experience
One of my favourite things about travelling, possibly the thing I find most exciting, is the thought of going somewhere where no-one else has been, seeing things no-one else has seen, "getting off the beaten track", escaping the crowds and getting a unique experience. I, like so many others, look at the crowds of travellers with their backpacks and colourful clothes and think "But I want this place for myself". How hypocritical is that?!
For the majority of places that the individual traveller visits these days, doing something really different is almost impossible. Almost without a doubt you will get home and tell your most exciting and adventurous travel story over a beer or two, and from the crowd a voice will pipe out "Oh yeah, did you meet so and so in such and such a hostel when you were there?!" and your air of mystery, your feeling of having really got away from it all and done something completely different is destroyed. You realise you were just another footprint on the Gringo Trail.
Of course there are positives to this. When looking at some ridiculous mountain climb or 3 month trek through the wilderness, various friends have convinced me it will be safe with the line "It's mentioned that it might be possible in such-and-such guidebook, so thousands of people must have done it before!" That is of course not always true. But it is pretty rare to go anywhere without seeing at least a few other travellers. Even at 5500m on a windswept desolate pass in the Himalaya, at least a week's walk from a road, I (almost literally) bumped into another trekker going the other way with a smile and a "Good afternoon", as though we were walking along the high street.
It is sad that when travelling you can't always feel you are getting to know the country you are visiting and taking in its "true culture" in your whistle-stop tour of the sights. Partly this is because the inhabitants of your chosen travel destination have realised it is more profitable to stock tacky souvenirs and dance tango (substitute in preferred local dance) all day every day than it is to go about their previous daily life. It's also partly because getting to know the true culture of some beautiful places would be as enthralling as getting to know the true culture or Scunthorpe (apols to anyone from Scunthorpe out there, I had to choose somewhere to pick on!)
So how can you get a "real" travel experience, and really see what other nations/cultures/people are like? Well, one very good way is to actually take a little more time on your way around the world, and spend some time living/working/volunteering in a country (whichever your opportunities, budget and visa allow). Having volunteered in both Africa and Central America, as well as travelling through most of South and Central America and much of Asia on various trips, I believe there is a huge difference between the two. If you want a holiday, if you want to see the incredible sites, if you want to buy the tourist t-shirts, then just travel through the places and have a great time doing it. Don't get me wrong, I don't think there is anything wrong with this, and I have done it for many months at a time. But if you want to really get to know a country and its culture and people, find a way to spend some more time there, living and working with (or for) those people in whatever way you can. You will learn a lot more, and might even be slightly justified in cringing at those brightly dressed backpackers passing through.
By Martin Threakall on 06/05/07
Philosophy of Travel - some reflections
Millennia after people started wondering about the world they live in, we are presented with the same inequalities of existence. Although painfully obvious, it is worth stating explicitly: there are those that want for nothing and those that lack everything. The purpose of this essay is not to consider how this situation can be changed but rather to consider what those at the end of the scale, those with what could be described as having excesses of time, money, education or curiosity or a combination of all four, do with themselves. These excesses allow many activities with travel being an important one for many people.
Initially the four excesses will be examined and their individual necessity for travel will be demonstrated. The relationships of each to the others will also be considered. This work will then offer an analysis of what people can gain as they use their excess for travel. Finally, these travel related actions will be linked with the modish 'Responsible Tourism' and ways of behaving that cause less harm will be explicated.
I
Excess, as a description of possession of an amount of something, frequently has negative connotations. I am not using it in that fashion here. It is rather the fact that travel at all would be very difficult if not impossible with these excesses unavailable to an agent.
A lack of education and curiosity could mean travel as a project fails to start at all. If an agent does not know of the world that exists outside their own community then there is little likelihood of desires being formed for its exploration. This knowledge needs to be coupled with enough curiosity to want to experience it, but sometimes these two are not enough. It is not always the case that an agent can hide aboard a ship destined for far flung places or even just down the coast; further excesses of resources are required.
Time and money quite obviously are needed for any trip apart from those within your own mind, to take place. Money could have been described as material resources but the majority of those travelling are not in a position to barter for a flight to another continent with a service or a corn surplus. Time is rather more difficult. There is no such thing as an appropriate length of time to travel. Some find that a couple of days will provide all they need to make them happy whereas others will not be satisfied with anything less than many months. Hence all the excesses are at the same time constraints on the amount of travel possible.
It would seem that education, curiosity and time are more important than money for travelling to get off the ground. The traveller that finds they lack extensive funds might have to choose a different form of transport and allow more time to get around. The limiting case being having no money and it is clear that even this might only limit choice rather than rule all choices out. Hitch-hiking is a good example of a way of moving around. It may not be as safe as it once was but it generally costs nothing. However, a lot of time is often required however to gain that elusive lift. The conclusion of this section is that all four excesses are needed for travel, their combination relative to each other serving as constraints on what it is possible for the traveller to achieve.
II
The reasons for travelling from an external perspective are limitless. There are those that find themselves having embarked on a trip, not knowing why they did so and those that go for one reason and quickly realise that it is in fact for another. The set of reasons for travel is probably limited only by the number of travellers. It is here that the taking a chance to relax from the pressures of work (which may have allowed the trip in the first place) or myriad others, what is always important is the possibility of experience that the trip allows. This does not even preclude a trip in a sensory deprivation tank where your mind is given ample room to wander.
Problems of the nature of experience will remain perplexing unless we all turn out to be Cartesian automata (as animals were once described). People react to things in often unexpected ways. This should be celebrated. When one is in any one community for a great length of time the conditioning that is received from that community grows in strength. Eventually behaviour is all too predictable. The positive side to this is that the correlative stability to predictability means the realisation of an agent's projects is probably reached more easily. However, a healthy dose of a change of scene can help and agent draw new perspectives on the life that they ordinary live. A quick glimpse into the way another culture lives its life might provoke a re-evaluation of the values that were once held so dear and without consideration. Nietzsche would be proud.
I am not suggesting that change for the sake of change is all important, rather if the sight of a different way of living results in reflection on an agent's own life then the agent has undoubtedly gained something. It is impossible to view another culture from an objective standpoint but as the re-evaluation outlined above of the agent's own culture though the agent's experience then the comparison is still relevant. In each case the agent is involved - they have observed (no matter how briefly) another culture from their conditioned standpoint and they have observed their own through the same. This gain from reflection might seem ethereal but it is important to have reasons for behaving because otherwise we would be mere survival machines as most animals appear to be. I suggest that any experience of another culture can help this. When there is nothing for comparison, nothing with which to compare the culture that an agent currently lives in, it is all too easy to blithely carry on life as if that is the only possible way. This attitude can be particularly dangerous in our world of overlapping cultures. Of course, the reasons found may be based on premises that do not fully capture a situation or even on fallacies about the world, but at least they will have been reasoned - not simply believing that the way a specific agent lives is the without question the closest to some sort of perfection.
III
The benefits I have described in the preceding paragraph can be gained whether an agent considers them to be as such or not. However, when travelling, although almost always for oneself and one's own gain (whether realised or not) the transfer of one's body into another's domain necessarily results in some sort of impinging on that other's life. I will not be dealing with metaphysical ideas of astral projection or travelling to a higher plane here. I am going to focus on the physical movement of one's body and the effects these have on the people and places we visit. I referred earlier to 'Responsible Tourism' which, although not being a new concept has recently received a great deal of attention. Apart from the possibility of politicians gaining votes by considering its importance it has probably come to the fore because more of the world is accessible to more people. The impact of these masters of excess, i.e. modern travellers, is now far more obvious that it once was. In part this is ironically due to more people moving about and therefore seeing the damage that has been caused by those before them. Other sources are the impinged upon themselves and concerned individuals and organisations who want to inform others of the problems they can unknowingly create. The internet allows everyone to have a voice but that does not mean everyone has to listen. At least if these problems continue to be commented on an increasing number of people will consider their actions in advance.
Movement from one place to another almost always results in some sort of carbon emissions. The way it is conducted tends to determine the extent of these emissions. The same is true for the way the new location is explored. However, this is not an area I am going to cover in this work. The failure to dispose of litter in a sensible way, the failure to consider prices in terms of the local currency and the failure to regard those that live in your destination as people too, are common ways of not travelling responsibly. There are a frighteningly large number, but I will consider these three to demonstrate some of the areas that a change in attitude could cause a great deal less harm to people, their environment and themselves. The attitudes that these problems encapsulate are symptomatic of wider problems that could be avoided with very little effort.
Why should others not have the chance to experience a location as it is now? The selfish person is relevant here though. Consider if they were to return a number of years later. Their older selves are in some ways different people who almost certainly would not wish to see a beach littered with beer cans. Change is inevitable but the agents of change ideally would be those most affected by it. The less selfish side of the problem is how the lives of those that are occupying that particular space at that particular time can be altered by an agent's presence. This might not always be negative but in this exposition I am interested in those times it is. Tourism is a vital part of the economy of a great many nations. Local people rely on the visits of others to be able to feed themselves and their families. Prohibitions on exploiting this need tend to sound puritanical, but should be heeded nonetheless. The gain from travel that I have outlined above cannot be measured in material ways but that does not mean it is not valuable. Lording over others who have very little the fact that you do not struggle to live is unnecessary as an agent's excess is evidenced by their very presence in that location. Material victory is already in the possession of the agent, helping those who live locally does not come at great cost, but paying too much does not help either. Others who visit the region should be considered as well. The feeling of being a walking money bag is not a pleasant one for most people but that is often the result if tourists pay too much for products and services.
The neglect of the idea of local people being people is all too common. Those that travel are lucky in their excess. There are billions of people that are not so lucky. Helping out with local projects with time or material resources is one way of helping the cultures that are visited. This is true of any culture no matter how apparently well off. It should not matter what the reasons for the trip are when considering how the people that live there are to be treated. An agent might not have enough excess to allow much help, but not negatively impinging can also be a great benefit to a community. Self-reference coupled with respect for other cultures can help sort out any errant behaviour. Consider whether you would appreciate being treated as you are treating those people you are visiting, in combination with any local customs that are relevant. This will not be easy and mistakes will be made, but as suggested above the very act of consideration and reflection will open up other avenues of experience - much like a tree diagram branching to infinity. The idea of striving for perfection is nonsensical - whose perfection is to be the benchmark? - but considering other modes of existence will probably enable far more to be gained than steadfastly thinking only of your own way of doing something. A sympathetic shift in behaviour will probably increase an agent's standing in the eyes of those being visited, hence making the visit more enjoyable. The possibility of everyone gaining is better than the certainty of some people losing out.
IV
Observation of other cultures does not mean thinking of that culture as an exhibit in a zoo, but rather something to get washed along with - not vicarious living but actually living - the more that is experienced with that other culture the better. The possibility for reflection on one's own culture after any experience however small of another is beneficial to all. If an agent possesses excess then not much has to be done to not ruin the people and locations visited. A little care and a little thought will prevent irreversible harms being produced simply because an agent was too lazy to pick up their food wrappers. Responsible Tourism at its beginnings requires little effort other than not being objectionable, it is a shame that so many millions continue to not realise their luck in their excess.
By Pip Bennett on 30/04/07 whose is trying to gain a PhD as well as make Unearth Travel all it can be.
Directory
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Responsible Tourism Websites
Different Travel
In their words: 'a volunteer holidays and adventure travel and tourism specialist offering the volunteer opportunity to work alongside local people on international development projects volunteering abroad combined with responsible travel, sight-seeing, relaxation and great accommodation'
GVI
In their words: 'Global Vision International, the ethical volunteering organization, provides opportunities to volunteers to fill a critical void in the fields of environmental research, conservation, education and community development.'
Ethical Traveler
Calls to action on certain worldwide issues, useful resources including a set rules that people should consider when trying to make sure that their next trip is as ethical as possible.
Planeta
Planeta has been around for more than a decade and offers practical ecotourism information across at least 10,000 pages for the whole world. This vast resource should not be ignored.
Climate Care
This site explains ways of reducing carbon emissions and also offers carbon calculators so you can see how much carbon you are producing with your flights, car and generaly living. Once calculated you can pay to have your carbon offset or even buy offsetting for others as presents!
Friends of Conservation
Working with local communities around the world Friends of Conservation help with environmental and societal issues that these communties face. They realise that for many their way of life cannot be disassociated from the natural world.
Tourism For All Uk
This site looks at issues of tourism from another perspective showing how anyone can get involved with aspects of the activity even if they might find what most of us take for granted each day very easy. It is promoting the idea that no one should miss out on the joys of tourism.
World Tourism Forum
Goals which include Cultural Diversity Economic and Social Development Biodiversity Development and Conditions for Peace are long-term projects that the World Tourism Forum is striving towards through initiatives including a Network of Networks, promotion of Illustrative Projects and the organisation of Annual Summits.
Ethical Volunteering
This site recognises the fact that while intentions of volunteers and such organisations are almost always good, it is vital that their ensuing actions are also worthwhile.
Gap Year Research.org
A portal for academic research into the taking of gap years. Of particular importance is the impact and utlity of activities, especially of volunteering.
Green Globe Global
Using the Green Globe Standard in order to make tourism in all its forms sustainable from the environmental point of view. A wide range of training is available to ensure that the lessons are not quickly forgotten.
Green Stop.net
As well as useful information covering best practice for staying green, they have applied their own classification ssytem to show how green some relevant businesses are.
Centre for Tourism Policy Studies
University of Brighton's department aims to tackle, from an academic starting point,the impact tourism has on the entire planet.
Biosphere Expeditions
A non-profit environmental and conservation volunteering organisation allowing people to properly contribute to in effort to [conserve] our global natural heritage.
British Trust for Conservation Volunteers
The BTCV can help those who would like short or long courses in ways that they can change their environment which has applications in career and personal development.
RARE Conservation
Program leaders all around the world need help with their conservation projects and RARE provides that through people trained in the Uk, Mexico and Indonesia.
Responsible Travel.com
Reputedly the first buiness in the world to use the term responsible travel, this is the place to find trips that meet the team's strict criteria to be labelled as such.
Green Volunteers
Worldwide conservation and wildlife project listings for people of any level of experience. It will be difficult to not find something that interests you.
Save The Rhino International
Rhinos that are genetically viable and critically endangered are the aim for the conservation efforts of Save The Rhinos International. This is with the goal of raising numbers through specific projects and, importantly those at the community level.
Tourism Concern
An organisation dedicated to reducing the negative aspects of tourism on both the environmental and social sides as well as working with tourism companies to show that helping those visited does not mean that the trip will be worse than without such direction.
Green Travel
It will be difficult to find topics that are not covered in some way at this ecotourism forum. This is coupled with the ability to add your own thoughts, thus we can all get involved in saving the planet.
Sustainable Travel International
Unfortunately almost all forms of tourism have an adverse effect on the planet.There is no reason to be too negative though as the team Sustainable Travel International have a great deal of advice on how this can be minimised.
Responsible-Travel.org
As those at Responsible-Travel.org maintain: Travel is all the enlightening, life changing clichés it promise to be and it is unlikely that many would disagree, but at the same time they are here to help the traveller not harm the countries they are visiting.
Green Finder
People have different levels of drive towards things on the 'Green' agenda - this site very helpfully provides listings for the many aspects of this way of living. All those with green intentions of any sort will find something useful here.
Charity Challenge
A wide range of expeditions are available as a means of raising money for your chosen charity. This means that human side of the world's problems can be aided as well as the environmental.
Crooked Trails
A community based responsible tourism organisation, that shows the traveller that there are many and vaired ways of enjoying visits aorund the world.
If this is an area that you have specialist knowledge about, please send your work to contributions@unearthtravel.com. Hopefully we will be able to publish it here!
The advances in communication of the last century have meant that the world's social and environmental problems are much more obvious - ignorance is no longer an excuse. The articles and sites we present will hopefully spur some action next time you are taking a trip.
If you would like to list on this page please let us know at: info@unearthtravel.com. Quickest results will be obtained if you also send a 100x100px jpg of you logo to info@unearthtravel.com