as animals lose quite a bit of feeding and breeding energy while fleeing from human approach.
Issue No. 5 Going Green Topic
BEFORE YOU GO
Are you prepared to immerse yourself in and accept cultures that are different from your own? Has your tour operator-informed you of the local environments or social customs of the people in the places you’re planning to visit? Are tour guides well versed and respectful of local cultures and environments? Do they encourage their guests to ask permission before
photographing local people, to be respectful of local norms and to adopt local cultural practices without seeming patronizing? Have you read up on the communities you plan to visit?
can ask the local community what would be of most use to them. Chat with the locals, and try to speak their language. Ask before taking photos and respect their wishes if they refuse.
accommodation work toward cutting down on or eliminating waste?
WHILE YOU’RE TRAVELING Understand that our rigid concept of time
does not hold true in other cultures and that local people’s thought patterns differ from your own. Learn to appreciate these differences. Share some of yourself with the local people you meet. Bring small gifts from home for your hosts, but be sure they are of personal and practical manner and aren’t sending the wrong message; your tour operator
Issue No. 6 Going Green Topic NATURAL RESOURCE USE
BEFORE YOU GO
Is the tour operator or accommodation efficient in the use of natural resources, such as water, energy and building materials? For example, do they use water and energy sparingly, taking into consideration that local people may not have sufficient clean water or that energy may be at a premium in less developed countries? Are low-impact, energy-efficient technologies used, like fluorescent or other lowenergy lighting, renewable and sustainable building materials, rainwater showers, composting toilets and solar electricity? Does the tour operator or
WHILE YOU’RE TRAVELING Seek out hotels, lodges and resorts that use environmentally sensitive, renewable energy, water and waste disposal systems as well as recycled building materials or those that are harvested in a sustainable manner. Take the initiative to reduce your water use by opting out of
daily washing of linens and towels and reduce your energy usage by turning off lights, television and air conditioners when not in use. Be conscientious of your waste disposal. Try to carry out anything toxic like batteries or non-biodegradable waste. Avoid using containers made of Styrofoam or nonrecyclable plastic and consider packing a water-filtering bottle.
YOUR CHOICES COUNT Remember that your travel choice makes a difference. You can support responsible tourism by providing feedback to tour operators and hoteliers as well as government agencies that manage the areas you visit. Fill out their comment cards and suggest steps that management might take to integrate sustainable business practices into their operations, providing examples whenever possible. You can also continue to promote and support conservation from abroad after returning home.
Peter Krahenbuhl and Brian Mullis co-founded Sustainable Travel International in 2002 to promote responsible travel and help the travel and tourism industry move toward sustainability. The two have 29 combined years in travel and tourism, having written travel guides and owned tour operator companies. Over the past five years, STI has created many programs that help travelers, businesses and travel-related organizations protect the environmental, socio-cultural and economic needs of the places they visit, and the planet at large. For more information visit: www.sustainabletravel.com.
Although bargaining is expected in many cultures, don’t pinch pennies when negotiating. You may get carried away when trying to find the best deal possible, but keep in mind how this affects others. Pennies to you may mean as much as an entire family’s meal in the place where you are vacationing. Remember that you are probably a lot more well-to-do than your hosts.
References:
Archives