Sustainable tourism.
The word on everyone's lips at the moment and the focus of many conference agendas globally. The premise of sustainable tourism is simple. Leave no negative impact while traveling. Only leave a positive one.
Simple in theory but just how simple is it in practice?
When we travel we leave footprints. We try our best and hope that they are of a positive nature. We choose our travel products with the best intentions in mind. We give back what we can and when we are able to.
But at the end of the day it is not so black and white.
Say the hotel that you choose to lay your head down at night. How can you possibly know if the hotels management chooses to pay their staff fairly or exploit their financial needs? You simply can't know without a doubt. So maybe you leave a tip for the staff. Does that financial gesture then somehow leave an imprint in the minds of locals that they should expect handouts from tourists? Is that a negative impact? Or a positive one?
How can you be 100% positive that the restaurant you choose to dine at sources their produce locally and fairly? Do they try and keep costs down to help the bottom line at the peril of local farmers and producers businesses? Does their buying habits affect another countries industry to keep prices down and impact that economy?
It is somewhat of a conundrum. Near impossible to ensure that your entire travel experience is a sustainable one.
But we do what we can. We strive for a positive impact wherever possible on our journeys. Sometimes it may not be perfect but at least we try.
The word on everyone's lips at the moment and the focus of many conference agendas globally. The premise of sustainable tourism is simple. Leave no negative impact while traveling. Only leave a positive one.
Simple in theory but just how simple is it in practice?
When we travel we leave footprints. We try our best and hope that they are of a positive nature. We choose our travel products with the best intentions in mind. We give back what we can and when we are able to.
But at the end of the day it is not so black and white.
Say the hotel that you choose to lay your head down at night. How can you possibly know if the hotels management chooses to pay their staff fairly or exploit their financial needs? You simply can't know without a doubt. So maybe you leave a tip for the staff. Does that financial gesture then somehow leave an imprint in the minds of locals that they should expect handouts from tourists? Is that a negative impact? Or a positive one?
How can you be 100% positive that the restaurant you choose to dine at sources their produce locally and fairly? Do they try and keep costs down to help the bottom line at the peril of local farmers and producers businesses? Does their buying habits affect another countries industry to keep prices down and impact that economy?
It is somewhat of a conundrum. Near impossible to ensure that your entire travel experience is a sustainable one.
But we do what we can. We strive for a positive impact wherever possible on our journeys. Sometimes it may not be perfect but at least we try.