Best practices to reduce negative impacts and feel good about our way of traveling.
Travel is our safe haven when we need a break, our diversionary tactic, our space to dream and fulfil ourselves. And while we take all these benefits from it, the impact and responsibilities tied to it tend to become secondary. But the truth is, whether we like it or not, traveling is often harmful to local culture and nature. Certain destinations are even being ruined by it.
All these challenges won’t stop us from going places. Instead, they should remind us to regularly re-evaluate our practices and do our best to be responsible and respectful travelers. What’s in for us is the possibility to travel with a clear conscience, live more meaningful experiences and learn from them.
You may have gone through many responsible tourism guides and lists of useful hints. I hope mine gives you some new insights and ideas and inspires you to adopt another perspective on a few things.
Leave no trace
You must have heard it before: Please don’t leave anything behind when traveling. Ok, we get it! And this is probably nothing new to you. Or is it? The critical part here is to take it seriously! Leave no trace means leave NO trace.
That includes even seemingly harmless practices like piling up stones. Did you know how much wildlife depends on natural stone and rock formations as their shelter? Building rock piles is an external, unnatural influence on ecosystems. Of course, a single one won’t make much of a difference. But the sentence “imagine everyone did this” applies very well in this case. If a hundred people build just one pile each, wildlife shelter options will decrease significantly.
Leaving fruit peels in nature is another seemingly harmless habit. It’s natural tissue and will decompose, so it’s fine, right? Well, not quite. It’s natural, yes. But think about whether or not it’s local to the area, and the perspective changes already. Going for a hike in the Alps, for example, it’s doubtful that you’ll come across a monkey that just ate a banana and threw away its peel. Just because it’s a natural product, it doesn’t necessarily belong to the local ecosystem. Decomposing bananas or mandarins (a process which can take more than a year) will alter the soil composition due to the introduction of non-native substances. They can also attract wildlife and influence their foraging behavior.
These examples show that just because we can’t logically associate any negative impacts with certain practices, it doesn’t mean there aren’t any. Nature is smarter than us. We need to learn from her, not the other way around. Hence, try to reduce your impact on nature as much as possible, and enjoy experiencing her untouched beauty.
Pick up trash
As much as it’s important to leave no trace, you can do good by erasing the ones already left. It can feel weirdly empowering to bring a trash bag and pick up a few things on your way. It’s a very easy but effective thing to do, and it gives you the great feeling that ‘you are the good thing ‘!
If you want to engage in official clean-up events, you can check if there’s a local Trash Hero chapter in your region, for example. Trash Hero is an NGO organizing clean-up events all over the world. Simply show up to the next one closest to you and join the global movement.
To combine the good deed with your travel experience, you might even go to a clean-up event during your next journey. Apart from a few cities in Europe, there are many local chapters all over Southeast Asia, for example. It must be a great way to get in touch with the locals, support them in cleaning up their local neighborhoods and exchange ideas with them.
In a brighter future where people collectively stop leaving any leftovers in nature, all of this won’t be necessary anymore. Let’s do our best to build such a future, so all the trash heroes can use their energy for further projects.
Take bans seriously
No camping in protected areas, no-drone zones, stay on the path-trails; such regulations accompany our journeys to nature destinations. Bans are increasingly frequent, and they limit our freedom. This is a complicated situation for many, as freedom is precisely what we seek when wandering the planet.
It is evident that people struggle with that, as they keep trespassing boundaries. Interestingly enough, it’s often those most connected to nature who do so, because they want to have unforgettable camping experiences or film incredible places with their drone to show their beauty to others.
Most probably, they are convinced that their impact will be minimal, telling themselves that they are the only ones making an exception to the rule, will leave no trace and know how to respect nature. But let’s face it. Firstly, you are highly likely not the only one making an exception. Secondly, all these bans are put into place for a reason.
They are well-thought-out regulations by people who care and try to protect fragile ecosystems. Their aim isn’t to impair our experience, but to give nature a break. And we need it to take this break, lest we lose it entirely and won’t be able to live outdoor experiences at all.
Personally, I like to take a different perspective on this subject. To me, the imagination of a place being absolutely inaccessible to humans is a blessing. Isn’t it beautiful to pass by a protected area, knowing that animals wander freely and nature flourishes here? You won’t be able to see it, but you can look at it from outside and picture the peaceful world inside of it.
Adopting this perspective, it becomes easy for me to respect the rules. Although freedom is one of the few things I really want in life, there’s one thing I want even more: for nature to thrive.
Shop responsibly
Doing good often goes hand in hand with limiting our consumption, sometimes to our regret. However, you can certainly do good by consuming the right kind of products. This is something I wasn’t always aware of and had to learn step by step.
My aunt loves decorations and all kinds of knick-knacks for her bookshelves or garden. I, for my part, used to be a super strict non-consumer: the less the better! Until I started joining her on her shopping tours, which led us to small shops with alternative, more sustainable products and cute local markets.
She would be blown away by the number of trinkets made by hand and with love. When wanting to buy yet another thing she found, she would say, “Ah, I already bought so many things today that nobody really needs. But buying this, as well, at least I will support the lovely local vendor and her good cause.” I started to think about her words and realized the difference she was making by buying from local producers rather than from big chains.
Nowadays, my aunt works voluntarily in a global fair-trade store. Whenever she makes me a present, it’s a bag full of well-thought-out products from artisans and crafters from around the globe. Each bag supports these people and their livelihoods back home.
When we travel, we should take a page from this approach. Try supporting local vendors on one of your journeys, go to the local coffee shop instead of Starbucks or buy from the young startup working to make our economy more circular. Even if their products are imperfect, it’s essential to support them, thus boosting further innovation and taking one more step towards a greener future.
Citizen science
Have you ever visited a place so precious that a strong will to contribute to its preservation invaded you? That you wanted to do everything in your power to protect this place and its people? In the difficult times we’re facing, I’ve struggled with the feeling that our hands are tied. The solutions to present-day problems lie partly in our responsibility, but the other, enormous part is the responsibility of our elected officials.
The good news is that there are ways of taking concrete action directly from home. So-called “Citizen science” is a concept that gives us, as civilians, the chance to participate actively in science. The idea is simple: scientists collect loads of data in their respective research fields. But they often lack the time to analyze the amount of data they have. This is where we come into play.
Citizen science gives us access to the data and guidance to help with the evaluation and speed up the research process. The importance of this opportunity is enormous. Research is the first step in any nature conservation program. We cannot act if we don’t know what we are doing. Hence, increasing the number of findings is crucial to protecting planet Earth.
So far, my favorite example of Citizen Science is the Zooniverse Platform. Personally, I’ve chosen a project where you count iguanas on drone recordings from the Galapagos Islands. Plenty of other projects are available, though. You go through a few explanatory steps, and then you’re ready to start.
The Zooniverse is a good possibility to take concrete action in a simple way. For those wishing to do more hands-on jobs, you can also become a scientist in the field. More and more projects integrating civilians are being initiated. In Switzerland, for example, I know about the opportunity to visit different water sources in the Alps, analyze them and hand in the data.
Lastly, you can also integrate citizen science into your next travel itinerary. Rainforest Expeditions, located in the Peruvian Amazon, offers insights into science programs and lets you actively participate in the process on site. This is a unique and meaningful way of visiting new places, supporting conservation projects and collecting long-lasting memories.
(Please be aware that you will never have a net positive impact on a destination by participating in citizen science on-site if you fly to the destination, unless you stay there for an extended period. Your flight emissions will outweigh the positive effect of supporting a conservation project. Working with online science platforms from home, your CO2 footprint will be significantly lower. Nevertheless, if you plan on visiting a destination in any case, such scientific programs are a good option for giving back to the destination. If you want to make a greater effort to balance out some of the negative effects of your flight, financial support will be the only truly effective solution. Through Wilderness International, you can buy land in the Peruvian Amazon, placing it under strict protection in the long run.)
Like, share, comment
Being a responsible traveler might be mainly, but not only, about our behavior during the journey. An essential part of what we can do is use our digital footprint. Insta, TikTok and their crazy cousins can be annoying and frustrating. Understandably, many people are trying to reduce their use of it. If you don’t use any of these applications, I am not inviting you to start doing so. Enjoy your freedom!
However, for those of us using them, let’s not forget about their reach and the positive impact they can create on subjects like nature conservation, responsible practices, community events and more. The socials have a massive potential in this matter, which every one of us can easily grasp.
So, if you want to do something straightforward while lying in bed and eating crisps, follow the conservationists and pioneers out there, like their posts, and share their messages in your story. Sign their petitions and motivate others to do the same. Boost their reach and become part of this great community. The more members we have, the louder we are heard and the further our message will be spread. Welcome to the club!
Homestay experiences
In former times, traveling meant exploring and living adventures in unknown places. Nowadays, it has become so well structured and organized that it is more of a product we consume, knowing exactly what we’ll get. Consequently, travelers and locals have moved apart to such an extent that interactions are now rare.
To many people, this is an unwanted development. We accept it, knowing that it has become more difficult to travel outside of the scale of organized itineraries and activities. Yet, if we could, we would probably like to return to a time when traveling was more authentic and rewarding.
A great way of taking this step back is staying in homestays. Unlike Airbnb, which has evolved to renting empty apartments without the host being present, homestays offer the opportunity to stay with local families who actively seek to welcome guests. Especially those in rural or remote regions enable us to explore countries “off the beaten path” while learning about the local culture. At the same time, they are a good opportunity to give back to the destination, as our money goes directly to the people, instead of big companies or hotel chains.
In my article ‘Homestay experience in rural Malaysia‘, I give insights into my visit to Lenggong, in Northern Malaysia, where I stayed at a homestay and met lots of people from the local community. Have a look at it to find out more about homestays and community tourism, and how such an experience will make your journey much more meaningful.
Travel with an open mind
What I believe is most important is going through the world with open eyes and an open mind. I advocate for providers to educate travelers about their visited destinations and for travelers to inform themselves before going somewhere. Because only informed people can make informed decisions.
Understandably, we shy away from getting too involved in the problems and opportunities of the destinations we visit. Knowing too much could complicate our journey, as there are possible discrepancies between fulfilling our dearest travel wishes and wanting to be a responsible tourist. We don’t like feeling guilty about our decisions, and the easy way out would be to ignore the facts.
Nonetheless, being informed is not about boycotting all types of activities because they have negative aspects. Everything we do has its good and bad sides. It’s more about being able to evaluate the situation, choosing the way of traveling that is right for us, and understanding if there are ways of adapting to be more responsible. Ultimately, this will enable us to enjoy the destination with peace of mind, have more meaningful experiences and reduce negative impacts.
(Note: I’m not affiliated with any of the companies mentioned – this mention is entirely unpaid and independent.)