Wild Asia - You and Responsible Tourism

You too can make a difference. Whether you're planning a holiday or are just interested in helping the campaign, why not take a look at these simple guidelines on how you can minimize your impact on the environment and help benefit local people.

Responsible Tourism seems to be the latest 'thing' in the holiday industry just like 'Eco-tourism' was a few years ago. Is it simply a re-wording of a phrase that has become clichéd or is it really a new concept?

Ecotourism is generally taken to be anything involving 'nature' or outdoor activities - a jungle trek, an animal watching trip or an adventure holiday. The concept came about through the growing demand among holiday makers for something different, the desire to go off the beaten track and away from areas frequented by mass tourism operators. These people took with them their concern for the environment and the term 'eco-tourism' came to encompass this.

However, mass tourism is never far behind and in many cases 'new' destinations were quickly swamped by an influx of tour groups and with them the large hotels, restaurants and other trappings of the tourist trade that cater to them. The increase in business for both the tour operators and some of the local businesses, coupled with continued demand from the tourists ensures that the volume of visitors increases while the local infrastructure, environment and culture struggle.

Many outfits that classify themselves using the 'eco' prefix continue to actively practise conservation, however the majority do not, rendering the phrase 'eco-tourism' for the most part meaningless and at best ambiguous.

Responsible Tourism, then, is the next attempt at reining in the destructive side of the tourism industry. This is another approach, with the focus being on the bigger picture; conservation of, not only the environment, but the people and cultures within it. The responsibility is shared by tourists, operators and the local community alike.

Responsible Tourism operators follow guidelines which are designed to help their businesses cause as little damage as possible to the area in which they operate. More than that, they actively seek to provide benefits to the environment and people there. This means that as well as more common practices like, for example, reducing and recycling waste, the company buys produce and recruits staff locally in order to ensure that the local economy also gains from tourist revenue, not just the resort or tour company.

The principles of responsible tourism fall roughly into the categories of either economic, social, or environmental.

The economic principles promote recruiting staff locally and providing training. A company should also buy local products where ever possible, from local suppliers, while guests are encouraged use local services.

The social guidelines aim to respect local cultures and support local development. One way is to introduce guests to traditional ceremonies as well as teach them how to behave and dress appropriately. This would naturally involve the community.

The environmental principle focuses on protection of natural areas and efficient use of resources. It covers minimizing the impact of the company's activities and educating guests about the local environment and its issues. Also considered here are, energy saving measures and the source of water used, as well as how the waste is disposed of.

There are other principles which monitor a company's commitment to continual improvement by looking at their involvement in environmental or community committees and management certification schemes such as ISO 14001 or Green Globe 21.

What can you do to help?

Use responsible operators. The most direct way to support Responsible Tourism is to use operators who are following guidelines set out by a recognised body such as Green Globe 21.
Give feedback. Let responsible operators you use know that you like what they are doing. For those who are less responsible, encourage them to take on Responsible Tourism practices by talking with them about the issues involved. Show them that you are interested. If operators realize that tourists expect them to run their business in this way, they are more likely to change. After all, it's your money that keeps them going.
Support Wild Asia. Make a donation to, or buy products from, us. We have an active Responsible Tourism initiative but it takes money to run.
Subscribe to Wild Asia's mailing list. Subscribe your friends to our mailing list and help us spread the word.
Tell other tourism operators about Wild Asia. We would like help them get on track with RT. We can advise them right from their first steps to when they are fully certified or even win our Responsible Tourism Award!