When deciding to venture into sustainable tourism and adding aspects of it to your trip means being responsible and making smarter choices during your trip. Although it doesn’t mean you need to overload your trip with it. Even adding small amounts or a few tips from this article will make all the difference!

What is sustainable tourism and why is it important?

Sustainable tourism is defined as tourism that respects local and the traveller, environment and cultural heritage, according to UNESCO. When travelling to a new country, it is important to remain mindful of the surroundings, not littering and giving back to the local community. So many once beautiful and attractive tourist sites have become disasters and ruined. The importance of relating to a destination that embraces both culture and local people keeping the culture’s long-term sustainability in mind.

Getting started to travel more sustainably, check out these few simple steps on how to get started!

1.     Respect and preserve the local culture

When you decide to embark on a trip to wherever it is you have planned, it creates such a great opportunity to learn about cultures different from your own. It’s important for travellers to respect and celebrate the traditions of the country but most importantly, being aware of the cultural norms, whether it’s the language, food etiquette, dress code and even general behavior. Something that might not be a big deal in your country could be seen as disrespectful in others especially when visiting cultural and religious sites. Visiting a new country during its off-peak season is also a way of offsetting any strain on tourism and supporting its local economy in their lower season creates a balance of income to the community.

2.     Support local businesses

Always, always choose to support local - whether it’s an independent coffee shop or a handmade souvenir stall on the street. By supporting these local businesses, your tourism dollars directly supports the local community, thus creating a sustainable economic livelihood for the people who live there. Plus, your friends and family would probably appreciate these unique gifts you bring back for them from your travels rather than mass produced souvenirs you find at the airport.

3.     Get off the beaten track

Over tourism is a big issue in every tourist attraction. Yes, the major influx of tourist to a certain site supports the local economy but it also deteriorates artifacts tremendously. We believe that a place is not defined by its major tourist spots but rather the local culture, the lifestyle and the stories behind them. So we encourage you to explore the off beaten tracks - get a local guide that knows the country best and learn about the place you’re visiting through the eyes of a local. We guarantee that it’s going to be far more interesting and memorable that way.

4.     Book community based activities

Community based activities depending on the country could include things that highlight their own tradition, culture and even trade such as local cooking classes, learning their local craft and so forth. This is such a good way to incorporate sustainable tourism into your trip and at the same time, allows you to learn a new skill as well!

5.     Avoid single-use plastic and BYO reusable alternatives

Small gestures such as carrying around a reusable bottle rather than purchasing plastic water bottles or saying no to plastic bags and straws may seem like nothing but they go a long way! You might be worried that bringing a reusable food container or coffee cup may take up too much space in your bag, but with sustainable tourism booming, there are collapsible ones that take up no space at all. Think about the next batch or even the next generation of travellers - if we don’t preserve the environment and they won’t be able to experience it at all.

6.     Use public transportation or choose eco-friendly methods

Another way of integrating sustainable travel into your trips is being conscious of your flights and transportation used to get around. Finding flights that serve a direct connection to your destination and by using more public and green transportation offsets your carbon footprint as well. Try cycling or even just walking around, you get to see more that way too!

7.     Be more conscious of your travel footprint

When visiting a beautiful country, some people are tempted to take ‘souvenirs’ to remember their trip. While it may seem like nobody will notice as it’s so small, imagine if everybody in the world took something? It disrupts ecosystems and the religious systems of native people abroad. As the saying goes, ‘leave only footprints, take only memories’. If you travel with this quote in mind, you can be sure that you are in the right direction when it comes to sustainable travel.

8.     Talk about sustainability

Not only is practicing sustainable travel important, being open to talk to others about it is equally as important. Whether it is your family members, friends or even strangers you meet, we should all be talking about saving the planet - after all, there is no planet B.

Respecting a country when you travel is like visiting your friend’s home. You wouldn’t want to mess up their home and would like to be courteous and polite to their parents. It’s the same as visiting a new country, respecting the country and its people while you’re there because after all, it is somebody else’s home too. It is simple - step one and probably the most important step of all, is to be mindful. Together we can make the world a better place!

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Buddyz is a travel platform powered by locals, a.k.a. the most knowledgeable and interesting experts, the ones that know the country best! We want to encourage people to travel more meaningfully, to immerse themselves in local culture, and to connect with people from the places they visit.

So on our platform, you will find what we call ‘Experiences’ for every interest - ranging from cultural walks, intimate meals at secluded local eateries to creative workshops and classes. All of which are led by locals and are vetted for quality.

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