I’ve always been an extremely adventurous person, and the best way to express that side of me is by traveling. What I found out through education and becoming an environmental advocate, though, is the exploitive and environmentally damaging side of tourism.
You don’t have to have a great knowledge of science to realize that human actions, as seemingly minor as littering on the beach, negatively affects that ecosystem’s appearance and productivity. The North Pacific Gyre is one of the popular examples circulating the interwebs right now and hosts a large portion of microplastics that have broken down in the ocean.
The good news is, we can alter our mindsets and approaches while traveling!
Ecotourism, the form of tourism involving responsible travel practice, has three different features: community involvement, respect of the local area, and low impacts on the environment. There is no set definition of these features, but the main idea is that ecotourism differs from commercial tourism.
Community Involvement:
Expensive resorts and hotels often isolate the local community from the tourists. Ecotourism promotes the use of tourism profits funneling back into the area as opposed to higher bureaucracy and other corporations. I try to use Airbnb or VRBO to accommodate my stay when I travel so that I’m more integrated into the place I want to explore. Just be sure that the particular area does not have an overcrowding problem, as Europe is currently having. Airbnb rentals may then take away housing opportunity for local residents.
Respect:
It is important to be considerate of the people’s culture. This varies from place to place, yet a general explanation would be to have an open mind about people’s behaviors and even be open to learn from the locals. They may lead you to places no other tourists have seen before!
Environmental Impact:
Whether spending the week on a beach or backpacking in the mountains, make sure to decrease your footprint as much as possible. Tourists can often generate more waste than normal with single-use products and larger consumption. What’s more, simply stepping in the wrong direction can alter the landscape. A week ago when I was visiting Seattle, my friends and I were hiking when a local warned us to stay on the main path as we trekked on. Erosion easily happens over time when tourists stray from marked trails.
Ecotourism may take a while for tourists to adopt, but the conception is feasible. Any way we can sustain the longevity and beauty of our planet is, beyond doubt, worthwhile.