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KNOW-HOW<br />
The Knowledge<br />
HOW TO...<br />
Have a holiday that gives back<br />
Make sure you leave a positive mark on the places you visit by swotting up on the<br />
principles of responsible tourism. Here’s what you need to know…<br />
Not to be confused with sustainable<br />
travel, the responsible tourism<br />
movement is all about empowering<br />
travellers to make a positive<br />
contribution to destinations<br />
around the world. “It aims to help<br />
create better places for people<br />
to live in and better places for<br />
people to visit,” says responsible<br />
tourism expert Dr Harold Goodwin<br />
(haroldgoodwin.info). “This means<br />
taking action to help make tourism<br />
more sustainable by maximising<br />
the positive economic, social and<br />
environmental impact of your trips.”<br />
Here's how...<br />
CHECK IT BEFORE YOU<br />
WRECK IT<br />
“Before setting off, the most<br />
important thing to do is to learn about<br />
the local issues, whether it’s a lack<br />
of employment or water shortages…<br />
get informed,” says Harold. Once you<br />
have the scoop on the hot topics of<br />
the area you can tweak your plans,<br />
if needed. For instance, you could<br />
spend some of your holiday time<br />
volunteering for a worthy cause.<br />
At Anantara Dhigu Resort in the<br />
Maldives, you can join the Coral<br />
Adoption Programme and help care<br />
for coral in the resort’s reef while<br />
at Atholl Palace in Perthshire in the<br />
UK, you can plant your very own tree<br />
on the grounds. Being responsible,<br />
however, can even be as simple as<br />
making sure you’re up to date on all<br />
your vaccinations and have a good<br />
travel health insurance policy in place.<br />
By taking control of your health, you’ll<br />
be less likely to need to draw upon the<br />
local health services.<br />
MEET THE LOCALS<br />
While travelling, make an effort to<br />
broaden your cultural understanding<br />
of the traditions and values of the<br />
native people. “Tourism is positive<br />
when it increases the understanding<br />
between cultures and people,”<br />
says Harold. During your trip, get<br />
stuck into meeting the residents<br />
by visiting local haunts. “By using<br />
a tour guide who is from that<br />
region, you’ll get to understand and<br />
share some of the real atmosphere of<br />
the place,” says Harold. Find a local<br />
guide who can curate your perfect<br />
tour by thinking outside the box –<br />
enjoying a home cooked meal at<br />
your host's house may well rival your<br />
typical fine dining expeirence.<br />
GO FOR HOMEGROWN<br />
Quite often, countries and local<br />
families are reliant on the income<br />
brought in by tourism so you can pay<br />
it forward by carefully selecting where<br />
you spend your money. If you’re in the<br />
market for some unique keepsakes,<br />
use the knowledge of your tour guide<br />
to hunt down the boutiques of local<br />
artisans where you’ll find a range of<br />
handmade items that not only look<br />
good but do good supporting local<br />
trade. Choose to stop for coffee in an<br />
independent café rather than a global<br />
chain and your money will go straight<br />
into the hands of a local entrepreneur.<br />
BRUSH UP ON ETIQUETTE<br />
As in our home towns, each place<br />
you visit has a set of social norms<br />
that you will do well to adhere to. In<br />
Japan, it’s considered rude to tip the<br />
waiter and while you may be used<br />
to jumping in the back of a taxi, it’s<br />
a social faux pas to not ride shotgun<br />
with the driver in Australia. It’s easy<br />
to research and, just like making the<br />
effort to learn some language basics,<br />
it’ll help put a smile of the face of all<br />
those you meet.<br />
To learn more, check out Harold’s<br />
book Responsible Tourism: Using<br />
Tourism for Sustainable Development,<br />
available at amazon.com<br />
worldtravellermagazine.com 17