Responsible Tourism / Sustainable Tourism / EcoTourism
Many people living in the developed world feel drawn to visit the world’s great wildernesses and unknown cultures. They look for intriguing lands to view the wildlife, experience traditional ways of life, or simply savour the peace and beauty of wide-open spaces. They seek new experiences and a wider understanding of the world we share, and are prepared to travel the world to find them - and there is absolutely nothing wrong with this desire. However, the growth of such tourism can threaten the very fragile beauty of these very areas that those of us with an adventurous spirit are searching for.
Undeniably tourism makes a difference to the areas people visit, and often tourism is seen as a panacea for assisting development and alleviating poverty in developing countries. Sadly however, often the difference can be negative, such as: family displacement; cultural and environmental degradation; and distortion of traditional social structures and economies. A common feature of tourism in developing countries is that obtaining income from tourism activities is not a particular problem, but how that income is distributed is often un-transparent and un-equitable. More often than not the majority of it remains in the hands of the powerful and/or leaks out of the country as many of the tourism services are provided by foreign interests. The real challenge is to keep as much of that income as possible in the host country and direct it towards the impoverished communities who live in the areas that we visit.
Yet despite these negatives, in the right circumstances tourism can promote respect for different cultures and encourage people to care about what happens to others in faraway countries, it can create jobs and put money into local economies, as well as helping rural and indigenous communities preserve their culture. These right circumstances can exist if all involved in the tourism industry behave conscientiously, or ‘responsibly’. Asia Adventures wants to do all it can to promote the growth of positive tourism, and as such the ‘Responsible Tourism’ ethic is at the heart of all that we do.
What is Responsible Tourism?
Despite what many people think ‘
Responsible Tourism’ is not a recent phenomenon; people have been experiencing it since the tourism industry began. Indeed all forms of tourism can be responsible; it is not so much about what you do, but rather about how you do it. It’s all about being a conscientious world citizen and respecting the lives, beliefs, cultures, and environment of the people whose region you are visiting, and becoming more involved with it in a considerate manner.
Responsible tourism is a form of tourism which:
- brings you closer to local cultures and environments by involving local people in tourism in a fair way. For example, a local guide will open your eyes to their history, culture, and ways of life far better than a foreign guide could ever do, plus they will earn a much needed income;
- generally features smaller groups as this places less pressure on resources and makes it much easier to interact with local communities who may be apprehensive at the sight of large groups of ‘foreigners’;
- allows visitors to get more out of their travels, and to give a little bit back to the special places and people that they encounter;
- understands and respects that some cultural experiences are best kept private, and that the presence of tourists would be an intrusion;
- enables people to re-discover how to experience nature and village life - allowing visitors to be in it, to feel it, smell it, and learn about it, rather than just look at it through the glass barrier of a large bus;
- understands local peoples relationship with their environment, and that income from tourism can be a powerful incentive for cultural and environmental conservation;
- values diversity – diversity of people, cultures and environments. It enables visitors to grow as individuals through their experiences.
Above all else supporting Responsible Tourism is fun and rewarding. It allows you a greater level of interaction with local people, a greater level of understanding of how they live, and the knowledge that you are making a positive difference to their lives and the environment in which they live.
