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There is so much talk at the moment about being environmentally conscious and ethically aware that it has made me think about how I travel and whether I travel in a responsible manner and what responsible travel really means.

For me responsible travel means making as little negative impact on the world as possible.

Of course, if we’re honest, the only real way of travelling without making an impact would be to not travel at all, to all stay at home and appreciate our immediate surroundings.

How do we travel in a responsible manner?

Choose Your Accommodation Wisely

We can’t all afford to be staying in luxury five star hotels every time we go away. We don’t all want to stay in five star hotels every time we go away.

So where do we stay?

For a lot of people the first and only place they look is Airbnb – I can’t say I blame them, you get the opportunity to stay in authentic living conditions and some are ridiculously cheap. I’ve used Airbnb twice and have written about them on this blog but I have now decided that actually they are no longer my go-to booking site of choice.

I liken Airbnb to student accommodation. Landlords have realised that they can make more money by buying up property and leasing it for short periods of time (or exclusively to students.) Over time less and less housing is available to the people who actually live (or want to live) in cities and so are horrendously priced out, this has simply exacerbated an already problematic housing crisis in a large number of cities.

Cities like New York have already implemented laws restricting what you can rent and the length of time you can stay.

So how should we be travel in a responsible manner without adding to a shortage in affordable housing and still have that authentic travel experience? For me, it’s about finding small, independently run hotels, bed and breakfast, usually these are run by locals who are passionate about their city or town, who will willingly pass on their recommendations and will be much more appreciative of your business.

Avoid “Interactive” Animal Activities

We’ve all seen the photos, smiling people sitting on top of elephants, smiling people stroking a sleeping tiger, smiling people holding cute monkeys in the streets. But do you know who isn’t smiling? The animals. The elephant has probably been whipped until it’s spirit is broken, the tiger has been sedated and the monkey was probably stolen from it’s Mother as a tiny baby and is traumatised.

The natural world is beautiful and mysterious and incredible but some humans seem incapable of being happy with just seeing and appreciating, instead they have an unnecessary urge to touch and spoil.

Instead of “interacting” with animals and ultimately destroying them why not be happy with seeing them in their natural habitats – go on safari, go whale-watching, go bird-watching.

Just don’t touch.

Avoid the Usual Chains

Grabbing a coffee? Seek out a nice independent café.

Fancy a quick snack? Look for local street food or a food market with local producers.

Want a souvenir? Find a local artist or crafter, buy something unique that will always remind you of that trip.

Starbucks, McDonalds (and the other HUGE chains) are all doing fine – their profit margins are not going to plummet because you didn’t buy a Mocha Frappuccino or a Bacon Double Cheeseburger whilst you were on the other side of the world. Honestly there is nothing more disappointing than when I arrive in a new location and the first things I see are those bloody golden arches.

Support small, local and independent businesses, you might find something wonderful.

Use Public Transport Systems

If you’re travelling solo or as a couple, do you really need to jump in a taxi and even rent a car?

I realise that there are some places that are so remote that without your own transport you’re going to struggle to get very far. The question is, do you really want to add to the already polluted environment and congested roads?

Most cities have perfectly adequate public transport systems, so why not just jump on a bus, catch a tram, or rent a bike.

Finally…

Consider Not Travelling

I know this is going to sound a little strange. We all want to see the world but foreign travel is not a human entitlement, it is something that only a percentage of people do because they have the good fortune to do so. I firmly believe that we all need to just step out of our own front doors and take the time to appreciate our immediate environments.

I am just as guilty of not doing this as much as I should, but if we all reduced our desire travel abroad we would be forced to discover some great places closer to home, and we would also be doing the planet a massive favour.

how to travel in a responsible manner — Photo Credit: Element5 Digital

How I Plan to Travel Responsibly

I’ve spent a little time thinking about this and I do really want to put these points into action over the course of the next year.

Stay in small, local and independently owned accommodation as much as possible – avoid using Airbnb.
Avoid animal based activities that involve direct contact with animals clearly been mistreated, abused and held in captive environments.
Make a conscious effort to discover local businesses, artists, crafters and make honest and ethical purchases.
Luckily I don’t drive but I really want to focus on using public transport to navigate destinations as much as possible – avoid the easy option of jumping in taxis.

I wasn’t aware of this until recently but there are websites that allow you to offset your carbon footprint with ventures such as planting trees. I really love this idea so this is definitely something else I will be looking into over the course of the year.

How do you ensure that you travel in a responsible manner?

Let me know in the comments.