In a nutshell, the term ethical (or responsible) travel is about being mindful of the impact you have on people, animals, and the environment as a whole while traveling. While being just a temporary visitor to another city or country, it’s important to understand that you are still leaving an impact. And this impact can be either negative or positive. The core idea behind ethical travel is to use this awareness to make a positive change in the communities that we visit.
As a student tourist, switching to ethical travel can help you gain deeper experiences from every trip. At the same time, it’s your chance to make a positive commitment. If you are wondering how to do this, you’ve landed on the right page. Read on, and we will tell you about the top six core principles that will make you an ethical tourist.
Travel During the Off-Season
When planning your vacation in the high season, you are facing a number of problems. First of all, if the high season of a particular area falls on an academic year, student tourists have less free time for their adventures. Luckily, you can use a trusted online paper writing service to delegate your current assignments and enjoy your trip. But then, there is another issue – the high season is the time with the highest prices, which isn’t very good for students on a tight budget.
Planning your trip during the off-season is a whole other deal. The crowds of tourists are smaller. The prices drop significantly. And it’s more responsible too. During the off-season, many people in tourism-dependent countries lose their jobs and revenue due to low demand. So it’s your chance to support locals and give them a chance to make money during the hardest times.
Go Off the Beaten Path
We bet that many of you dream about visiting Rome to see the Coliseum or flying to Paris to enjoy the Eiffel Tower. Every country has hotspots like these. Visiting them is surely great. But there are also so many places that are off the beaten tourist path, and they are waiting for you to enjoy their services and support their economies too.
Going off the beaten path may require additional effort and time, especially in terms of planning and logistics. However, with the best assignment writing services by your side, you will have as much time as you need, with no harm to your academic performance. At the same time, if you use this tip, you will be able to support smaller economies and alleviate inequalities in the tourism industry. Besides, it’s a chance to see something unique that not many have heard about.
Stay Away From Luxurious, All-Inclusive Holidays
We know that students often live on a shoestring budget. Thus, this tip might not be super relevant to you. Nevertheless, this is an important principle of ethical travel, so let’s take a moment to discuss it.
What’s the problem with lux resorts and all-inclusive holidays, you may wonder? The thing is that such venues are typically parts of large international chains. That is, they are often owned by foreigners and bring very little benefit to the economies in which they are located. This might not be a problem for high-income countries that don’t depend on tourism too much. However, this is a real issue for poorer and more dependent nations. Besides, such resorts keep travelers away from locals, not letting them support their businesses.
A much more ethical way to visit a different city or country is to choose local resorts and hotels. First of all, it’s always cheaper. And secondly, this way, your money is going to local communities and making a larger positive impact.
Support Local Businesses
Similarly to hotels and resorts, large international chains of restaurants, shops, guides, and other businesses tend to be more popular among visitors. This is mostly because we all know them well. However, when you visit a different country and hop into McDonald’s to eat, you are not making a positive impact.
So here is another principle to follow – support everything local. When traveling, mindfully choose local restaurants, tours, and other services. This way, every dollar will go to the national economy and will support the country’s economy.
Pick Ethical Volunteering Opportunities Only
For years, volunteering while traveling has been trending among young tourists. There are tons of such programs. And they all seem to offer you a great opportunity to see new places while also making a positive impact. But the truth is that not all volunteering opportunities are ethical for native communities.
In order to make the most out of it, we recommend picking volunteering opportunities that imply getting involved directly with communities. This is widely called social volunteering. By joining such programs, you can do something truly meaningful and empower local societies.
Source: https://unsplash.com/photos/SAPvKo12dQE
Shop From Local Vendors
Finally, as a visitor to a different country, you will definitely need to shop for things like groceries and other essentials. When this happens, you will typically have a few options. You can shop at a giant chain of supermarkets or you can choose a small shop or street vendor. In the first case, your money will only benefit the CEO of the chain. But, in the second case, your dollars will support a local small business or farm. If you want to make a positive change, choose the second option.
And here is a bonus tip. When shopping during your travel, pay with cash as much as you can. Using a credit card means dealing with commissions, both for you and a business owner. But when you pay with cash, more money could go to a business.
The Bottom Line
Ethical travel is a real thing that supports and empowers different communities. Unfortunately, not many people know and understand this concept yet. But you do now. Use the principles from this guide to become a more mindful and ethical traveler and serve a good cause.
