Did you know that your actions create an ecological and social footprint in the places you visit?
Sustainable tourism aims to minimize negative impacts and maximize positive ones. All sectors and stakeholders (tourists, governments, communities, tourism businesses) must collaborate in sustainable tourism for it to succeed.
As individuals begin to pay more attention to sustainability and the direct and indirect effects of their actions, travel destinations and organizations are doing the same.
Tourism industries are considered successfully sustainable when they can meet the needs of travelers while having a low impact on natural resources and generating long-term employment for locals.
By creating positive experiences for local people, travelers, and the industry itself, properly managed sustainable tourism can meet the needs of the present without compromising the future.
Negative impacts on a destination include economic leakage, environmental damage, and overcrowding, to name a few. Positive impacts on a destination include job creation, preservation of cultural heritage, wildlife preservation, and more.
According to the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC), sustainable tourism must make the best use of environmental resources while helping to conserve natural heritage and biodiversity, respect local communities and contribute to multiculturalism.
From an economic point of view, sustainable tourism must also ensure viable long-term exchanges that provide benefits to all stakeholders: stable employment for the local population, social services and help reduce poverty.
Responsible travelers understand that their actions create an ecological and social footprint in the places they visit. They consider the destinations, accommodations and activities they will do, and choose destinations that are closer to home or extend the length of their stay to save resources.
They also use more environmentally friendly means of transportation, such as bicycles, trains or walking. They seek to support local and family-owned tourism businesses, rather than large international chains. They do not engage in activities that damage wildlife, instead, they leave natural spaces as they found them.
Herein lies the importance of becoming responsible travelers and aspiring to make decisions in accordance with sustainable tourism practices. Traveling allows us to experience the world, to learn about new cultures, traditions, landscapes, smells, and tastes.
So it is our responsibility as travelers to ensure that the destinations we visit are protected, not only for the sake of the communities that depend on them but also for future generations.