Responsible tourism

You may hear many different phrases used for this topic...‘Green tourism’ is a term widely used to convey what we mean by responsible, ethical or sustainable tourism. All of these terms mean pretty much the same thing and are generally used to convey tourism that is good for the people and environment in holiday destinations.

Going on a green holiday doesn’t mean that you have to stop visiting your favourite destination nor does it mean camping in the wilderness without all of your luxuries! These are some common misconceptions that holidaymakers have, but in reality it is much more simple than everyone thinks.

We've been working with the charity The Travel Foundation to help guide you through having a greener holiday.

Summing up responsible tourism 

You can sum up responsible tourism in relation to three key areas:

• PEOPLE: Local people should get a fair deal out of your visit, by offering goods or services for you to enjoy – such as great tasting, authentic food from a local restaurant, real local crafts for you to take home as a lasting souvenir or guiding services so you can get closer to the destination that you’re visiting.
• PLACES: It’s really important that holidays help conserve our precious natural environment and the amazing wildlife within it. Beautiful environments are what make holiday special! Greener travel ensures that any ‘nature’ excursion or tour is taken by guides who know how to preserve the natural environment and wildlife. 
• CLIMATE: This is about your carbon footprint. There are lots of simple ways for you to reduce your carbon emissions whilst on holiday - see our top tips below.

By making small changes in the way that we travel, we can all make a difference and ensure that the destinations we love to visit will be here for future generations to enjoy!

Follow our top ten green travel tips to become a responsible tourist:

1. Buy locally - buying locally made souvenirs and eating and drinking at local cafes and restaurants are great ways to get into the holiday spirit, and also benefit the local community.

2. Respect the local culture and traditions - dress and act appropriately for the place that you are visiting- do a little background reading before you go away or ask your holiday rep for advice.

3. Please use water sparingly - take short showers rather than baths, and inform staff if you are happy to reuse towels and bed linen rather than having them replaced daily. Many hot countries suffer from periods of drought and this will help to conserve water.

4. Please try to remove packaging from items that you are taking away with you - many countries are currently unable to cope with high levels of waste, and do not have recycling services as we do in the UK.

5. Get closer to the country you’re visiting by booking excursions with local suppliers and tour guides - it will enrich your experience and help to support the local economy. If booking via your holiday company, ask your holiday rep, or at your hotel reception if the excursions use local suppliers. Hire a car only if you have to, it is much more environmentally friendly to use public transport, cycle or walk to explore the area you are visiting. 

6. Turn down/off heating and air-conditioning when not required - and turn off the TV rather than leaving it on standby.

7. Please do not step on, touch or remove any coral - it is important to protect the coral reefs when snorkelling, they are extremely fragile.

8. In some parts of the world it is worth thinking twice about having your photo taken with 'wild animals' - there are some countries where animals are taken from the wild and exploited in this way when young, and may then be mistreated or killed when they get too large or difficult to handle.

9. Book safari trips with a licensed and trained guide - so that you can enjoy your day out and the wild animals are not disturbed or threatened by your presence.

10. Please don’t buy products made from endangered or wild animals and plants - including coral, shells, starfish, horns, teeth and animal skins and fur. Endangered plants and animals need our help to protect them! For more information on wildlife souvenirs and a list of banned products see the Directgov's Souvenirs and Endangered Species page.

We should all try and be responsible travellers, and by following these tips you can make a huge difference to communities in holiday destinations, as well as the environment.

To find out more about how to make your holiday greener read The Travel Foundation's guide.

To find out more about greener holidays visit Make Holidays Greener.