Responsible tourism: what it is and examples

The social consciousness forged in the last twenty years and the incorporation of sustainability in the different sectors of our economy have broken into the traditional practices and policies of the tourism sector. This is how responsible tourism arises, based on the sustainable tourism criteria and ethical behavior of all the people involved in the production-consumption process.

Herein definition of responsible tourism The relationship with sustainable tourism is reflected, although they are not the same. Sustainable tourism is more reactive, while responsible tourism has a more preventive nature. However, these are not the only types of tourism committed to the environment. Others have also emerged, although they are all closely linked to each other, such as rural tourism or solidarity tourismthe latter based on the restoration of natural environments and on social or environmental research carried out by volunteers in the most disadvantaged countries, always with the aim of eradicating poverty (SDG, Sustainable Development Goal 1). In any case, they are all based on sustainability and must serve to reduce negative environmental, social and economic impacts.

The main characteristics of responsible tourism are:

• Its purpose is to raise people’s awareness so that through responsible actions a complete and successful transformation of the tourism model that, until now, we have taken as the only one, can take place.
• It benefits the local community.
• Promotes personal growth fueled by enriching experiences.

These are some examples of responsible tourism:

• In Spainthere are sites very committed to the conciliation of tourism and the preservation of nature. Such is the case of Vitoria-Gasteiz, La Rioja Alavesa, Los Pirineos and what we currently know as emptied Spain, Cáceres, León, Teruel or Zamora, among others.
• Icelanda benchmark in the use of renewable energy sources, is another country that is an example of sustainable and responsible tourism. It offers activities to raise awareness and allow you to appreciate its natural beauty such as: responsible whale and seal watching, hiking, excursions to glaciers or to see the northern lights.
• In the town of Werfenweng, Austriathe use of clean energy has been promoted in the transport and tourism sector.
• Lastly, highlights Greenlandwhere ecological tourism offers adventure sports and sustainable activities such as hiking, responsible whale watching, guided kayak routes…

Responsible tourism generates very important social and environmental benefits that, contrary to what may be thought, favor the conversion towards a circular, ethical and environmentally friendly economy model. Some of the main benefits of responsible tourism are:

• Minimal impact on the environment.
• It favors and contributes to responsible and respectful consumption, totally contrary to the consumerism in which we have been largely immersed in recent decades.
• It generates social benefits and ecological benefits on flora, fauna and ecosystems.
• It allows maintaining constant surveillance and control processes for the conservation of the natural environment, in which citizens can actively participate.
• Promotes respect for local cultural communities, their culture and traditions. This avoids conflicts between tourism and citizens, in addition to promoting the local economy or local commerce.
• At an economic level it is another source of employment.
• It promotes not only the conservation of cultural heritage, but also that of historical and natural heritage.
• It values ​​rural areas and creates greater social awareness regarding their conservation and care.
• Given the ethical foundations of responsible tourism, it is to be expected that this activity will make it possible to break down inequalities, job insecurity and fight for the eradication of poverty.
• It promotes integrated development of the economy, avoiding imbalances between different sectors or activity groups. That is, it allows for a non-exclusive and conciliatory economic diversification of the territories.

Are you up for responsible tourism on your next trips? Please note that, first of all, to do responsible and sustainable tourism We must take into account the needs of the destination to which we travel and what benefits we can bring to the locality with our trip. However, for achieve tourism sustainability It is also important to keep in mind that:

• There are seals and certificates of responsible tourism, recognized internationally, such as the Biosphere Responsible Tourism or the Green Destinationswhich can help us choose our destination.
• To choose accommodation appropriately, there are various platforms such as Origorooms, where we can see what sustainable hotels exist, or Ecobnb, similar to Airbnb but with a different philosophy.
• Respect the nature of the area, avoiding the deliberate collection of plants, stones, shells or fossils.
• Comply with the signs that can be found both in the mountains and on the coast (e.g.: avoid throwing cigarette butts, walking along the dune ridges, do not light fires, etc.).
• The opportunities for responsible and sustainable tourism begin by trying to ruralize ourselves, go to the countryside, rediscover new perspectives of the areas we visit, such as gastronomy, crafts, and respectful animal watching.
• If you want to have a positive impact on the area, you can visit animal recovery centers or environmental education centers and participate in their volunteer work.
• Avoid traveling on low-cost packages and carrying out activities that have a negative impact on ecosystems such as, for example, sport fishing, spearfishing, drinking bottles on the street and in open fields, etc.
• Minimize the generation of waste, especially plastics.
• Travel by public transport as much as possible, avoiding private transport, to minimize greenhouse gas emissions.

Here you can learn some more tips related to How to do sustainable tourism, which as we have seen before is similar to responsible tourism and should be practiced together, as a lifestyle related to travel.

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