What is Responsible Tourism?

Responsible tourism by definition is “tourism that minimises negative social, economic and environmental impacts and generates greater economic benefits for local people.”

You may have already heard the term being used in a different context e.g. sustainable tourism, ethical travel, responsible travel, impact travel – all these terms are used to explain travel that has a positive impact rather than a negative one.

The tourism industry is a trillion-dollar industry and accounts for 10% of global GDP. That is a pretty huge industry and one that can have both positive and negative effects on people and the environment. The effects of tourism can sway depending on the implementation of responsible tourism.

In this blog, I focus on sharing ways we can travel responsibly and the resources to do so. Since the blog began back in 2015 the concept of responsible tourism has grown dramatically, with communities around the world committing to making it easier for us to be responsible travellers.

One of the main reasons I love responsible tourism is because it is an industry where there is less room for inequality. For example, the onus is on the traveller when it comes to the decision about where they want to spend their money. You can spend thousands of dollars on a hotel room or choose to spend that money in a small community homestay. This gives the opportunity for community development. If the traveller chooses the homestay then there is also a chance they will eat lunch at a nearby restaurant, or shop in a local store – again, the distribution of money becomes fairer.

Related reading: 17 Things You Can Change to Reduce Your Impact on the Environment While Overlanding [INFOGRAPHIC]

Responsible tourism also branches out into environmental impact as well. For example, travel that contributes to conservation, not destruction; travel that does not exploit or harm animals, and travel that leaves as little impact on the environment as possible. For more information about this visit my page about sustainable travel.

Thank you to Mad Monkey Hostels for providing this great infographic that provides some simple ways to be a more responsible traveller.

Responsible tourism post-pandemic

The 2020 COVID-19 pandemic almost debilitated the tourism industry. Having spent the past five years sharing stories of those whose lives had been so positively impacted by tourism it was hard to see this industry – which so many relied upon – come to a blinding halt.  Just as the topic of responsible tourism started to gain traction, the world was left wondering, where to next?