Mass tourism has become one of the main world economic activities and although currently, sustainable tourism represents a small part of this activity, it is gaining more and more importance. Sustainable tourism is one that satisfies the needs of people and also develops in harmony and respecting the environment, the community, and local cultures. To do this, one passes without destroying, one travels without leaving a negative trace, one knows without dirtying and one discovers without negative impacts on the cultural heritage and traditional and local communities. Through sustainable tourism, what is intended is to enjoy the entire experience preserving the cultural integrity, ecological processes, and the entire environment of the area that is dressed in question. It is important to highlight that all the development of tourism must be sustainable, and therefore, the local population, the natural and cultural heritage, and the environment must be respected.
Now that you know what sustainable tourism consists of, it is important to also know how to be a good sustainable tourist, a person that respects the environment while traveling. It is important to comment that the person who decides to travel sustainably does not renounce the comforts that a trip entails, nor does it mean that they have to make the trip with a backpack and walking. Currently, any trip can be sustainable since all adventure starts with our awareness and our decisions based on it. As we have mentioned before, a characteristic of sustainable travel is to respect the community and the culture that is visited, it is for this reason that traveling with an open mind is recommended. That is, you should know that not all cultures are the same and that each one has its customs and its way of doing things. That is why you must observe, respect and, learn from each of the customs of each place. Another of the main characteristics of a sustainable tourist is to consume locally, which means to consume in restaurants in the area to promote the local economy. Besides, following this aspect, it is also recommended to make a local consumption to buy all those memories of the trip such as crafts, traditional food, and more!
In addition to the concept of sustainable tourism, others are also acquiring a lot of importance and can be confusing. It is for this reason that we will discuss the differences between responsible tourism and sustainable tourism below. Responsible tourism refers to the decision of each person to travel respecting the destination, from the social to the economic aspects. In other words, responsible tourism refers to the attitudes and small actions that a person can take while traveling so that it is as sustainable as possible. Among the actions that stand out for responsible tourism, they can be from choosing a local guide and not a great tour, using stainless steel bottles to fill them and not consuming so much plastic, choosing sustainable hotels or those run by local people or families. Instead, such and as we commented throughout this post, sustainable tourism is a much broader concept. Since not only is the tourist and their attitude that is taken into account, but also the companies and organizations that are directly involved in the travel and tourism industry. For this reason, sustainable tourism implies not only individual practices but also sustainable management by public bodies so that they promote tourism respectful of the environment, cultures, and their economies. In other words, a sustainable tourism development.
Now that you know what traveling and being a sustainable tourist consists of, you can become yourself a great example and a reference for society. The future of travel begins with you and with all your individual actions. It is important to know that we do not have to start with big actions and that many times, small actions can change many things, and also improve great aspects. As we have mentioned, by looking for local restaurants, favoring the local economy, using public transport, or using bottles that are not plastic, we will be contributing with very simple actions to the preservation of the environment and the care of the world in which we live.