I agree with Brad-you start with understanding of where you are going and research before, however, all is not as it seems until you get there. Ask questions of locals, guides etc. They live there, they know. Also, I believe as a visitor anywhere you need to travel with a lot of respect. Don’t be the ‘ugly American’. Things are not the same where you are traveling and a traveler needs to be responsible and respectful. When living in Costa Rica, I learned more about respecting our planet as Costa Rica has taken more steps than I think the US or other countries have in land and wildlife (land and ocean) protections. I saw firsthand how plastics can harm the environment and I now always bring my own refillable water bottle, don’t use straws, etc. I think about it more and do my best when I can.
Of all the things I could say about being a responsible, ethical visitor, the most important would be to have some understanding of the place you want to visit and what harm tourism may have already wrought upon it. This means homework. Tour companies and national tourism promoters will, of course, not reveal this. Other foreign visitors you speak to may or may not have a clue. But for most destinations, there is an abundance of online information, presented by people not in the business of 'influencing', that can help. Unfortunately, my personal experience is that sometimes it takes going there to really see the problems, at which point I've already contributed to it. Of course, there are plenty of ways to act responsibly once having arrived, which is a whole other topic.
I agree with Brad-you start with understanding of where you are going and research before, however, all is not as it seems until you get there. Ask questions of locals, guides etc. They live there, they know. Also, I believe as a visitor anywhere you need to travel with a lot of respect. Don’t be the ‘ugly American’. Things are not the same where you are traveling and a traveler needs to be responsible and respectful. When living in Costa Rica, I learned more about respecting our planet as Costa Rica has taken more steps than I think the US or other countries have in land and wildlife (land and ocean) protections. I saw firsthand how plastics can harm the environment and I now always bring my own refillable water bottle, don’t use straws, etc. I think about it more and do my best when I can.
Of all the things I could say about being a responsible, ethical visitor, the most important would be to have some understanding of the place you want to visit and what harm tourism may have already wrought upon it. This means homework. Tour companies and national tourism promoters will, of course, not reveal this. Other foreign visitors you speak to may or may not have a clue. But for most destinations, there is an abundance of online information, presented by people not in the business of 'influencing', that can help. Unfortunately, my personal experience is that sometimes it takes going there to really see the problems, at which point I've already contributed to it. Of course, there are plenty of ways to act responsibly once having arrived, which is a whole other topic.