Many of us would like to learn how to travel better, but buzz words can often get in the way. Here, we dismantle the popular keywords to get to the nitty-gritty of sustainable travel...
At Wanderlust, we have been championing off-the-beaten-track, low-impact travel for the past 30 years. Without intention, we’ve always held sustainable travel experiences at our core. Now, the world is seeing what we see.
Sustainable travel is not only good for the people and environments we visit, but it’s also an altogether more enriching and adventurous experience. The only problem now is deciphering the buzz words. Sustainable tourism, responsible travel, regenerative travel – what is the difference between them all? Most importantly, what do they actually mean?
From using public transport to eating locally-sourced food, sustainable travel considers the needs of travellers and local communities (Alamy)
According to the United Nations World Tourism Organisation, sustainable tourism “takes full account of its current and future economic, social and environmental impacts, addressing the needs of visitors, the industry, the environment and host communities”. More particularly, it encompasses the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals – which considers everything from climate action to reducing poverty – and how tourism can affect change in these areas. With these as a framework, sustainable tourism requires governing bodies and the industry to come together to create more environmentally, socially and economically conscious infrastructure for travellers.
According to Zina Bencheikh, MD at Intrepid Travel, the best thing travellers can do is make choices that are better for people and the planet. “We believe that travel can be a force for good. Our trips are designed to minimise the carbon footprint and maximise the positive impact on the people and communities we visit,” she explains. “Staying in locally-owned accommodation, using public transport and eating locally sourced food will help reduce impact on the climate and ensure any trip benefits local communities.”
Responsible travel puts the onus on the traveller to change habits and reduce their environmental and social impact (Alamy)
While sustainable tourism experiences are typically enabled through industry-led initiatives, the term responsible travel puts the onus on the traveller to adapt their way of travelling to reduce environmental and social impact.
Being a responsible traveller can often be as simple as seeking out local artisan markets to shop for souvenirs rather than buying mass-produced items at the airport or choosing an ethical wildlife watching operator rather than going with the standard popular company on a review site. For the more confident, it might mean travelling by ferry to Europe rather than fly short-haul or choosing an operator, like Intrepid Travel, that will book you into boutique hotels or guesthouses rather than tried-and-tested chain resorts.
Responsible travel means accepting accountability for the travel planning – and understanding that as the consumer, you have the power to choose a more sustainable way of travelling. Even small changes make a huge difference, so be proud to fly the responsible travel flag however you choose to do it.
Wildlife Heritage Areas is a global programme that connects communities, travellers and nature in areas such as The Whitsundays (Alamy)
Taking the concept a step further, regenerative travel attempts to not just produce standard sustainable travel options – but to enhance local culture, economy and natural ecosystems through the income that travel generates. The process allows local people to become the primary stakeholders of their businesses and environment, prompting education and knowledge to be shared freely shared within communities. The benefit to travellers is a more immersive, well-rounded experience.
Wildlife Heritage Areas, for example, is a global programme founded by World Animal Protection and the world Cetacean Alliance, that reconnects local communities with nature, helping them understand – and preserve – the biodiversity and ecosystems on their doorstep. From Brazil’s Mamirauá Reserve, the largest protected floodplain area in the world, to the whale heritage areas around the Whitsunday Islands in Queensland, Australia - the initiative offers a wealth of in-depth nature-based experiences to those who are passionate about the planet – while also teaching visitors about the regions’ cultural links.
Community-based tourism is powerful because it empowers local people to share knowledge and culture, which leads to a more enriching traveller experience (Alamy)
Transformative tourism refers to experiences that bring about significant changes to a region – and those that are, hopefully, positive. An example is Bhutan’s carefully curated tourism programme, which charges visitors a set sustainable development fee (SDF) of US$200 per person, per night. This income is used to support tourism infrastructure throughout the country, as well as provisioning towards the local health and education systems. A significant part of the aforementioned infrastructure includes maintaining large areas of native forest, preserving heritage architecture throughout the country and training local people to be guides. As a visitor, you are paying upfront of a trip in which you are personally guided on a immersive journey through both culture and landscape, learning about local customs, language and a deep-rooted heritage.
Community tourism, meanwhile, highlights the need to centre local people and knowledge within travel experiences. From eating out at community restaurants to meeting and engaging in Indigenous-led activities, your expenditure not only goes directly back into the local economy, but your presence will also produce employment opportunities. G Adventures’ Planeterra programme is a strong example of this, where small group tours to lesser visited regions result in investment into valuable local projects that uplift communities.
While it might take some time to decipher why a particular phrase is being used in travel writing, what’s important is to realise these terms present a similar idea. That we need to be more aware of our footprint when on holiday – and we can do that by acknowledging the importance of the local people and environments that host us. No matter what kind of trip you’re planning, simply looking to the local community will help you to be a more a responsible traveller.
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