What is Responsible Travel?

When researching responsible travel options, you will most likely encounter a variety of terms: compassionate travel, responsible travel, sustainable tourism, ecotourism, etc. Unfortunately these terms, and the differences between them, can be confusing to travelers. Below are brief descriptions of these terms.

Responsible or Compassionate Travel

A behavior that tourists and other tourism stakeholders can choose to engage in as opposed to a type of travel industry. Interest groups, including businesses, travel agencies, accommodations, transportation, tour guides, restaurants, tour operators, local communities, tourists, among many others, choose to take responsibility for the type of tourism they manage, promote, or participate in and commit to protecting the environment, wildlife, and local communities. Read more about responsible travel at ResponsibleTravel.com and WSPA’s Compassionate Travel website.

Sustainable Tourism

An industry committed to establishing balance between environmental, economic and socio-cultural aspects of tourism. This balance ensures that a destination or activity will remain viable and travelers/industry can continue to enjoy/profit from that destination or activity long-term. In other words, both the destination and the industry are protected and enhanced for future generations to enjoy. People can support the sustainable tourism movement by being a responsible traveler. This means learning about and respecting cultural, political and economic issues of the communities they visit, supporting local businesses, seeking out ecologically and ethically responsible businesses, and ultimately perpetuate that knowledge to others. When whales, dolphins, and other wildlife are key tourism features, conservation is especially important for travelers to think about when choosing tour operators or businesses. In other words, tourists should find tour operators or businesses that strive to minimize their impacts on marine wildlife and the ocean environment.

Source: Sustainable Development of Tourism Conceptual Definition, Concepts and Definitions (WTO 2004)

Ecotourism

Another type of industry that is defined by The International Ecotourism Society as "responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and improves the well-being of local people." The term “ecotourism” is not as broad as “sustainable tourism.” More specifically, ecotourism required sustainable use of biodiversity and travel to nature-based destinations. Again, people can support ecotourism by being a responsible traveler. Tourists should minimize their impact on the natural areas they visit, choose businesses and companies that minimize their impacts, respect and support the local environment and community, and contribute to conservation either directly (volunteering) or indirectly (participating in responsible whale and dolphin watching tours).

Keep in mind that terms like “green” and “eco-friendly” are sometimes used as a marketing tool to promote environmentally irresponsible nature-related tourism (a practice termed “green-washing’). For example, wildlife-loving tourists who swim with the dolphins, regardless of a stunningly beautiful location, only perpetuates the depletion of natural populations and the suffering of the animals involved – not ecotourism at all.

As you can see, you can be a responsible traveler by supporting the sustainable tourism and ecotourism industries. These industries seek to achieve sustainable development of tourism practices and protect the resources on which tourism depends - goals achievable through environmental integrity, socio-cultural support and economic growth.