Sustainable Tourism
Eco-tours: Tread Carefully
With increasing interest in environmentally sound tours, travellers should aim for quality, keeping in mind a few principles before hitting the trail:
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DO YOUR HOMEWORK
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Determine the tour operator's legitimacy: accreditation, training, policies, awards etc. Study the area you are visiting through books, brochures, websites etc. Learn the basic principles of eco-tourism itself.
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DIP INTO YOUR WALLET
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Ecologically friendly practices like using solar energy, recycling materials and limiting the number of travellers mean that costs can add up to 20% more than a standard tour. There is a definite trade-off, and costs can be higher. But you and the animals will appreciate the difference.
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LEAVE NO TRACE
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This advice still holds good - proper disposal of garbage and waste is a must - not over the the side of a boat, not behind the tree in the jungle.
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SUPPORT THE LOCALS
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In addition to buying native handicrafts, which helps locals survive without having to poach from the environment, travellers can actually take part in ecological projects.
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RESPECT, RESPECT, RESPECT
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Be sensible to cultural differences. Tourism is interactive and will affect local communities for better or for worse, but it can also be a cultural exchange.
Source: Abstracted from TIME Magazine, April 6, 1998, p.4
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