Avoiding negative impacts of tourism...Sustainable Tourism
All members of our team at Diverse Earth have been fortunate enough to have worked in many countries. We have all been amazed at the generosity and kindness local people show towards virtual strangers, when people welcome you to their country with such enthusiasm it really does inspire you to continue to see the world. Today is our chance to give something back by helping to bring money to the regions in which we run our tours, by providing employment for local people and by supporting local charities.
Sustainable tourism is not only concerned with avoiding negative impacts of tourism, it is equally important that we leave something positive from our visit as well. We have listed below some things we can all do when overseas to avoid negative impacts of tourism and promote sustainable and responsible travel.
Carbon Dioxide and Global Warming.
The biggest impact we, as travellers, have on the environment is the amount of CO2 emitted during our flight. We now all have the option of travelling ‘carbon neutral’ thanks to Climate Care. Climate care allows companies and individuals to off set their CO2 emissions caused by flying by contributing to projects around the world that help to reduce CO2 emissions. Projects include reforestation in Africa and providing smokeless ovens in Asia.
Diverse Earth supports Climate Care by off setting all our carbon emissions caused by flights taken by our staff. In addition to this all the domestic and international flights that we book for our customers are also ‘carbon neutral.’ The extra cost of flying ‘carbon neutral’ is actually very low. A one way flight from Delhi to Kathmandu for example can be carbon neutral for just 75p.
If you would like to help us to limit CO2 emissions further you can off-set the emissions from your international flight as well. Please use the carbon emissions calculator to the left hand side of the page to calculate how much CO2 will need to be off-set in order for you to fly carbon neutral. This link will then allow you to make a direct payment through Climate Care.
Wildlife Tours
The world is full of examples of eco-tourism working fantastically; unfortunately there are also plenty of examples where it has been a disaster. Wildlife tours or eco-tours should allow visitors to see areas of natural beauty and have the chance to see exotic and rare animals and in doing so contribute to the preservation of such areas. For these reasons at Diverse Earth we like to use lodges and safari camps that are owned and run by local people who respect the environment and appreciate the benefits of long-term sustainable tourism.
Whilst on tour you can help us to keep a check on whether these principals are being upheld. Please always remember the following points:
- Don’t encourage guides and drivers to get too close to wild animals, they should be watched from a distance so as not to distress them.
- Abide by the park/reserve rules. Most parks and reserves have rules as to; flash photography, smoking, the carrying of food items into protected areas, keeping quiet when on safari etc. please ask on arrival what the rules are and try to stick to them.
- Many parks/reserves will sell merchandise, the proceeds of which goes to maintaining the park or supporting the employees. This is a good way of contributing to sustainability.
- Report any activities that you would consider damaging. Either report directly to the park authorities or let us know so that we may follow it up.
Cultural/historical sites
Cultural and historical sites too can be adversely affected if tourism is not managed properly, such as the damage caused in the past to the tombs in Valley of he Kings. At Diverse Earth we like to promote the use of experienced local guides who will advise against potentially damaging activities such as touching stone carvings, flash photography etc. Whether on a guided tour or exploring alone we ask that you respect the rules of the site.
Local People
Often it is the characters you meet that make you fall in love with a place. Let’s be honest the UK is not famous for its friendliness so it's always refreshing to visit a country where strangers will come up to you in the street and ask about your home country. It is somehow possible to make life long friendships in a matter of hours when you are treated with such warmth and hospitality. It is for this reason that we despise package holidays that encourage tourists to stay in the confines of their resort or hotel, where people can spend two weeks in a foreign country and return home knowing nothing about that country's culture. At Diverse Earth we want to promote, as much as possible, the importance of talking with local people, learning about their life and in turn teaching them something of your life.
At Diverse Earth we always like to use local guides, we use locally owned transport companies and local drivers. Where possible we also use locally owned hotels and guesthouses.
Religious Sites
Often the religious temples, mosques, cathedrals etc. can be the most spectacular buildings you will see whilst on tour. It is important to remember however that these sites are first and foremost a place of worship. Certain sites will be completely closed to non-worshipers such as Pashupatinath temple in Nepal. There have been instances of insensitive tourists trying to bribe their way into such sites which goes against every rule of sustainable tourism. Many sites however are open to non-worshipers, and we, as travellers, should be aware before we enter the customs of that particular religion. For example in a mosque women should cover their heads and shoulder whilst in a Buddhist temple one should remove head coverings. If you do not know the correct protocol, it is always best to ask a local person or to take a guide.
Charities
When travelling in countries such as India where there is extreme poverty, visitors are often upset by the low quality of life and want to do something to help. Of course it is down to the individual whether they give money to a beggar or not but our advice is to wait until you get home, think about where you would like your money to go and look into registered charities that support your chosen cause. This is the most effective way of ensuring that your money will go directly to the people that need it.
At Diverse Earth we support charities in the areas that we are running tours. We have supported a range of charities so that both the environment and local people benefit from our donations. At the moment we are supporting the following charities around the world:
The Tibet Foundation. Set up in 1985 and based in London, the Tibet Foundation works to give aid to Tibetans in their homeland, support the Tibetan community in exile and to preserve Tibetan culture.
Bharath Charitable Cancer Hospital and Institute. We have donated money to sponsor a general health camp in rural India. The money we donate goes to buying medicines, transport and printing educational pamphlets. This charity is supported through Give India.
Child Survival India. We have donated money to help fund the education of street children in India. The money we have donated will go to buy books and stationary and pay for transport and tutors fees. This charity is supported through Give India.
Global Tiger Patrol. GTP is a conservation agency prioritising wild tiger protection in India. GTP help protect tigers and their environment in three ways: monitoring tiger populations, buying or repairing much needed equipment for park rangers and researching into alternative fuel sources so that habitats will not suffer from illegal wood cutting.
We also support the work of the Sunshine Orphanage in Luxor, Egypt and Mother Theresa’s Home for the Destitute in Agra, India. Although we do not support these charities on a regular basis we help to promote them to visitors to those areas and support them when we have chance to visit in person.
Do your research
If you decide to go it alone and want guidance on where to stay, Eco Hotels of the World is the very first independent travel guide for those interested in making less of an impact on our planet during their holiday. At Diverse earth we are thrilled that this publication has been such a success and are happy to promote it.
