In a world that is slowly yet steadily becoming more ‘green’, more eco-friendly and generally more aware, people are becoming mindful of their impact on not only the environment, but also the economy. Everyone’s talking about it and it’s fast becoming a global trend, but what is responsible travel? What does it really mean for us as travellers and what’s it all about?
Working for a non-profit organisation that uses tourism as an economic platform to create and sustain jobs in rural Africa, I’m exposed to the positive impact of responsible travel and the lives of the people affected by it (including my own) more than your average person. Visiting the rural communities around South Africa, it’s plain to see that these areas are rich in culture, history and natural beauty and need the economic boost major tourist hubs like Cape Town, Kruger National Park and the famed Garden Route enjoy on an annual basis.
If it all seems a little overwhelming, the good news is that it’s not. You can be part of a very easy solution just by travelling!
Travellers should leave nothing but their footprints behind
What is responsible travel?
In a nutshell, responsible travel creates better places for people to live in and better places to visit. It’s tourism that maximises economic, social and environmental benefits and minimises impact and cost. The long-term effects of visiting an area are the backbone of responsible tourism.
What this means for us as travellers is that we need to put ourselves out of our comfort zones once in a while. That’s not too much to ask, is it?
Travelling responsibly will expose you to more of your country, take you into some of the most breath-taking destinations and allow you to interact with the ‘real South Africa’. I guarantee you that having more meaningful connections with local people and a greater understanding of local cultural, social and environmental issues will leave you feeling energised and refreshed. It’ll also open your eyes to the true beauty of South Africa and its people.
How to be a responsible traveller
Visiting your nearest game or nature reserve won’t quite cut it, I’m afraid. While supporting conservation is responsible and definitely contributes to protecting the environment, it’s not quite the same as venturing out to explore South Africa’s less travelled areas to support local tourism-based businesses and help the people and communities that really need it.
Travelling to off-the-beaten-track destinations doesn’t always have to involve camping in the most remote place on top of the most hard-to-reach mountain top. It means travelling to areas you wouldn’t normally travel to and stopping off to check out the little ‘dorpies’ along the way, helping to generate revenue for the small businesses trying to make ends meet in these towns.
Check out some of Open Africa’s self-drive travel routes, throw caution to the wind and go on the road trip of a lifetime – you never know how many lives you might change!
Hanging out with the local village children in Mabaalstad
Long-term effects of responsible tourism
By creating and sustaining employment through tourism, rural communities will take pride in their area. If it’s attractive to tourists, it’s attractive to them! One of the biggest and most important effects of responsible tourism is the conservation of wildlife and the surrounding environment or rural communities. Once communities start to value the environment and see the tourism potential in it, they will begin to feel more passionate about protecting it.
If rural communities don’t need to rely on their environment for food and shelter, we may even start to see a decrease in the number of endangered species such as rhino being poached. Rural people struggling to make a sustainable living will no longer be forced to take desperate measures for money, such as tipping off poachers or even becoming poachers themselves.
That’s serious food for thought … do I travel responsibly?
In November 2012, Open Africa was nominated as a finalist in the Imvelo Responsible Tourism Awards for their work in social involvement programmes. Visit www.openafrica.org for more information about rural development through tourism.
