What you can do

HOW CAN YOU contribute yourself?

To increase the positive impact of travel on nature, culture and people, and to reduce the social, cultural, economic and environmental impacts of our activities, you as a traveler can also contribute a lot. Below are some important tips for responsible travel. Do you have any tips of your own? Feel free to let us know!

Tips for responsible travel:

Before you travel:

• As much as possible, choose to travel off the beaten path,Where the world can’t find you…. and plan your trip in the early or late season to avoid over-tourism
• Book as many direct flights as possible, choose an airline with the most modern aircraft, and offset the carbon emissions of your trip through the exporter
• Also, select the most environmentally friendly mode of transportation locally, such as a train route
• Stay in as climate-neutral accommodations as possible that invest in local community development and conservation efforts
• Choose a local guide to accompany your activities
• Bring a refillable water bottle and your own (shopping) bag to avoid disposable plastic
• If diving or snorkeling, use sunscreen without oxybenzone, do not touch or break up coral
• Immerse yourself in the local culture and try to learn and use a few words of the local language

Tips during your trip:

• Avoid disposable plastic and choose sustainable packaging. Refuse unnecessary plastic packaging and leave the free bottles of water in your hotel room if you brought your own refillable bottle
• Conserve water at your destination and separate your waste
• Many hotels offer the option of not having towels washed every day
• Leave protected flora and fauna alone
• Avoid animal suffering; do not ride elephants, do not support dancing bears, do not pet tigers, do not swim with trained dolphins, do not visit cuddle farms and do not be photographed with (sedated) predators; more tips can be found on the animal welfare page
• Respect local norms and values, by wearing appropriate clothing
• If you want to photograph local people; have a chat first and ask permission
• Do not hand out pens, candy or money to children. If begging earns more than school, chances are high that school will be skipped
• Would you like to contribute to the local school? Inform what is needed, buy the room and give the items to the teacher
• Support and promote local initiatives
• Don’t buy forbidden souvenirs, but (durable) mementos whose proceeds benefit the local population
• Visit catering establishments that use organically grown seasonal local produce and do not eat endangered species
• If you go diving or snorkeling, make sure not to touch the coral. Marine animals are very fragile and can die from touching or breaking off
• Tip! In Africa, for example, your $1 tip means a meal for an entire family; unwittingly supporting up to 12 people
• Help fight child sex tourism in vacation countries; be alert and report suspicions of child sexual abuse; more information can be found on the Ecpat page.