When it comes to regenerative sustainability, it is not only about the environment but also about how to bring economic and social benefits to the local people. Sustainable tourism is more than minimizing the environmental footprint, it encompasses economic growth, environmental health, the well-being of the local popular, making sure that there is a balance among these factors and so much more.
Sustainable tourism helps in minimizing the negative impacts and maximizing the positive advantages for local communications, ecosystems, and cultures.
Which brings us to the question, how to embrace sustainability and regeneration in our travels?
1. Choosing the right place to stay while traveling.
Make sure that you always choose homestays, hotels or resorts, whatever fits within your budget that prioritize local communities playing a crucial role in the improvement of their well being and reducing environmental impact. Choosing the right destination is important because you have to ensure that it is easily accessible and promotes sustainability as well.
This helps in supporting the local communities and making sure that you have an authentic experience while you travel. Often, opting for local guest houses and home stays tend to be a whole lot cheaper compared to the hotels around in that area.
2. Seek the destinations that are less visited.
Choosing to avoid places that suffer from over tourism, and opting for destinations that are less frequented as compared to the places that have their own popularity, it helps in preventing over tourism in the usual tourist traps and provides a rewarding experience in exploring the places that are less traversed. Most of the time the popular tourist destinations tend to have tourists waiting hours to explore the destination only to realize that it does not look the way it did online.
Opting for the path less traveled provides an authentic experience and allows you to avoid crowds giving a more fulfilling experience to enjoy. This also provides unique and memorable moments that will help in making your stay the one to remember.
3. Support the community.
Make sure that you research about the destination you plan to travel to, and more important, research all about the local cultures including their history, traditions and etiquette. Downloading a language app to understand and navigate through the place, keep in mind that you are aware of the certain gestures, words and clothing that can be considered offensive and should be avoided.
Always make sure that you follow the laws and guidelines of the destination to the T, follow all the safety and health precautions as given. Respect the local communities and treat them with dignity without intruding into their privacy.
4. Calculate and think before you spend money
Traveling, especially sustainably can get expensive, which is why choosing to shop locally while creating connections with local communities helps in supporting local and small businesses as well. Opting for locally owned guest houses, dining at local restaurants that provide traditional dishes will also help in improving your experience.
Local guides go out of their way to make sure that you are able to explore the destination in its truest form and while haggling is accepted in certain cultures make sure that you are not being stingy and paying the price worth of the product.
5. Stay awhile and enjoy it as much as you can.
Often, you tend to try to cram as much as you can into a single trip while you visit the destination. While a detailed and packed itinerary may seem do able on paper, you will find yourself rushing through each point to meet up through the list and will not be able to enjoy yourself as well.
You have to make sure that you take care of the environment and reduce the amount of carbon footprints you leave behind.
Conclusion
Embracing sustainability and regeneration in your travel vacation, especially when you are trying to enjoy yourself and relax is not easy, which is why you should take your time to research and choose carefully where and what you would like to do. Make sure that you are experiencing and exploring the destination instead of hopping from one activity to another.
