Join The Sustainable Travel Movement

What exactly is sustainable travel?  The World Tourism Organization specifies it is the “management of all resources in such a way that economic, social, and aesthetic needs can be fulfilled while maintaining cultural integrity, essential ecological processes, biological diversity, and life support systems.”

Sustainable tourism should also maintain a high level of tourist satisfaction and ensure a meaningful experience to the tourists, raising their awareness about sustainability issues and promoting sustainable tourism practices amongst them. (Source: World Tourism Organization).

According to a new poll, most travelers agree that traveling sustainably is important, but many may feel it’s easier said than done. AIG Travel, a worldwide leader in travel insurance and assistance services, recently released the results of its latest Pulse Poll on sustainable travel, which received more than 1,500 responses from travelers and followers of the brand.

Chief among the findings: Most respondents (52 percent) said it’s important to travel sustainably, but more than one third (35 percent) reported difficulty doing so, with 50 percent of those citing “not knowing how” as the top barrier. This lack of awareness was reflected elsewhere in the survey, with 71 percent of respondents defining sustainable travel as “minimizing environmental impact” despite the World Tourism Organization’s broader definition of the term, which includes economic and social elements.

When you travel, try to research how tourism has affected the areas you are visiting:

• Do some businesses seem to cater only to tourists?
• Do shops peddle souvenirs as opposed to traditional handicrafts?
• Do local restaurants offer typical local cuisine or are there a plethora of trendy restaurants geared towards tourists?

When I visited Burma may years ago while living in Thailand, we went to the outdoor shopping area (which was just a long road filled with street vendors) and found beautiful handicrafts made by the community folk.  I still have a couple handmade boxes that I purchased while on this trip. It brings back great memories of my time in Thailand and visit to Burma.  This is an example of supporting the communities you visit while traveling.