In the middle of the whole world situation, it’s impossible not to think about having to make significant changes in all fronts of our lives. Travelling is one of them.
Although this topic has been talked about for years, it is currently gaining relevance. The pillars of sustainable tourism are basic: best practices towards the environment (reduce, reuse, and recycle), protecting the place (cultural and natural heritage), and, from the companies perspectives, fostering social and economic benefits for communities.
Apart from these measures, there are some others that tourists can specifically put into practice and that also have a great impact in the community they are visiting. We’ll give you a few of them here:
Avoid plastic products.
This step is basic: bring your own water bottle anywhere you go. If the water of the city you’re visiting is safe to drink, you can fill it up in your room’s bathroom and go out to experience the city with guaranteed hydration.
Now, if you want to take things a step further, you can also carry your own cutlery and straw. This way, you will significantly reduce waste in the place you’re visiting.
Buy and consume local products.
Look at it this way: if you buy local, not only are you contributing economically to the community you’re visiting in a direct way, but you’re also increasing your possibilities of knowing much more about the place you go to.
If you have questions about where to go to obtain truly local experiences, don’t hesitate to ask at the Spotty Hostels front desk.
Make sure not to change your towels and sheets on a daily basis.
You can request this change not to be made in your room at the front desk. This way, you avoid the use of more water than what is necessary.
Keep your showers short.
We know that taking a long shower after a long day of walking and visiting new places is a pleasure. However, the water and energy use are excessive, and it can even be extremely negative in some cities with water shortage.
Don’t take excess flights.
It can take a bit longer, but you could use airplanes to travel to the destination country only and, once there, if you plan to go to several cities, move around in buses or a shared vehicle.
