Responsible tourism – 8 Ethical travel mistakes

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Responsible tourism can be a tricky subject to wrap your head around. You may have found yourself wondering what is ethical tourism? Or how to be a responsible tourist?

As both a traveller, conservation scientist and a self-confessed eco-warrior, I sometimes find it hard to reconcile my two passions. There are many aspects of the tourism industry that can be harmful to the planet, wildlife and indigenous peoples. And sometimes I experience things whilst travelling that just don’t seem right to me and leave me feeling a little bit icky.

It can be difficult to navigate the waters of ethical and responsible tourism. You may have no idea that the experience being sold to you is actually causing harm to someone or something. We are all human, we make mistakes and we learn every day.

However, it is incredibly important to try to become more mindful of the impact of our travel choices.

It’s easy to think of yourself as just a small fish in a big pond and that your actions alone won’t result in any meaningful change. But the truth is, the more people who engage in responsible tourism and shun unethical practices, then the more the tourism industry will have to take notice. 

Remember, it’s important to vote with your wallet. Focus on putting your money towards more ethical travel experiences. A demand for a more inclusive and sustainable travel industry will result in many more ethical travel experiences becoming available.

And on the flip side, less demand for (and therefore less money being spent on) unethical practices, will see a decrease in their availability. 

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What is responsible tourism?

Let’s start with the basics. The definition of responsible tourism is:

“Tourism which minimizes negative social, economic and environmental impacts and generates greater economic benefits for local people and enhances the well-being of host communities.”

Basically, if an activity causes harm to anyone or anything then it is not responsible or ethical. 

How to be a responsible tourist

I wrote an entire guide on sustainable and responsible tourism which you can check out for everything you need to know, but for now, a few key points to keep in mind are:

Minimise your impact on the environment. 

Lowering your emissions, cutting down on the amount of waste you produce, and choosing accommodations that have a low impact on the surrounding land are all good ways to get started. 

Minimise your impact on wildlife.

Be mindful of the impact your actions have on wild animals. Do your research before partaking in any tours which offer wildlife encounters and never feed wild animals. 

Minimise your impact on indigenous peoples and their cultures

Do your best not to tokenise indigenous people. Never take photos of people without asking their permission. You should always be cautious about the cultural experiences being sold to you. Do they benefit the people? Or are they simply treating them as a human zoo? Try to book tours and experiences that are run and owned by indigenous people themselves, wherever possible. 

8 responsible tourism mistakes to avoid: 

There are several common mistakes that tourists often make. This is because people are usually unaware of the ethical implications associated with certain activities. You may even be guilty of making 1 or 2 of these mistakes yourself.

The aim of this list is not to shame people but rather to educate and spread awareness. We all make mistakes and most of the time there is no malicious intent. Our mistakes are simply a case of not knowing any better.

I hope that this list can help to educate and spread awareness so that we can all do our part to become more responsible tourists. 

Responsible tourism mistake #1: Posing with animals

Why it is unethical: 

Animals that are used as photographers props often endure incredibly cruel treatment in order to “tame” them so that they become docile enough to safely pose with tourists. This can range from beatings, to having their teeth pulled out and being drugged. They are also often stolen from their mothers in the wild. Posing for photos with animals directly contributes to the illegal wildlife trade. 

Examples:  

• Spanish beach chimps – In Spain it is common for photographers to wander the beaches charging tourists for a souvenir photo with a chimp dressed in human clothing. These chimps have often been the victim of cruel wildlife trafficking practices, whereby they are illegally stolen from their mothers in the wild. They are then killed once they grow big enough to become aggressive and unmanageable. 

• Thailand tiger cubs – In Thailand and other parts of South-East Asia, it is common to be able to take photos holding a tiger cub at many “zoos” or “Tiger temples”. Again, these cubs are often killed or sold to circuses as soon as they become too big. 

Do this instead:

Just say no. If you are approached by a photographer with an animal then just politely decline. No matter how cute the animal is, do not give them your money. 

 If you are desperate to get up close and personal to wild animals then consider 

volunteering your time at a conservation project or wildlife sanctuary. 

Do your research to find one that is genuine as voluntourism can be an ethical minefield in itself. Use the Global sanctuary federation website to find an accredited sanctuary. 

where to find out more:

Monkey world is an awesome charity that rescues chimps and monkeys from around the world. They do a great job of raising awareness of the mistreatment of these animals. 

Responsible tourism mistake #2: Unethical souvenirs

Why it is unethical:

Many common souvenirs contain animal products, the demand for which is contributing to the decline of several species. These days most travellers know to avoid ivory trinkets but there are still several other animal products that are doing harm, that people simply aren’t aware of. 

Examples: 

• Coral jewellery: Whilst travelling in Italy, I saw coral jewellery for sale everywhere! Do not be tempted to buy it, even though it may look beautiful. Coral is declining all around the world. The slow-growing red coral used for jewellery simply cannot reproduce fast enough to keep up with the rate at which it is being harvested. Coral reefs are an important ecosystem and contribute to the overall health of our oceans so it is incredibly important to protect them. 

• Tortoiseshell: In many destinations around the world you can find souvenirs such as sunglasses, keyrings and belt buckles made from tortoiseshell. But did you know that tortoiseshell is made from the shells of endangered Hawksbill sea turtles? The hawksbill population has declined by 80% due to the demand for their shells for use as decorative items. 

• Traditional medicines: In many cases, traditional medicines contain animal products such as rhino horn, tiger bones and pangolin scales. The demand for traditional medicine is fuelling poaching and illegal wildlife trade around the world and is greatly impacting the decline of these species. 

Do this instead:

Avoid souvenirs that contain animal products. Try to buy direct from local artisans wherever possible and asks questions about the item you are purchasing. 

Where to find out more:

Check out  The Ethical Traveler’s Guide to Souvenir Shopping from World Nomads 

Responsible tourism mistake #3: Littering

Why it is unethical: 

Litter is not just an eyesore, it is incredibly damaging to wildlife and the environment. Wild animals can get trapped inside of, or choke on, trash and chemicals from the plastic can leach into the environment. 

Examples: 

• Plastic pollution in the oceans: Every day approximately 8 million pieces of plastic pollution find their way into our oceans. 100,000 marine mammals and turtles and 1 million sea birds are killed by marine plastic pollution annually and scientists estimate that by 2050 there will be more plastic in the ocean than marine life. 

Do this instead:

Whenever you are at the beach or out in nature always pack up all of your waste and take it with you to dispose of responsibly. Better still, try to cut down on your plastic consumption by using reusable products. You can check out my favourite sustainable and reusable travel items in my travel essentials shop.

Where to find out more:

Surfers against sewage have tons of great resources and offer opportunities to get involved with beach cleaning. 

Responsible tourism mistake #4: Orphanage tourism

Why it is unethical:

Well-meaning tourists are often deceived into thinking that they are doing a good deed by volunteering their help at an orphanage. However, these orphanages are often purely designed as a money-making business and often do more harm to the children than good. Orphanage tourism can trap children in inappropriate environments and harm their development and can even fuel human trafficking. 

Examples: 

• Nepal: In Nepal, 75% of orphanages are in popular tourist areas and 85% of the so-called orphans have at least 1 living parent. There are very few background checks done on the people who come to work at the orphanages which make them an easy target for sexual abusers.

The children can also suffer from abandonment issues and mental anguish. This is due to being separated from their families and then forming attachments to volunteers who inevitably leave. This can cause the children huge mental stress and they are likely to develop mental health issues later on in life. 

Do this instead:

Unless you are a qualified professional then do not volunteer with children. If you want to help, consider donating to Unicef or Save the children 

Where to find out more:

Read Unicef’s guide to orphanage tourism here.

Responsible tourism mistake #5: Elephant rides and ‘sanctuarys’ 

Why it is unethical:

Many so-called sanctuaries are nothing more than a tourist spectacle. Tourists are told that the elephants have been ‘rescued’. But, in reality, many are being specifically bred for a lifetime in captivity to fuel the demand for sanctuary visits. Baby elephants are regularly beaten to “break the spirit” and ensure that they behave around tourists. 

Any sanctuaries that feature elephants displaying unnatural behaviour, such as giving rides, playing football and bathing with tourists, is not a real sanctuary. It is almost guaranteed that there is cruel treatment going on behind the scenes in order to condition the elephants to display these behaviours. 

Examples:

• Bathing elephants has become a popular tourist activity in Thailand. Well-meaning tourists are often told that bathing the elephants is good for them. However, in reality, the elephants are taken into the water every hour with a new group of tourists. This can be incredibly damaging for their skin and mental wellbeing.

There has been an increase in baby elephants being stolen from the wild due to the popularity of elephant bathing.

Do this instead:

Boycott any sanctuary that features unnatural behaviour, uses chains or partakes in captive breeding. Spread awareness amongst your fellow travellers and use social media to call out any tour companies offering elephant camp visits.

Where to find out more:

The Guardian has an excellent article about the ethics of elephant sanctuaries and features a comprehensive list of ethical elephant volunteer opportunities 

Responsible tourism mistake #6: Touching or feeding wild animals

Why it is unethical:

Feeding wild animals, such as monkeys, can cause them to become dependent on humans for food and so then move into urban areas. This can cause all sorts of problems. Such as an increase in the animals being hit by cars or killed by people who view them as pests. It also makes them an easy target for poachers who can lure them close with food. 

Another major issue with touching wild animals is the risk of transmission of zoonotic diseases. These are diseases that can be transferred from humans to animals and vice-versa. Think Coronvirus!

Examples: 

• Shark feeding, Bahamas: Shark feeding has become increasingly popular over the past few years. However, encouraging sharks to associate humans with food can be dangerous for both sharks and humans. For example, tiger sharks killed a 21-year-old student whilst she was snorkelling in the Bahamas in 2019. Unfortunately, sharks are often culled in large numbers in retaliation after a fatal shark attack occurs. 

• Starfish Beach, Panama: The famous starfish beach in Bocas Del Toro was once covered in thousands of starfish but their numbers have been rapidly declining ever since tourists discovered the beach. Many tourists picked up the starfish to pose for pictures. This causes air to enter the starfish’s body which can later cause it to float to the surface and die

• Gorilla trekking, East Africa: Researchers at Oxford University recently found that tourists are often getting too close to gorillas in the wild and could be spreading diseases, such as coronavirus, to the wild gorillas.

Do this instead:

View wild animals from a distance, give them space and never ever feed a wild animal.

 If you plan to go with a tour company to view animals in the wild do your research first and ensure that the guides are responsible and maintain a safe distance between you and the animals.

If you go gorilla trekking, always wear a face covering and stay at least 7 metres away from the gorillas.

Where to find out more:

This article from National Geographic gives many examples of why you shouldn’t feed wild animals. 

Responsible tourism mistake #7: Captive dolphin and orca shows

Why it is unethical:

Marine mammals are highly intelligent with extremely complex psychological and social needs. These needs can never be replicated in captivity. There is no such thing as a happy and healthy captive dolphin or orca. Never visit dolphin shows or swim with captive dolphins. 

Examples: 

• SeaWorld: SeaWorld is the largest franchise of dolphinariums in the world. However, several of their former workers have since spoken out against SeaWorld and told of the physiological and psychological trauma that they have witnessed in the captive animals. 

Do this instead:

View dolphins and whales in the wild from a boat trip. However, be sure to do your research and go with a reputable company that keeps its distance from the animals and doesn’t feed them. 

Where to find out more:

You can watch the documentary Blackfish on Netflix for a heartbreaking deep dive into the negative impacts of captive dolphin parks such as Seaworld. 

Former Seaworld trainer John Hargrove gives a very insightful interview to National Geographic here. 

Responsible tourism mistake #8: Only staying in Resorts

Why it is unethical:

Large hotel resorts can have negative impacts on the local environment, wildlife and people. They produce large amounts of waste that is not always disposed of correctly. And huge resort developments can destroy wildlife habitat. When tourists don’t leave the resorts none of their money goes to the local communities. Resorts also often offer excursions that can be deemed unethical such as village visits and dolphin shows. 

Examples: 

• The Maldives: Many resorts in the Maldives directly or indirectly contribute to human rights violations. According to the ethical Maldives alliance “Money from tourism provides the bulwark of support to a government with a known record of intimidation and oppression”. 

• Turtles: When baby sea turtles hatch they use the light of the moon to find their way to the ocean. When large beachside resorts shine many lights out onto the beach it can disorientate the hatchlings who then get lost and never make it to the ocean. 

• All-inclusive resorts: When tourists pay for an all-inclusive package they have little incentive to go out into the local community, eat in local restaurants or hire local guides. All their money goes to the resort, which is often owned by a large overseas multinational company.

The local people are left with no benefits of the tourism to their country but do have to bear the brunt of the negative impacts of tourism such as high levels of waste, water shortages and being excluded from their own land. 

Do this instead:

Be mindful of the impact of your chosen accommodation. Choose to stay in independently owned hotels, eat in local restaurants and hire local guides. If you have to stay in a resort do your research and ensure that the one you choose works with local people not against them. 

Where to find out more:

Responsible travel has a thought-provoking article about all-inclusive resorts here. If travelling to The Maldives consult The ethical Maldives alliance list of resorts associated with human rights violations so that you know which resorts to avoid. 

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Summary

Responsible tourism is a broad and complex subject but hopefully, this list has started to open your eyes to some of the common mistakes made by well-intentioned travellers. 

Do you have any tips for responsible tourism? Let me know in the comments 

Happy travels! xo