The concept of “Sustainable Tourism” promotes a way of travelling that aims to have low impact on the environment and local culture, while supporting native communities in building a balanced economic development.

 

Sustainable tourism is immensely important for everyone, since it gives a positive experience for all involved people: local residents, tourism companies (hotels, tour operators, travel agencies, transportation companies, etc.) and tourists themselves. Last but not least,  the positive experience is kept also for the future generations!

 

We at Tropical Experience are extensively promoting sustainable tourism. You can read about our actions in the “Sustainability” section of our website: it was already created from the start as we worked in organizing and promoting tours of the Philippines back in 2013.

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Anyway, there are some key points of things you could do to make your trip more sustainable, either in the Philippines or anywhere else:

 

1. Prefer operators and establishments with a Sustainability Policy

A modern and reliable operator that cares about the environment should be also able to tell you how they do that. It’s not enough to say “We love the environment” (in the end, who doesn’t?) but it’s increasingly important to be concrete with your actions and to convey a plan and a vision. It could be exhibited by preferring operators, hotels, guides and other key players that provide a coherent explanation and actions of how your trip will be environment-friendly, culturally authentic and respectful of people in all aspects.

 

2. Nature and culture are at their best when they are genuine. Keep this in mind.

Choose tours that offer an authentic perspective of the country you are going to visit. If there are “Ecotourism” and “Sustainable Tours” options among the tours and services you’ll come across while planning your trip, you may like to take a look and consider them. Prefer hotels that reflect the peculiarity of their place, restaurants that offer plenty of good local food and establishments that are well-integrated with the surrounding environment. Visit National Parks, Natural Reserves or UNESCO Heritage Sites: they follow rules to keep their beauty and unique characteristics intact to be available for the future generations!

 

3. Become environmentally self-conscious during your trip

Though this is a point that is often left behind, this is actually one of the main effective keys to sustainability. The person who can consciously carry-out the sustainability of your trip would most probably be…you! There are really a lot of small, easy and almost effortless actions that you can do to play a positive role. There is no need to have a shabby tour and to give up on the comfort you like, need and deserve. Check out our “Sustainability Tips” here, and find out that travelling sustainably can be simple, fun and will definitely improve your whole travelling experience! You may already know most of them, but they could be a good reminder on what you can do.