ECOTOURS GUIDELINES |
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| As an eco- traveller it is your responsibility
to prevent or minimise any negative impacts on the environment,
local community and economy of the destination you are visiting.
Our aim is to provide guidelines that will help you to remember
the principles of ecotourism throughout your trip. |
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| Before you go |
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Choose your travel provider on the basis of their eco principles
and practices. |
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Educate yourself about the destination you are visiting by
reading guidebooks and travel articles. |
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Be aware of local history, culture and customs of the locals
before arriving. Learn enough knowledge of the language to be
polite i.e. hello, please and thankyou. By making the effort
to learn even the basics it will be appreciated by locals; and
enrich your experience. |
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When packing, if you want to bring gifts for local people
in developing countries don't give sweets; instead bring clothes
and pens, and ask your tour operator or driver to give them
to community elders so that you don't encourage begging from
children. |
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Learn about the vital eco-systems before arriving. |
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| During your Stay |
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Be sensitive to the local culture by wearing clothing that
is accepted. Be aware of people's sensitivity to being photographed;
always ask first. Observe local customs. |
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Remember that you are a visitor and therefore be aware that
your cultural values may differ from those of the locals. This
may include different concepts of time, personal space, communication
etc. which are not wrong or inferior, just different. |
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Demonstrate responsible behaviour to other travellers who
are less informed than you by acting as an example. |
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Use local transportation, guides, inns, restaurants and markets
to benefit the local economy. |
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Be sensitive to displays of wealth in front of people from
developing countries. By displaying possessions such as cameras
and jewellery, feelings of jealousy may be created which then
generates barriers that inhibit genuine interactions between
travellers and locals. |
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Ask your tour operator or guide what their established environmental
guidelines are for limiting and improving tourist impact on
the environment and local culture. General guidelines involve
staying on trails, maintaining set distances away from wildlife,
and not encouraging drivers to move too close to wildlife, even
if it is tempting for getting a better picture. |
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Comply with international environmental conventions. Do not
buy any animal products while travelling. Do not remove any
objects, plants or animal products from nature. Not only can
these affect fragile ecosystems, but is also illegal. |
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Conserve Resources. Be aware of resource shortages such as
water and food as many tourist destinations are under increasing
pressure. |
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Don't allow your guide to hunt endangered or threatened species
or harvest rare plants for your consumption. |
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Encourage practices to conserve the environment, including
the use of renewable resources in a sustainable manner and the
conservation of non-renewable resources. |
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| On return |
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Continue with your commitment to conservation at home by incorporating
it into everyday life. Support organisations or societies that
follow eco-principles and share your experiences with others
with the goal of increasing awareness of environmental issues.
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| Conclusion |
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These recommended guidelines should be followed by all eco-travellers.
However by choosing a tour operator through EcoTour Directory,
a small part of the work has been done for you as the eco-policies
of every listed operator has already been reviewed; and is displayed
for you to read about.
By encouraging the tourism industry to comply with these policies
on a local, regional and national level the aim is to restructure
the tourism industry into making a positive impact towards environmental
sustainability, economic sustainability for all stakeholders
and the preservation of culture. By choosing only travel providers
that hold eco-principles, the rest of the tourism industry will
be forced to follow due to the power of consumer demand.
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RINJANI TREKKING LOMBOK
