You know all about the Mindful Tourist’s tips on how to be a socially conscious traveler. The Ethical Traveler is an alliance uniting adventurers, tourists, travel agencies, and outfitters — everyone who loves to travel, and sees travel as a positive force in the world. They believe that all travelers are, in effect, freelance ambassadors. We agree, having written about travelers being representatives of the human race. Ethical Traveler believes that we all have the ability to join our voices, and to use our economic power to strengthen human rights and protect the environment.
Their “13 Tips for the Accidental Ambassador” offers good advice for how to think about travel and behave toward our fellow humans while traveling:
(click above for Ethical Traveler’s explanations of each tip.)
- Be aware of where your money is going (basically, it should be going only to locally-owned businesses, something we’ve talked a lot about here).
- Never give gifts to children – this something we’ve heard before but we must admit we find it difficult to follow all the time.
- Take the time to learn basic courtesy phrases.
- Remember the economic realities of your new currency.
- Bargain fairly – this is so true; yes, you should bargain in many places but we cannot tell you how sad it is to see when a foreigner tries to haggle down to the last quarter, disrespecting the seller in the process.
- Learn and respect the traditions and taboos of your host country.
- Curb your anger and cultivate your sense of humor – yes, yes, yes!
- Arrive with a sense of the social, political, and environmental issues faced by the local people.
- Learn to listen.
- Learn to speak – not the language but to give your opinion without implying that it is the absolute truth.
- The single most useful phrase any traveler can learn: “Can you please help me?”
- Leave your preconceptions about the world at home. (We say better yet, toss them out entirely!)
- Never forget Kurt Vonnegut Jr.’s best line: “Peculiar travel suggestions are dancing lessons from God.”
What are other ways to be an ethical traveler in your opinion?
Leave a comment