Sustainable Travel: The Essential Guide to Positive Impact Adventures by Holly Tuppen

Author:Holly Tuppen [Tuppen, Holly]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Travel, Special Interest, Ecotourism, Self-Help, Green Lifestyle, General
ISBN: 9780711256026
Google: TfMREAAAQBAJ
Publisher: White Lion Publishing
Published: 2021-06-29T00:16:48.035533+00:00

Safeguarding culture

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Over 40 per cent of travellers identify themselves as ‘cultural tourists’, which proves we’re not all out to ‘fly and flop’ on holiday. This form of travel can be hugely positive for tourists, locals and heritage alike. Immersing yourself in a new culture forges connections, expands worldviews and increases understanding. It can also introduce us to new ideas and perspectives, which can make us better citizens – what can we learn from the past and how others live? This can be crucial to address social and environmental inequality.

Tourism can also fund the protection of heritage. It prompts communities to care for and take pride in their culture, and can even help people to create new expressions of cultural identity. Safeguarding culture can be vital for the health of our planet, too. Respecting and uplifting more traditional, rural ways of life can challenge urban migration and the destruction of landscapes.

But tourism is a double-edged sword. Last year, approximately 10 million tourists visited the most popular section of the Great Wall of China and nearly 20 million visitors explored Venice. As the Global Heritage Fund explains, ‘When well-managed, tourism can protect these historic sites and provide an economic boost to surrounding communities. Conversely, poorly managed tourism results in congestion, saturation, commodification, and physical stress on infrastructure and on natural, cultural, and heritage attractions.’

Rather than following the crowds, we can use our travels to help lesser-known heritage sites or a marginalized culture. To do so, we need to seek historical sites that would be destroyed if not for tourism, and support social enterprises that help traditions to thrive. In this instance, social media can be a force for good. By delving deeper into local accounts and tips, it’s possible to find off-the-beaten-track recommendations that aren’t always in the mainstream. Local tourist boards and bloggers can be a good place to look, too.

The most responsible form of cultural tourism provides the funds and means for communities to protect their heritage on their terms. Culture is more likely to survive when it’s living and breathing, and shouldn’t be kept in a museum state for the sake of tourists.

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