Lifestyle | Travel | Sustainable Travel ABOUT THIS PROJECT The author of The Ethical Traveller reminds us how travel can be one of many pathways to making our planet a safer, fairer and kinder place – somewhere people and nature thrive in harmony. TAKE THE ROAD LESS TRAVELLED Like the famous actor who ends up being typecast — tourism turns certain destinations into parodies of themselves. Just look at central Venice pre-Covid, where bumper-to-bumper gondolas and restaurants serving frozen bolognese for €30 a pop came as standard.
Too much tourism decimates local ecosystems and makes daily life nigh on impossible for locals. It’s far better to pick a region’s second, third or even fourth city instead. Think skiing in Bulgaria’s Rila Mountains instead of the Swiss Alps, browsing Rotterdam’s galleries instead of joining the crush in Amsterdam.
CONSIDER WHERE YOU ARE MOST NEEDED Pick somewhere that really needs your support. Disaster Tourism may sound gross but the aftermath of a natural disaster or terrorist attack is when your dollars are needed the most. It’s also important to engage with destinations that are dealing with negative publicity and tell your friends the real story – if it is safe to do so, of course.
Other destinations where your money means more are those that are highly dependent on tourism. Take the tiny Caribbean Islands of Antigua and Barbuda, where visiting beach-lovers bolster 90% of the local economy. MAKE YOURSELF AT HOME With on-site r.