My tips on how to travel responsibly
Choose your destination wisely: Many countries such as Cambodia, Maldives and much of the Caribbean rely solely on tourism as their source of income. By choosing a destination that relies on us being there, has a huge positive impact. If we simply didn’t travel there at all as much as 80% of jobs would be lost, having a detrimental impact on the lives of local people.
Buy Local: Buying local means the money you spend on holiday stays in the local economy. When you arrive, try to buy locally made souvenirs and go to local bars, cafes and restaurants to eat local specialities (usually prepared with locally-grown fresh produce!). As your expert Travel Counsellor, I can also suggest local excursions to not only enhance your holiday experience but ultimately giving you the opportunity to learn about local cultures and customs, as well as supporting local communities.
Suncreams and toiletries: Lots of destinations have now banned many off the shelf suncreams and require a reef safe version. As well as a Travel Counsellor, I am also a proud ambassador for Tropic skincare. Tropic’s infinite purpose is To help create a healthier, greener, more empowered world. There are no toxic chemicals or preservatives in any of their products, meaning that the sun care is both reef and land safe, making a great purchase for snorkelling trips and those that love a dip in the sea! Body Love firming buttercream is an incredible everyday body moisturiser, but with zesty, citrus scents, I love to use this of an evening on my travels as it acts as a fantastic insect repellent. To purchase your sun care and toiletries before you travel, visit www.tropicskincare.com/kerrikelf or give me a call to place an order
Keep your footprint small We all do our bit at home to manage the amount of rubbish we produce, and our water and energy use. In other countries this is usually even more important. For instance, there may be very little access to freshwater, or no local recycling services. Remember the basics: take short showers rather than baths, reuse towels and bed linen, turn down/off heating and air-conditioning when not required, turn off all lights and appliances when you leave your room.
Respect local culture, traditions and wildlife My favourite trips to put together are the bespoke and tailormade, usually multi destination options. At Travel Counsellors I have access to 100s of suppliers and these include our directly contracted destination management companies (DMCs). Our DMCs are based locally, and I work closely with the teams both out in the destination that you want to travel to as well as the teams based here in the UK. Together we can piece together your perfect itinerary and include local excursions and experiences. Our DMCs are carefully chosen with sustainability in mind, therefore we respect local customs and traditions, but recommend that you do a little background research before you travel. Know how to appropriately dress and learn how to say hello, please and thank you. Not only do we aim to enrich your holiday with local experiences, but we only support wildlife tours with qualified guides where you can see animals in their natural habitats. We only support observation and not interaction, so things such as elephant riding or bottle-feeding baby tigers for example, won’t be on offer through me.
Giving Back Many travellers would like to know if there’s something they can give out, instead of money, as a donation – for instance giving children pens for schools. If you would like to give back, consider donating to a local charity that is involved in social or conservation projects, or support the Travel Foundation, a charity with projects in many popular holiday destinations around the world. It's also reassuring to know that when you book with Travel Counsellors you are travelling with a company that actively supports and donates towards this charity too.
So if you would like to plan your next holiday, honeymoon, family adventure or maybe a short city break or longer small group tour, but sustainability and travelling responsibly is high on your holiday agenda, get in touch today as I would absolutely love to talk to you about your options in more detail.