Our Responsible Tourism Policy 

·         DTC encourages people to plant a tree each time they fly, in order to facilitate 'carbon sequestration' and to nullify the impact of their flight upon global warming

·         DTC try to only use hotels which have strong and positive links with local communities, and who have adopted environmentally responsible practices, such as limiting pollution, sound water management and recycling. DTC always try, wherever humanly possible, to use hotels which are locally owned, thus ensuring the revenue benefits local people and NOT western/European/American corporates! Where this is not possible, we do our utmost to ensure that staff are treated with respect - especially in terms of salary and working conditions. DTC believe in 'Fair Trade' tourism and are members of Tourism Concern (www.tourismconcern.org.uk)

·         DTC encourages minimising water usage, as many places lack sufficient water. DTC also encourages the use of environmentally safe detergent, as many places still flush water direct into rivers and the sea

·         DTC recommends avoiding using modern-style ‘moist toilet tissue’ which is very hard to naturally break down. Do not flush anything other than human waste down the toilet

·         DTC oppose the exploitation of the environment, animals or indigenous peoples by tourists, or for tourists

·         DTC opposes prostitution and sex-tourism, which is always based upon exploitation

·         DTC opposes 'cultural imperialism', believes all cultures are equally valid and believes that indigenous cultures should be respected. Where cultures clash, dialogue and mutual understanding is essential

·         DTC believes that all holy sites should be respected, regardless of the religion they represent

·         DTC tries to be as 'paper free' as possible, and recycles wherever possible

·         DTC believes sustainable development can only be achieved through managed aid, fair trade and responsible tourism

·         DTC believes that life enhancing travel is not about seeing a place, but experiencing a place, its people, its cultures, foods and ways of life

Mass tourism is both a force for good and a potential for harm!

There is no doubt that the economies of many impoverished areas of the world have come to benefit hugely from tourism - after all, it is one of the three biggest industries on the planet!

 

In South-East Asia and the Indian sub-continent, this is increasingly noticeable. Just over a decade ago, many parts of Thailand, Malaysia, India, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Indonesia and Sri Lanka were the domain of the backpackers, a secret known only to the aficionados of the Lonely Planet guide books. Today, those same areas have undergone rapid development, with investment in the tourist infrastructure benefiting many people.

Tourism Dependency

However, in some areas, whole communities have now become dependent upon tourism because farming and traditional industries have been abandoned in favour of more lucrative tourism linked activity. This means that when tourism declines, the economic sustainability of the whole community will also be undermined. This is why the impact of the December 04 Tsunami was so devastating. When the tourists didn't come - tourism workers were left without an income.

Furthermore, tourism has also had an impact upon the social fabric and the culture of many communities. In some areas the clash between traditional cultures and those of western tourists is noticeable, often with the western culture proving more dominant, and indigenous cultures threatened with dilution, or even extinction. After all, we have the money!

Our Responsibility to be Responsible

Therefore, it is only right that when we relatively wealthy tourists enjoy the benefits of tourism, we should do so responsibly, by ensuring that we are not contributing to the exploitation of either people or the environment, that we are participating in 'fair trade' practices which benefit those who work so hard to make our holidays so great, that we are contributing to sustainable economic development of the communities who host us, and that we are respectful towards and assist in the maintenance of indigenous cultures.

 

But how can you we this? Well, Make sure our tour operators have a responsible tourism policy - and that this policy is adhered too. Choose to go on holiday with a travel company who make sustainability and  fair trade as much of a priority as the quality of the accommodation or the cleanliness of the swimming pool. Finally join an organisation such as Tourism Concern, who campaign to make responsible tourism practices the mainstream norm for all, and not the exception for the few, and fights against exploitation by or for tourists! 

Air Travel - Blessing or Curse?

Finally, air travel contributes to high-level carbon dioxide emissions, a prime cause of global warming, which will have a drastic impact upon the environment within just a few decades if left unchecked. This not only includes global warming, but the rising acidity of the world's oceans - which is killing many species slowly, and decimating coral reefs all over the world.

 

Yet if governments decided to tax airline fuels to disincentivise air travel, it would be the developing countries dependent upon tourism which would be hit, and long-haul travel would again become the preserve of just the very wealthy - and reducing the number of tourists able to visit the developing world.

Therefore, we suggest that we do something as individuals to counteract our impact upon the environment, by using some of our air fuel tax subsidy the governments currently don't charge us, to purchase and plant a tree, which will pay back our carbon debt to future generations