How can travelers be sure they're hiring an environmentally responsible tour operator?
Whether you're hiring an outbound operator who helps you plan your trip to a destination or an inbound operator who receives you when you arrive at that destination, make sure that they try to follow good practices of sustainability. Meaning that they give as much business as possible to local people. And help to support natural areas and historic districts. For example, CC Africa leases land from Masai tribes in eastern Africa. The money that the Masai earn from this arrangement then benefits the community by funding schools and clinics. It's also up to you to learn about a place before you visit. Armed with knowledge, you'll know which places to patronize and which ones to avoid.
Are travel journalists doing a good job of preaching responsible travel?
Not yet but I hope we can help lead the way here at Traveler. I would like to see an increased level of awareness on the part of travel journalists, and more importantly on the part of travel editors, to teach people how to spend their money in a manner that will help maintain the distinctiveness of a place. A question that we're often asked as travel writers is, 'Aren't you afraid that if you write about a place, you're going to destroy it by sending a lot of people there?' The unfortunate answer is if you don't write about it, somebody else will. There are very few secret places anymore. So we must now understand what the vulnerabilities of a place are before we visit, and to help protect that place as best we can while we're there.
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