How To Be A Conscious Tourist

The onus of healing the planet is on each one of us. But how exactly do you reduce your carbon footprint while travelling? Shibani Bawa asks experts for tips on treading various terrains—from lush jungles to heritage sites, hills, and cities.

- Shibani Bawa

Responsible tourism has been the buzzword for a few years now, and evident geoclimatic changes have shown us repeatedly why it’s more than just a trend. The COVID-19 pandemic has not only put our priorities in perspective, but also shown us that the Earth can actually heal—if we start treading lightly. It’s important that when we start exploring again, we are aware of the impact our travel choices have on the planet. But too many people use the terms ‘responsible travel’ and ‘ecotourism’ loosely. In order to set the record straight and filter facts from hashtags, we spoke to field experts for tips on acting responsibly on different terrains.

MOUNTAIN ESCAPES

MANDIP SINGH SOIN, a mountaineer, founder of Ibex Expeditions (ibexexpeditions.com), and founder of Ecotourism Society of India (now RTSOI, rtsoi.org), states that the golden rule in the Himalayas is, “Pack in, pack out.” Even if you throw an empty plastic bottle in a designated bin, you may think that you are not littering, but everything takes longer to degrade at higher altitudes. For example, a banana peel that degrades in about three to four weeks in the plains takes almost six months at an altitude of 3,650 metres above sea level. Hence, it’s worth spending extra on a porter to carry all the non-biodegradable material back with you.