To me, tourism is a vehicle for peace and understanding. Travelling and meeting people is probably one the best way to understand and respect the others. But also, to discover ourselves. When we get out from our comfort zone we make personal discovery and personal development. This is one of the reasons why I started to study tourism in the Business School of La Rochelle, France.
During my studies, I slowly realised the negative impacts of tourism. More specifically the ones of mass tourism. Over the past years, mass tourism has been significantly increasing. As result, some natural areas have been damaged and local communities threatened. This is when I took the decision to specialize myself in responsible tourism.
Regarding today’s tourism issues and stakes, tourism has to reinvent itself offering experiences that are more socially and environmentally responsible and which educate tourists. Generally speaking, responsible tourism aims at uplifting local communities, protecting their culture and environment while ensuring ma meaningful experience to the tourists and raising their awareness.
In contrast with mass tourism where tourists spend all-included stays in hotels disconnected from the local life, responsible tourism gives tourists the opportunity to live unique and authentic experiences by entering into the core of the local life. To discover local customs, food, environment and know-hows. This is why responsible tourism is dependent on communities’ involvement.
Responsible tourism is a complex process which requires raising consciousness among tourism professionals and tourists. Fortunately, many initiatives are taken all over the world. I have had to realise several internships. I decided to perform them in the field of responsible tourism and would like to share these amazing experiences with you. Ones that were socially and environmentally responsible.
For my first internship, I left in Sri Lanka, more precisely to Anamaduwa where The Mudhouse hides in the middle of the jungle. The Mudhouse is an eco-lodge far away from the beaten track where people and nature co-exist. The retreat has been created with natural and local materials using traditional methods to respect the environment.
This place produces its own organic food, energy and uses raining water. Activities offered – kayaking, cycling, cooking lessons, temple visits… – do not harm the environment. I have been the first foreigner to work in this place, only locals coming from the surrounding villages are working there.
As a member of the staff leading nature trail it was one of my responsibility to educate tourists about the fauna and flora, and about the lodge environmental sustainability running system. Consequently, tourists were experimenting a unique and authentic experience by being immersed into the core of local life. Their global awareness raised at the same time. This experience reinforced my values and believes regarding the people and the environment. Moreover, I felt this beautiful country.
This is the reason why for my last internship I wanted to discover India. For this new adventure, I joined Greener Pastures which is a small sustainable travel agency located in Assam in Northeast India. They provide responsible, authentic and immersive experiences in the Northeast. While making tourists discovering local places and communities, their aim is to help the indigenous tribal people and conserve the natural beauty of the region.
As a French girl, I didn’t really know about the region richness. Interning for a company being a travel expert, I had to learn and visit a bit of the region. I directly have been astonished by the region’s cultural diversity. Hundreds of tribes are living in this beautiful region. In this case, responsible tourism permits to protect these cultures, improve their livelihood and conserve their environment.
Greener Pastures also leads some social projects in the region such as the fundraising project for Jayav Payeng, this famous Majuli islander also known as the Forest Man who created a forest larger than Central Park NYC to save his island from river bank erosion. This fundraising project aimed at supporting the forest man in its activities and helping in educating the local communities about the benefits of conservation, ultimately turning citizens into eco-citizens. Because education is one of the keys…
Compared to the other travels I made in the past, none of them was as intense and rich than these two experiences.
Thus, I really encourage all of you to become responsible travellers and to make use of the services of such companies. I am convinced that it benefits to everyone. You, first, by living a unique and authentic experience and discover as much as possible of the local culture and environment. Secondly, to the locals by involving them in the process, revitalizing their economy and thus improved their livelihood. And lastly, to the environment, because our earth it is our care. Because after all, what is more, important that our people and environment?
I invite you to gain a deeper insight of The Mudhouse and Greener Pastures by visiting their websites.
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