6 Responsible Travel Blog Posts that Everyone Who Travels Should Read

If you read travel blogs, then you’ll know that 99% of posts are about quitting your job to travel, getting pleasantly lost in beautiful places, and having ‘life changing’ experiences.

It’s easy to be swept away by romantic notions of adventure and freedom when you think about travelling. I was too, in the beginning. As I read more news stories, followed more travel blogs, watched more documentaries, and began travelling long-term, I realised the vital importance of responsible tourism.

Being responsible is often eclipsed by being adventurous when it comes to travelling. Unfortunately, many travellers choose to participate in activities that are labelled as ‘life-changing’ or ‘once in a lifetime,’ which actually have negative consequences for the environment around us and the animals that live in it.

Charlie in a corn field at Isla Violin - Charlie on Travel

The following six blog posts are not all easy reading and perhaps you already know about the issues which they discuss, however the aim of this post is to inform those who don’t and raise awareness about the importance of doing your research so that you can travel responsibly.

 

1

Why Elephant Riding Should Be Removed from Your Bucket List from World Nomads

A good rule to remember is that if a tourist outfit offers anything other than getting to spend time with elephants, it is not friendly to them.

I originally heard about elephant riding from a friend at university who had been on a pivotal backpacking trip to Thailand. Her story about elephant riding stuck with me and was my revelation about the necessity of responsible tourism. I’ve read a lot of horror stories about elephant riding, and have my own post about why travellers should think twice about riding elephants, but this guest post from Diana from D Travels Round was one of the most informative I came across.

WorldNomads responsible tourism elephant rides

Article contains no graphic imagery.


 

2

A Photo For Facebook? You’ve Just ‘Liked’ Animal Abuse. from Bemused Backpacker

There isn’t anything inherently wrong with having the opportunity to see or interact with wildlife … if it is done right.

When I was a student, I had a lot of Facebook ‘friends’ who were excitedly jetting off to exotic locations for their gap years or holiday backpacking trips. Increasingly, my feed pulled up numerous photos of not only glorious beaches and cheap beers, but also of people posing with ‘wild’ animals. Tigers and elephants were the most common. These animals are not in their natural environment nor their natural state – if they were, they certainly wouldn’t be posing for photos with humans. Michael’s post sums up my own thoughts on the issue and discusses the detrimental affect an ‘impressive’ Facebook photo can have for the animals involved.

responsible tourism bemused backpacker

Article contains images that may upset readers.


3

Should I Boycott SeaWorld? from Solo Mom Takes Flight

If you walk into SeaWorld and your gut tells you that isn’t where you want to be, you probably should not expose your kids to it either.

A year ago, I watched Blackfish, a documentary about the captive orcas held by SeaWorld. Though I was already aware of the issues surrounding this controversy, the film really struck a chord with me. I didn’t visit many marine parks or zoos when I was little as my own mum questioned the conditions in which the animals were housed, and rightly so.

Making the decision to visit zoos, marine parks, or even swim with dolphins is one that should be well informed and thoughtful. When I was 13, I swam with dolphins. At the time, I knew very little about it and my only thoughts were that I would love to see a dolphin. 10 years later, I would make a very different decision.

responsible tourism seaworld

Article contains no graphic imagery.



4

Running of the Bulls (So What if it’s Tradition?) from The Culture Map

But what happens if a tradition no longer has a place in society? Do we keep them as we always have or can we break the cycle?

I’ve read a lot of discussion from both sides of the bull running argument and have heard some strong opinions voiced by those who feel the event is of vital cultural importance. Though it’s understandable that people greatly value the traditions of their country, in today’s world we need to move away from any activities, even if they are traditions, that condone animal abuse.

Breaking the cycle of tradition, as Shing says in her post, is not easy but sometimes it is necessary. Though questioning the traditions of another culture often doesn’t feel right to someone who is outside of it, some debates need to be had and I admire Shing’s bravery in doing so.

responsible tourism running of the bulls the culture map

Article contains one relatively graphic image.



5

Would You Ride an Ostrich? from Right Tourism

The process of actually riding an ostrich involves the animal being herded into a small pen, and a bag thrown over its head as an attempt to calm it.

While reading travel blogs over the past few months, I was upset to see an increasing number of bloggers promoting ostrich riding. One blog labelled ostrich riding as ‘a new form of green transportation’ and another said, ‘seriously, the funniest thing I’ve ever seen.’ Not only is the first of these quotes completely unrealistic, but unfortunately they are encouraging irresponsible tourism. On one travel blog, I read a post warning readers never to ride an elephant, but happily encouraging them to sling themselves onto the back of an ostrich.

I first heard about ostrich riding when I was in Vietnam, but fortunately I didn’t meet any tourists who were thinking that it was a good idea. In reality, ostrich riding goes on around the world, but particularly in Africa. It is not only dangerous for the human attempting to ride the ostrich, but also for the animal itself. Ostriches are not built to carry heavy weights around small pens, their bodies are designed for fast running across large spaces. Evie’s write up on Right Tourism explains in detail the process of ostrich riding and the harm it can cause to the riders and the ostriches.

Right Tourism Ostrich Riding

Article contains no graphic imagery.


6

Ecotourism and Responsible Travel: Useful Tips from Expert Travel Bloggers from Nomad is Beautiful

You can start with these small yet impactful steps yourself. In the end, it’s always best to start yourself if you want to motivate others to follow.

When it comes to travelling responsibly, animal welfare isn’t the only factor to be considered. From reusing water bottles and eating local when you travel to using carsharing or even DIY biodiesel to get around, Ivana and Gianni have pulled together eco-friendly tips from some of the best travel bloggers around. For new travellers, much of the advice on offer is invaluable, and even for us more seasoned travellers there are a couple of quirky ideas to discover.

Nomad is Beautiful - Ecotourism and Responsible Travel - Charlie on Travel

Article contains no graphic imagery.

 


We have more access now than ever before to information and research to help us make informed decisions about the activities we choose to participate in when travelling and at home. Unfortunately, companies offering experiences like the ones discussed in some of these article may have their own agendas and it’s best to double check their claims before signing up for anything.

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If you would like more information on the activities discussed in these articles or would like to learn about other related issues, I recommend the Right Tourism website.

 

What are your thoughts on the issues and activities discussed above? Perhaps you have a different side of the story to share?