Responsible Travelling – Part 1

On By Mick CanningIn ethics, India, Nepal, opinion, responsibility, travel

In a way, this could be titled ethical travelling, but I would like it to cover cultural issues as well as environmental and other ethical concerns. I don’t particularly like proselytising, but I think that we all need to be responsible for our actions: it makes for a happier world for all concerned.

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So, in no particular order…

Trekking

First of all, when arranging a trek, please try and have a look at the ethical policy of your chosen company. Nowadays, many have a policy of ensuring that porters are properly paid and treated, food is sourced wisely and money makes its way back into the local community. The guides / cooks / sherpas or what-have-yous should be trained to ensure that the environment is treated with respect during the trek. Personally, I feel that from a selfish point of view it makes sense to choose a company that follows these guidelines, because I feel that I will be treated better by them, too. It should not be much more expensive, either.

Secondly, it is not all up to them. One of the most important things we can all do is avoid littering villages and countryside as we trek. Apart from the unpleasantness of spectacular scenery ruined by plastic bags and used loo paper, we can hardly criticise local laxness in this area if we are guilty of the same ourselves.

Deforestation is a major problem in the mountains now, which can only get worse with the effects of global warming. Consequently, anything that we can do to minimise the burning of wood is important, so please do not insist on unnecessary fires to sit around or warm up. You should have brought sufficient clothing on the trek for that. And it seems a minor thing, but if a group of trekkers turn up at a tea house and insist on lots of different dishes, then that will involve a lot of extra firewood to cook them. Try and have the same dish, if possible.

Shopping

Ah, yes. Such an important part of our visit, really. The ultra-cheap clothes, the amazing antique statues, the cheap religious paintings…unbelievable bargains, compared to what we would pay in the west…

…and rather a minefield, unfortunately. Those cheap imitation brand names, as we should all know by now, are usually produced in sweatshop conditions, conditions that would often justify being described as ‘slavery’. As well as being, usually, rather inferior quality. Difficult to avoid them all; after all, who is to say we shouldn’t be buying those attractively embroidered ‘I did the Everest Trail 2017’ or suchlike t-shirts for the equivalent of a couple of dollars?

Well, there is a world of difference between the genuine sweatshop (if I can use such a phrase) and the family sitting around their sewing machines under a tarpaulin beside the stall producing their goods. The latter may be working hard for a poor return, but may be infinitely better off than those with no work and certainly better off than the sweatshop labourer who will earn far less, in conditions far worse. Even today, unfortunately, some of them are bonded labourers.

The antiques…if you go to the Kathmandu valley, you will in many places find the remains of religious statues that have been stolen from their sites beside roads or outside temples. These statues usually find their way to the west to ‘collectors’, or may be sold off to tourists who know no better. In many countries you will need an export licence from the authorities to take antiques over 100 years old out of the country simply to attempt to prevent this sort of desecration. Invariably it is possible to buy modern copies of these items – handcrafted and as beautiful as the originals. It is better for everybody if the traveller contents themselves with these, not least because the smuggler can be hit with a hefty fine or prison sentence. It is also worth mentioning that many of the ‘antiques’ are fakes, in any case.

And the religious paintings. Again, in Kathmandu, Thankas, the paintings that hang in temples, are frequently offered for sale. And again, if genuine, should not be sold. They have probably been stolen. Wherever they are offered for sale, however, there will be bright new paintings for sale – equally beautiful, well made and far cheaper. Spend your rupees on them and support the craftsmen that make a living that way.

BIG or small?

Staying with the shop theme, it seems fairly obvious that by buying from the little shop rather than the supermarket you will be far more likely to be putting money back into the local community. All well and good. Inevitably, though, it is never quite as straightforward as that. Moving south across the border to India, we may find that in the market that we are searching for souvenirs, as well as local traders there may be traders from Tibet or Nepal, Kashmiris and dealers from the city. How you wish to spend your money may pose a dilemma that I cannot solve for you. But at least give it some thought!

The same situation can arise with hotels and trekking companies. I feel that in that situation, the small company or hotel is likely to get my rupees, since, unless I know otherwise, they are more likely to put money back into the local community.

Water, water everywhere…

…but most of it comes in plastic bottles which end up littering the environment, or refilled by unscrupulous rascals with what could be contaminated water, to be sold on again. Avoid this if you can (not always possible, I admit) by taking water purifying tablets and using the local water – read the instructions carefully to see exactly what is required – or using the boiled and filtered water available in some places (See info in places such as Lonely Planet guide books). If you buy plastic bottles, scrunch them up before disposal to prevent their re-use.

In some places, such as Ladakh, you can find environmentally minded laundry shops, where the soapy water is disposed of properly, rather than just poured into local streams. May they prosper and multiply!

 

32 thoughts on “Responsible Travelling – Part 1”

  1. Oh dear, you have hit the nail on the head on every point Mick! Doing your own due diligence is key when attempting to do business with the companies who treat their team members with respect. Testimonials cannot always be believed, even on the larger travel sites. It’s why I always search the proprietor’s name and company name in the hope it will bring up a mention of the person/company on travel forums and personal blogs etc. Peoples experiences can vary of course and everyone demands different standards, but it is the trend the feedback is taking, that will give you an indication of what is really happening on the ground. Even better, ask someone who knows the environment and who shares your values, to give you guidance. This is a brave topic you are taking on!!!

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    1. Yes, the trends, Kate. Sites like Tripadvisor will have both positive and negative reviews, but you can usually see the trends. It can be a difficult subject, but I do think the multitude of sites does make it a little easier now than it used to be. And personal recommendations, as long as you trust the source, naturally, are probably best.
      Thanks, Kate.

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  3. Excellent write up. we hear so much about responsible traveling but very few people actually understand the whole concept. The idea lies in reducing the burden on environment, ecology and people. I do come across many trek and travel operators that says they believe in responsible travel but how far this is true, I’m not sure. These days one tends to “talk more” specially on social media. It’s quite screaming about being honest and good. The reality may be different.

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    1. It may well be, Arv. I agree that many operators now claim to be very serious about reducing impact and acting responsibly – and it may be that most of them are, of course. But it is up to us as travellers to ensure that is the case, as far as possible, when we use their services.

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  5. Lots of great tips here! Thanks so much for this post.

    In India we like the Mayura chain of government run hotels and restaurants–interesting buildings, good food, lots of quirky touches. Plus they hire and buy locally.

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  8. Plastic water bottles are such a pet peeve of mine. But I have to admit that I’d be afraid to drink the local water in many countries. Once I went to New York City and drank tap water and was sick to my stomach the rest of the day, and only live one state over. With that said, I appreciate this post. It’s important to be considerate all the time and never more so than when you are a visitor in another country. These are great points. Thanks for sharing them, Mick.

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  11. I really liked this Blog. Not a story but more of a travel guide. Made me think. Good advice. Only thing I would like to debate with you ( sorry..) is about Sweat Shop Labour. Whilst I agree that conditions and pay is minimal and it is shameful, if we didn’t buy from them, would they not have a job at all? ( split infinitives, sorry Hariod) Not buying from these shops, doesn’t solve the situation. What affects the Owner affects the Worker. What can be done about it? I like the idea though of buying on the streets with the family producing gifts in sight. Lovely thoughts though… and I like your philosophy 🙂

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    1. Thanks, Jackie. I’ve been careful to separate out the two strands, there. Certainly many people will be earning a low wage for their labour, but, yes, that is certainly better than nothing. It is when you get to the starvation wages in dreadful conditions that the rules of engagement alter. I will add a little on this in part 2. In a nutshell, pressure is needed to eliminate this, and it is more about higher (governmental) level engagement than the individual traveller, yet they can do their part too.

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  12. It is very interesting to come to your blog and know that you have a sort of feeling and love for India. So its been through your Dad also. You seem to have lot of Indian friends here.
    I shall keep visiting you and special thanks on your comment about me on Jacqueline’s Interview.about me.
    Fond Regards,
    Shiva

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  13. Nail on the head post, Mick. All of the things that are so wrong but are part of a developing countries culture. My particular bugbear is the plastic waste, I can go with the tourist tat sales, it helps local business, but it would be good to see it governmentally sponsored to help those remote communities, but you can’t get idealistic, there is always going to be a fly-boy offering tat. I see many innovations regarding plastic for remote and poor communities, but it shocks me you see o result. My particular issue is marine plastics, I am so very shocked at what I have seen, I would like somehow to make a difference, but when you look deeply at it, how do I find a foothold into this melee of corporations versus ocean health…

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    1. Marine plastics – hell, that’s a big one, way beyond tourist waste. Nothing will happen there without governments intervening. (of course they will, it’s for the good of the environment ha ha ha)

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