“Specific customs and values vary from country to country. On the whole, of course, if you are considerate and respectful to the people you meet, you probably won’t go far wrong. That includes learning and observing basic local customs (such as covering bare flesh in religious buildings or not pointing your feet at someone). It means learning a few simple phrases of the local language, even if it’s only ‘hello’ and ‘thank you’. It means understanding and respecting the boundary between public and private space.”
(The Community Tourism Guide, Mark Mann, 2000, page 201).
I have just come from the trip of my life, where I have visited 5 destinations on 5 continents of the world. And I can assure you, it was worth every penny. With my two friends and a backpack (on the back) as my only companions, we experienced more than we imagined possible. The thought that you are prepared for every step you take on the trip is an illusion, during the trip you will experience things that you never thought possible – be it negative and positive. So take it in fully and try to make the best of it – the trip offers you an opportunity to learn about yourself and about others; something that will stay with you for a lifetime.
So how should one approach travelling the world with a backpack? Once you have decided for visiting world destinations, you have to be aware of many setbacks that you might possibly come across on your trip. I recommend quick research before making any plans and definitely to make an itinerary about country you are visiting. This means that you mentally place yourself in a country and think of all the things that are basic for your living there - transport, accommodation, food, climate, language, money.
Firstly, think of a political situation. Is it at all safe to enter the country you want to visit? Our trip started in Greece, which was known as a politically stable destination at the time of my visit and it was safe while we were there, but situation changed a couple of months later. Namely, there have been violent protests against the government going on for almost two months now. Would I be considering going there nowadays, I would most probably not decide to visit it, no matter how appealing it might seem at the first glance. So if you have the chance, try to avoid dangerous places if you don’t want to be hurt.
Social impacts are the second thing you have to think about before and while travelling. Usually you, as a budget traveller, choose a destination that is cheaper than your country or is at least economically similar to your native state. However, this might present a problem that you are not even aware of – namely, you might come across as a wealthy western that has loads of money as opposed to the people in the area that you are visiting. Therefore, try to respect the local customs, and the dignity and rights of the local people, as far as their financial status is concerned, but even more – in terms of their way of life and the traditions that are specific for their region. In turn, you'll be more respected as a visitor and better appreciated. Most of the times you will be welcomed by the locals, but be also prepared to not being accepted fully. Namely, as a traveller you are primarily a visitor in someone else’s country, village or home. therefore, bare in mind that the people you meet on holiday probably haven’t had a say in whether tourists could come to their town or village, and that most people you meet probably don’t benefit from tourism. Take this fact into consideration and leave behind the “consumer mentality” – you should not think of yourself simply as “the paying customer”, always demanding service, but as a person whom the locals let into their lives.
From my personal experience, I have to point out that we were generously welcomed and treated really nicely by most of the hosts that we stayed at. When you're travelling, you are a guest in somebody else's home. As well as taking care to respect the particular customs of your hosts, don't do anything you wouldn't do at home. Even though they want to offer you much more than they can afford, remember the “golden rule” that after three days you should better move on. In other case, conflicts or resentments might rise up and your friendship with your hosts will not last long. Giving money and gifts to children can be inappropriate. If you want to support the local community, you might like to support local initiatives or community projects, instead.
Responsible tourism doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy yourself. It doesn’t mean you can’t have a laugh, or share a joke with the people you meet. It doesn’t mean you can’t simply lie on a beach.
It simply means treating local people as people – not as beggars, nuisances, servants, thieves or exotic photo opportunities.
For communities living in popular tourist destinations, such as Greece, Kenya, Fiji, Malaysia and Mexico, tourism can offer much needed opportunities for economic growth. The problem of middle and high class tourists is that they want to have the same products in host destination as they have at home. But they don’t realize that locals usually don’t have profit from that. Importing the goods is not a solution for the local economy, so on your trip try to consume products that are made in the country that you are visiting, with which you will help local community.
What is more, this is a part of the fun of a holiday - trying new things and living in a different way to how you do at home. Rather than going for a steak and chips or a veggie burger, try some of the local food and drink. Local market is one of the “must see” places on your trip. There you can truly feel the beat of the town. Smell of spices, food, flowers… - you will experience all that and more at one place. But remember while you're hunting round for the best bargain, the cheapest prices may mean that the people involved in manufacture could well have been paid the least.
Environmental impacts are last but not least on the issue. Nowadays people have started to be more and more concerned about environment. Global warming, pollution, earthquakes, tsunamis… are just some of the ways how nature is defending against the danger that the human race is posing to it. We as travellers, should also take this in consideration and try to treat our environment more respectfully. You should therefore try to be a responsible tourist and minimise the negative impacts of tourism. Dispose rubbish carefully, recycle where possible, reuse your drink bottles and shopping bags, minimise water and energy use, choose environmentally responsible tourist operators, if possible. A good idea might be also to follow the positive lead of the locals – it is the local people that have lived for ages in the areas that you are visiting, and they have surely come up with the optimised way of life which might be environmentally very friendly.
To conclude, when you’re deciding about travelling, doesn’t matter time or destination, first think about all aspects and impacts. And once you’re ready, visit as much as possible, enjoy meeting new people because they will become your life friends. And at last, respect visited country as it is yours, so DO LOCAL AND THINK GLOBAL!
Tanja Jelerčič, tancy20@gmail.com
Student of Faculty of Tourism Studies – Turistica
Portorose, Slovenia
Erasmus student at UCB (United Kingdom)
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