Ethics of traveling abroad

[WotzNotNot]

Say you have offset your carbon footprint and decide to travel abroad. What about Responsible Tourism?

Tourism after a tragedy makes us uncomfortable. Having cocktails on the beach only a few hundreds of miles from destruction, war, can make you uncomfortable - but is worse to take away the income of tourism and not travel, when many places now rely so heavily on the tourism industry for their economy?

For instance, travel to Dominican Republic in cosy all inclusive resorts, while thousands in Haiti 250 miles away are still left homeless after 12 months after the earthquake in Jan 2010 which left so many dead. Also thinking of Egypt and travel to Sharm.

Concerned with ethics when choosing holiday destinations? Is it something you consider when planning a holiday?

Where would you not go?

What's wrong with supporting UK tourist destinations?

Offsetting is a load of crap, IMVHO, & there are plenty of nice places to go in Britain where your tourist £s will be very welcome (and much needed).

I agree, of course support UK tourism and everything that goes with it. But if you decide to go away .... what then?

If i wanted to be a more responsible tourist abroad I would try to support the local economy as much as possible.

So, don't stay in an internationally branded hotel chain - better a locally owned guest house.

Don't go for an all-inclusive resort where your £££ stays in the resort, but eat out in different independent restaurants.

Support local tradesmen and shops with your custom.

Accepting that long-haul flights are probably going to be part of it and you are offsetting the emissions, but don't take short haul flights at all - travel by trai or bus so you can get to understand the culture properly

I would probably also try and go somewhere which is Ecologically responsible too.

Oh and I probably would not go and stay in a country where the governing regime is oppressive - which rules out a lot of the more interesting destinations!

But i think that responsible tourism has an important role to play - it is countries like India and Africa which are going to suffer most from climate change, and if by encouraging responsible travel to destinations like that, you are fostering a better understanding of the consequences of climate change, then I think that is a good thing.

Nowadays I generally don't go anywhere you have to fly to. I made an exception 2 yrs ago for a family golden wedding anniversary.

I agree with Takver that carbon offsetting is a load of nonsense. Much better not to incur the carbon debt in the first place.

I take the kids on activity holidays in the UK - it isn't too hot for them, they don't spend too much time travelling, and we get to do fun things together [personally I love the beach but they can't sit still for 15 mins, and as for cultural sites .... naaaaah!]

This issue points to the irony and contradiction in the climate change debate.

Very poor countries and the people in them would far rather you get on a plane today and fly thousands of miles to spend your money there even if it emits CO2 that may eventually cause global warming that may damage their country far off in the future.

UK activity holidays are a good solution for us too - it helps that we're outdoorsy types, but there are a lot of different ones around, and if there's loads of stuff to do then it doesn't matter if the weather is a bit naff.

BeenBeta, I think, even ignoring the climate change element, its really quite a complicated issue.

I agree that in the immediate situation as it stands, tourism may seem to be a good solution, but on the whole, tourism jobs tend to be among the more unreliable; seasonal, subject to economic fluctuations, and even to fashion.

I certainly don't think that global - or even local - poverty is cured by introducing tourism, particularly when there are very deep rooted causes of that poverty.

I guess one example would be the south of Spain under Franco. Yes, tourism in one sense was the saviour of that part of Spain, but the underlying causes of the poverty were based in the systematic repression of the working population of the area for political reasons. The coming of tourism was also allied with a thaw in the political situation - which meant that there was the possibility for other economic development to take root also (as, later, with the greenhouse agriculture further to the east).

Takver - you make very good points. I didnt know that about Southern Spain.

I agree that tourism is not always a good solution. The immediate local environmental degradation - especially water extraction, dumping of sewerage in the sea and refuse on the land seem to me to be costs that are rarely evaluated when people talk about the 'benefits' of tourism. Those seem to me to be far more important and pressing than CO2 emissions for local people.

Its a very complex issue and I think one that only very dedicated and knowledgable people have any hope really of being able to come to a good ethical decision on.

For a tourist reading a brochure I think it would not convey the necessary information. Even if they did have it, then processing and analysing it would, to many, people be too overwhelming.

Interesting view and comments. Thank you. I do wonder where travel will be in 10 - 20 years. Taking a trip aboard is such an acceptable part of life to many these days, and for most that means flying abroad.

One other thread that is active ATM about large cars, also got me thinking if families start to consider UK travel more, the impact and use of larger family cars on our roads.

One more thing, is the impact of cruise holidays as an alternative to flying Cruise holidays have had a massive increase, I personally would not cruise and find the idea of large ships in local ports, especially in places like the Caribbean quite upsetting, with many coral reefs dying from the pollution.

A reduction in travel, rather than offsets should work in theory.

My DH has been reading a book he has found very informative, called "Sustainable Energy - Without the Hot Air", author David MacKay. It contains some interesting material about the relative carbon footprints of the things we do. For example, mile for mile, air travel is equivalent to one person in one car. Doesn't sound that bad on first hearing. But the reason planes are particularly bad is they encourage people to do lots and lots of miles.

We even try to do holidays without a car - a bloody big challenge I can tell you, but getting easier as the DCs get older.