‘Responsible travel’ is a phrase increasingly used by adventure seekers and travel providers alike, but what does it actually mean? Who gets to decide what is ‘responsible’? And how can we, as travellers, manage the impact we have?

In this series we’re reaching out to our community of adventurers, travel guides, operators, sailors, scientists and creatives to dig a little deeper into the world of responsible travel, sharing practical advice and tips to help you travel better. 

Our world of adventure travel 

We believe that travel is a natural part of who we are. As humans, travel has shaped the way we understand the world, the food we eat, music we listen to, stories we tell and almost every part of our lives in some way. Its impact is interwoven into the fabric of our cultures. 

Another World Adventures was founded after a life changing transatlantic voyage, so we know first hand the deep impact that travel can have on people. By stepping outside of our homes we learn about other cultures, see the impacts of climate change, experience the vastness of biodiversity and the importance of conservation efforts. We’re yet to meet anyone who has travelled somewhere new and hasn’t returned with a new lens with which they see the world.

There is no doubt that we need more of this connection, openness and learning in the world. There are so many positives that travel can bring, but it’s impossible to ignore how much the global travel industry has also negatively impacted both people and the planet. 

Recognising these challenges and taking the time to understand them is the first step towards taking responsibility for our individual and collective impacts. 

For us, that’s where responsible travel starts, with a commitment to have tough conversations, to not shy away from the realities of the world. To be open to learn and do better. 

We haven’t yet asked partners to adhere to specific responsible tourism standards or associations but encourage them on an individual basis to identify and minimise negative environmental or social impact of their trips and maximise the positive ones. Working with partners who align with our values to protect and support the environments, wildlife, cultures and economies that we, and you, value and visit.

What does Responsible travel mean in practice?

There are some widely accepted, formal definitions of responsible travel that encourage the travel industry as a whole to do better. From the Responsible Tourism Partnership “Making better places for people to live in and better places for people to visit”, to the Global Sustainable Tourism Council “Referring to the behavior of travelers aspiring to make choices on their trip according to sustainable tourism practices.” 

Whilst those definitions are useful, (and you can click through to read more about them if you’re curious) we wanted to bring it back to the people who travel with us, who guide our adventures or who we’ve met on the road. Finding out what responsible travel means to them and the real world examples of positive impact. 

Respecting local cultures and traditions

Aneeqa Ali, a Trip Leader in Pakistan for one of our longterm operators, highlights that when it comes to responsible travel there is no one-size-fits-all “For me, responsible travel means being mindful of local cultures, traditions, and the environment while ensuring that tourism benefits the communities visited” she says. 

She goes on to share “It also involves setting realistic expectations, particularly when travelling to remote areas with limited facilities. In Pakistan, particularly in the northern regions, responsible tourism means respecting the local way of life, minimising waste, and supporting sustainable practices… Choosing accommodations and services that directly benefit local communities and promoting cultural heritage rather than altering it.”  

Aneeqa Ali, Trip Leader – Pakistan 

Creating Income Streams for Conservation

For Another World Adventures traveller Karsten, “Responsible travel to me means to create income streams with your journey for those communities and indigenous tribes that are responsible for safeguarding the last remaining wildernesses on earth.” Continuing by saying “This can also help reduce poaching and illegal logging.” 

We couldn’t agree more and that’s why we are a member of the Adventure Travel Conservation Fund who believe in the power of travel to protect and conserve. The fund focuses on local grassroots and indigenous communities and so far the organisation has supported 39 groundbreaking projects, across 23 countries, awarding nearly $600,000 in grants.

They fund some incredible initiatives across the world. Such as Women in Ocean Science, upskilling local women in Raja Ampat to become leaders in marine conservation and eco-tourism. Or Wild Landscapes International, who are purchasing beehives and constructing a honey extraction facility to empower local Pokot women in Kenya. Increasing community income, enhancing biodiversity through improved pollination, and reducing human-wildlife conflicts.

Women in Ocean Science  – Successfully nominated by Another World Adventures for support from the Adventure Travel Conservation Fund

Researching the Impact 

For Lonely Planet Story Teller and friend of Another World Adventures Soraya Abdel-Hadi responsible travel is a verb. Rather than being a label to define experiences it’s an active commitment. She shares “Responsible travel means putting time aside, both in the planning stages and when you are travelling. This allows me to make informed decisions on the impact of each of my choices, and whether there are any simple, local or viable alternatives.” 

“For example, in a lot of cases even when you are booking an excursion there is going to be a lot you don’t know about the provider (unless they have been pre-vetted by an organisation like AWA of course!), so it takes time to work out what the right questions are to ask for the region or about an activity that might be new to you. Once you have unearthed the right questions, then you can judge whether you are supporting an activity, travel method or organisation that aligns with your values. It is very difficult to do that in a rush!”

Soraya Abdel-Hadi sailing with eXXpedition

Supporting Citizen Science 

Researchers need data. They need data from around the world, and sometimes they need it from hard to reach places – like the middle of the ocean! 

For our co-founder Larissa Clark that’s where travel can have a real impact. “Professional scientists and researchers can collect and analyse vast amounts of data. But they are limited by time, funding, and manpower. Yet this knowledge is essential. 

When we’re travelling around the world we have an opportunity to visit the places researchers can’t reach, or to be there more regularly, and when we do this collectively they get huge amounts of essential data that they would never be able to gather alone.” 

How do you find Citizen Science projects to support? Larissa has recently co-founded a not-for-profit organisation called Free Range Ocean. It’s dedicated to inspiring purposeful journeys with meaningful impact for our ocean and has a directory of Citizen Science Ocean Projects. 

From tracking nurdle plastic pollution along global coastlines to measuring the temperature and salinity of surface marine waters in remote areas.

Science on board Free Range Ocean (c) Nikkey Dawn 

… And We’ve Only Scratched The Surface!

Responsible Travel is huge! There are people working all over the world, using their strengths to make change. They say “It takes a village to raise a child” and we think responsible travel is a lot like that. 

There is no way that we could cover it all within a single blog post – And that’s a good thing! We’re making this a regular part of our content, sharing the insights, stories and tips from experts and travellers across our community. 

Moving forward we’re going to continue to share insights and expertise from our community, including articles that cover: 

• Protecting Biodiversity
• Respecting Indigenous People & Local Communities
• Eliminating Plastic Pollution
• Reducing Carbon Impact
• … and much more

We hope you’ll join us on the adventure!

What Does Responsible Travel Mean to You?

We’ve shared our thoughts, but now it’s your turn – we’d love to hear from you! You can drop us an email and let us know what steps you take to travel responsibly. 

We’ll leave you with this final quote from one of our newsletter subscribers.

“Responsible travel to me is leaving;  only foot prints on the sand – no litter no rubbish no damage.”