Responsible Travel

Travel provides an unparalleled opportunity to learn about and celebrate other cultures. As a traveler, your actions can play an important role in preserving them, but a lack of awareness and respect can lead to harmful cultural homogenization, community hostility, and degraded heritage sites.

• Take your cue from locals and observe local standards of dress and food etiquette to avoid offense.
• Be aware of cultural communication sensitivities, make an effort to learn and use some of the local language, and be aware many gestures have different meanings in other cultures which can sometimes be offensive.
• Respect and celebrate traditions, whether it be participating in authentic cultural experiences when invited, or understanding and respecting the significance of sacred or religious sites, following visitor guidelines and not touching artifacts.

Tourism has a powerful potential to improve local well-being, create opportunities for underserved communities, and support sustainable development, but only if the money you spend ends up in the hands of local people and benefits host communities in the places you visit.

• Buy locally made handicrafts to encourage the preservation of cultural heritage and support the local economy.
• Bargain respectfully and pay a fair price. Remember cents to you may provide an entire family’s meal.
• Eat locally with meals made from local ingredients. You’ll not only get fresh produce, but support local farmers too.
• Treat locals with respect and dignity. Remember they are not tourism objects, and ask permission to take photos.
• Avoid giving money or candies to children or beggars, as this can foster dependency and lead to more begging.
• Cruise with companies that give back to local communities, employing residents, supporting artisans and farmers, and delivering much needed school and medical supplies and treatment to remote regions.

Visiting the planet’s biodiversity hotspots has the unique potential to spur environmental responsibility and support conservation, but if travelers don’t take care to protect their natural surroundings, their vacation can cause lasting harm to fragile land and marine ecosystems.

• Visit protected areas as your fees will directly support local conservation efforts and responsible visits to sensitive ecosystems can initiate support for protecting new areas.
• Obey rules and regulations for the protection of the environment, wildlife, local communities, and your own safety.
• Hire local guides to get a better understanding of what you see and to boost the local economy.
• Leave no trace, stay on designated nature trails and avoid causing damage to the surrounding environment.
• Look for businesses that carry credible, third-party certifications and walk the ‘eco- friendly’ talk.
• Conserve natural resources, such as using air-conditioning and hot water only when necessary.

The earth’s resources are precious, yet we continue to create excess waste and pollution. Tourism tends to exacerbate these issues, particularly in small islands and developing destinations which lack sufficient waste management infrastructure and are highly vulnerable to climate change.

• Avoid disposable plastic products and support the Travelers Against Plastic campaign. Make a habit of requesting no straws; bring a reusable water bottle and purifier to filter your own water; and refuse plastic shopping bags.
• Don’t litter and dispose of waste properly, recycling when possible.
• Fly less and smart, pack as light as possible, take the most direct route possible and offset your emissions.
• Participate in active travel experiences like exploring on foot or by bicycle.

While many tourists are well-meaning animal lovers, a lack of awareness or the lure of an exotic selfie can result in tourists unintentionally harming the very animals they care about. As wildlife experiences become more popular, it is important to plan trips that prioritize animal welfare.

• Keep wildlife wild by not touching, disturbing, or feeding land or marine wildlife. This can alter their natural behavior and have detrimental effects on their ability to survive.
• Be a responsible photographer, taking photos from a distance and not of drugged, restrained or captive animals.
• Choose ethical experiences that do not interact with animals in exploitative ways, such as zoos or elephant rides.
• Wash with biodegradable soap and use sunscreens with the Protect Land + Sea Certification.
• Be aware of what you’re eating, make sustainable seafood choices and avoiding consuming endangered species.
• Buy responsible souvenirs, avoiding items made from animals such as turtle shell, ivory, or coral.

Awareness of environmental issues and sustainability best practices are fundamental in saving our rainforests and natural heritage sites. Through your first-hand travel experiences we hope you too will become their advocates.

• Discuss issues with friends, and families via word of mouth or social media to increase awareness further.
• Why not travel with family to embed environmental awareness in future generations for them to carry the fight.
• Stay informed using Sustainable Travel International’s Travel Better Club, an online community where travelers can access sustainable travel tips, take a “Travel Better” pledge, and complete an online training course.
• Raising awareness of conservation issues globally puts local governments under more pressure to act responsibly.
• The viability of rainforest ecotourism encourages locals to adopt sustainable hunting and farming methods, ensuring the future survival of endangered species and habitats whilst appeasing cultural traditions and folklore.

Whether preserving the Amazon and the way of life for its indigenous people, creating an urgently-needed corridor for Borneo’s Pygmy Elephants to migrate, or establishing a network of new national parks across Cambodia, by traveling with Rainforest Cruises you can contribute to swift conservation action when and where it is needed most.

For each and every traveler that books with us we make a donation to the Rainforest Trust’s Conservation Action Fund to allow them to purchase and protect several acres of vulnerable rainforest and the species therein.