Responsible Tourism Good Tourism is a travel philosophy

Tourism, like any industry, can have negative effects on the environment, cultures and societies. Good tourism protects people, traditions and the land.

In the late 1990s, the Italian Association of Responsible Tourism(AITR) was founded to curb the detrimental effects of tourism flows, targeting travelers (individuals and groups), travel organizers and host communities.

When can we talk about Good Tourism?

Thevirtuous tour operator adopts certain behaviors to actively contribute to the preservation of the places in which it operates. Let’s look at them together:

1. Critically chooses products (food and non-food), preferring local, short chain or 0 km, fair trade and organic.
2. It pays attention to energy and water consumption, using renewable energy sources whenever possible and promoting sustainable mobility.
3. It respects its employees and suppliers and is committed to the continuing education of its employees.
4. Promotes the distinctiveness of the area and fosters collaboration with local communities.
5. Studies and implements accommodations for people with disabilities or special needs; promotes sharing, integration and inclusion.

How does the responsible tourist behave?

1. Before leaving, he seeks as much information as possible about the place to which he is going to travel, regarding the economy, culture, religion, cuisine, and nature; he may also undertake to study some typical expressions of the language in order to establish a direct relationship with the local people.
2. It chooses tour operators and accommodations committed to protecting the environment and the host community.
3. He is respectful of the customs, traditions, natural, artistic and architectural beauty of the place.
4. Buy products and services from the local economy.
5. Once back home, he maintains contact with members of the host community who helped make his vacation experience special.

To sum up, responsible and sustainable tourism is the sum of good practices in environmental sustainability, corporate social responsibility, gender equity, and safeguarding territories and communities.

Our wish is that Good Tourism will become a contagious travel philosophy. At Waldensian Homes we strive every day to make this wish a reality.