Whether you summer in Santorini or spend the festive season in the Alps, finding a place worth returning to can be incredibly exciting. Of course, there’s a lot to say for exploring new places too, but go-to vacation destinations can feel like a great comfort, as well as providing you with an invaluable opportunity to see different cultures on a much deeper level.
Unfortunately, if you intend to treat an overseas destination like your home away from home, then you’re going to want to think hard about not only how you can best soak up every moment, but also how you act during trips here. Of course, this is true for any vacation, but spending more time in any given place means that, if you do make mistakes, they’re going to have far more impact on local lives. Make sure, then, that you’re leaving the right taste in the mouth of that destination every time that you leave by implementing the following pointers at every stage of your visits.
Leave the smallest possible mark
Tourists create an astounding 4.8 million tonnes of solid waste every year, not necessarily because they’re chucking rubbish on the streets, but just through their general presence/waste disposal. Of course, to some extent, you can’t eliminate rubbish altogether, but you can take steps to reduce the amount that you’re leaving each time you visit. Taking your own eco-friendly options, including reusable sandwich boxes, beeswax wraps, and even reusable cotton pads can all make a difference in this sense. It’s also beneficial to read up on recycling policies in any given area, thus making sure that you correctly recycle anything that you can for curbside pickup, or that you actively visit recycling plants where you can separate goods yourself.
Support local businesses
Tourism can be fantastic for local economies, but big businesses that move into local areas to appeal solely to tourists can also make it incredibly difficult for local traders to compete. Hence, it’s always worth supporting local businesses during your stays, including greengrocers instead of global superstores like Walmart, and even local trinket shops instead of mass-produced pop-up stands. When eating, too, it’s always worth avoiding already flourishing restaurants in tourist-heavy areas in place of local eateries that are off-the-beaten-track, and that provide far more authentic, locally produced meals.
Spread the word
We understand wanting to keep a hidden gem of a location to yourself, but remember that in light of travel restrictions, especially, many areas are crying out to get tourism started again. Hence, you could also protect your favourite destination by simply telling a few select friends about it. Even just four or five visits off the back of your recommendations could significantly help recovering economies, especially if you tell responsible individuals who are likely to treat that location with respect. This, in turn, could see them telling their trusted friends and so, until that place that you love is a bustling hub once again.
If you love a travel location then you should want to look after it. These tips can help you to do precisely that!
Header image source: https://unsplash.com/photos/DNE9iZ1Kqzk
