They say that travel changes a person and after you visit a place, it always leaves an impression on you. But have you thought about the impressions that you leave on the countries that you visit?

A lot of people don’t think about the ethical issues involved in travel, which is a big problem. Even though tourism can help the local population of a country, it can also do a lot of damage. That’s why you should always consider the impact that you are having and try to find ways to travel more ethically. These are some of the simplest ways to travel responsibly.

Flying During A Pandemic

Before we look at some of the general ways to be more responsible when you travel, it’s important to address the current situation. Responsible travel means something different in 2020 and you need to consider the risk of spreading coronavirus when you travel. However, that doesn’t mean that you should never fly at all, but you should take a private corona test shortly before you leave, so you can be sure that you are not putting people at risk. A lot of countries require this anyway, but even if they don’t, it’s the responsible thing to do.

With that out of the way, let’s look at some responsible travel tips you should follow at all times.

Eat Local

Tourism does a lot to boost the local economy, which is great. However, you are not contributing to the local economy if you eat at big chain restaurants. You should consider avoiding the best rated restaurants too because they already have plenty of visitors. If you want to make a bigger contribution, make sure you stick to the smaller restaurants that are owned by the locals.

Be Careful With Animal Attractions

Discovering new wildlife is one of the best things about travel, but you need to be very careful. If you go on a safari trip with animal experts, you will be fine. All of the animals are treated well and the necessary precautions are taken to keep them safe. However, there are some animal attractions around the world where animals are mistreated and exploited, and you don’t want to support those. So, before doing anything involving animals, always do your research to make sure that the animals are safe.

Drink The Tap Water

A lot of people avoid drinking tap water when they travel because they worry that it will make them sick. But that means you’re using a lot of plastic bottles and creating waste. In a lot of places, the tap water is fine anyway, but if you are concerned, you can get a water filtration device, like a Steripen or LifeStraw. These handy portable devices allow you to sterilize water on the go, so you can avoid getting sick without creating lots of plastic waste.

These are all great tips for responsible travel, but the main thing to remember is to be considerate and always think about the impact that you have on the places you visit.