PLANNING your next vacation? Thinking of all those interesting places you’ve never visited before? For sure you thought about all the necessities you will need to take along, the list may be quite lengthy. Tourism is a booming sector in the world economy. It has become a popular global leisure activity as the average person loves to travel and enjoy the beauty that nature has to offer. Tourism, however, also has implications on countries which openly avail themselves to the travelling public.
How often have you thought about the amount of waste that you generate on your many travels? If this thought never even crossed your mind, it should, since the waste you generate does impact the environment.

“Responsible travel is about the attitude you take and the choices you make when travelling- to respect and benefit local people, their cultures, economy and the environment!”

Travellers can generate a lot of waste and contribute to pollution, even with the best intentions. But it isn’t hard to make a few changes that can help us avoid a lot of trash and to otherwise green our time away from home.
Activities that generate waste in tourism include travel, accommodation, and food service most of which are contracted for commercially and provided by third parties. The baseline needs of eating, drinking, sleeping and bathing are catered to in a context removed from home and probably on the move which may generate more waste than is typical in the home setting.
A good tourist is one who is environmentally conscious. This person is aware and responsible ensuring that he/ she takes responsibility for safely guarding the environment when travelling.

“Take away only memories and leave only footprints”.

Many tourists have a “use and throw” mindset; they have no investment in the community. They pollute the environment without a second thought to repercussions. It is a lifestyle issue, tourists want to travel light therefore they use disposables –more plastics, more Styrofoam, more waste, no recycling. The local communities now become either waste absorbers or waste managers. New forms of tourism such as medical tourism and disaster tourism even increase the amount of toxic waste. In tourism all the ordinary challenges of waste management are multiplied two-fold.

Be a tidy tourist
We urge you to become more environmentally conscious when planning your next vacation by following these simple guides to eco-friendly tourism:
• Plan your travel properly whether you are flying or going overland to avoid delays and unnecessary spending.

• Don’t bag it: plastic bags can take up to 500 years to biodegrade, so why not take a re-reusable shopping bag when you travel.

• Pack light: as we all know every pound counts, the more weight on a plane, the more carbon emission it produces. Pack only what you need.

• Car Pool: taking public transportation is another great way that you can do good for your environment, plus you can enjoy the trip with great friends which also helps to cut cost.

• Avoid bottled water: plastic bottles account for a lot of waste.

• Be at home in your hotel: A great tip is to act as you are at home while away from home- avoid getting clean towels when not necessary, don’t take overly extended showers, and hold on, remember to turn off lights, TV and air conditioners when you leave your room.

The environment is everybody’s business. Let us take action to safeguard our children!!

Share your ideas and questions by sending letters to: “Our Earth, Our Environment”, C/O EIT Division, Environmental Protection Agency, Ganges Street, Sophia, GEORGETOWN, or email us at: eit.epaguyana@gmail.com

http://www.intrepidtravel.com/about-intrepid/responsible-business
http://www.pca.state.mn.us/index.php/view-document.html?gid=11351

http://journals.worldnomads.com/responsible-travel/story/59121/Worldwide/Top-10-Tips-for-Environmentally-friendly-travel