How to be a responsible tourist when everyone around you is being a menace

Recently, graffiti scrawled across a wall in Barcelona read: TOURISTS GO HOME. In Paris, the Louvre was shut down last month due to a staff strike triggered by overtourism and its impact on working conditions. In Venice, locals used water guns on tourists who were overcrowding their streets. Closer home, in Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, residents have been voicing their frustrations over the strain mass tourism puts on water, waste systems and livelihoods.

The pushback from locals isn’t a personal attack against tourists themselves but an overall commentary on how, when and where we choose to travel. It’s easy to think of ourselves as conscious travellers in theory: obviously, don’t litter or increase your carbon footprint, avoid places that are already creaking under the weight of tourists, and try to travel during shoulder season to offset the effects of peak season.

Still, with work and family commitments, most of us do not have the luxury to travel off season. Holidays often have to align with school breaks or limited time off, making peak travel periods hard to avoid. So how do we balance our own desire to travel and the restrictions we may have with an equally pressing desire to preserve the destinations we travel to?

Below, travellers share tips on how to be a responsible tourist in a world full of nightmare travellers.

Book a heritage eco-homestay

“Eco-conscious heritage homestays are one of the best ways to not just travel [in an eco-friendly manner], but also to understand the local way of life,” says Chennai-based Nivetha Kannan. She specifies that this shouldn’t just be a property that the owner stays in but one that they have a history with. It could be an ancestral property or something they’ve built from the ground up because they themselves want to live consciously. “Typically, these homestays follow practices that you can actually take inspiration from, like how they try their best to live in harmony with the environment without taking too much from it.” Kannan is most inspired by the restoration in such homestays. The wood used for the furniture in these lodgings is not brand new, but usually comprises restored antiques and thrifted pieces, and the decor is made from locally available materials. “When we go after creature comforts, we miss out on experiencing a place for what it is,” Kannan reflects.

Opt for reusable bottles and straws

While Vani Sahjwani was travelling around California in June, a seemingly simple and straightforward practice helped her reduce her waste while she explored the West Coast of the United States: carrying a reusable water bottle and straw. An average of 1.67 kg of waste is produced per tourist per day, with most of it being small-sized plastic packaging with a limited lifespan, commonly known as single-use plastic (SUP). “It’s also helpful to have your own water bottle on flights. Even though you can’t carry a full bottle of water through airport security, you can avoid smaller plastic bottles by asking the flight attendant to fill your empty bottle instead,” Sahjwani advises.

Experience the culture beyond the bare minimum; shop local

Getting immersed in the local culture of a region is an important travel practice for Isha Chawla. “Half the beauty of travelling is actually being able to meet different kinds of people, having new experiences, learning about cultures, and, of course, becoming familiar with the nature of a place—because before countries were countries, they were ecosystems,” she says. Chawla finds it helpful to take an interest in the local specialties of the place she is visiting, like researching indigenous herbs or seasonal fruits, because it helps her keep track of the provenance of what she eats. Sharing the monetary benefits of tourism with the local community is of utmost importance to her, so she recommends ditching international luxury brands in favour of local treasures. “Every country has tons of handicrafts, jewellery and artwork made by residents that are so unique to that place, you’ll never find it anywhere else.”

Leave no trace that you were ever there

Navjot Nagi, an author and advocate for regenerative tourism, tries to move through places without leaving any trace, be it physical or energetic. “Waste isn’t only what we throw away, it’s also what we consume subconsciously. I try not to carry excess baggage, consume mindlessly or take more than I need,” she shares. Nagi also believes that the energy we put into a place equally matters. “ Sometimes I just sit, observe and let the place meet me. I don’t document everything. That quiet awareness is what helps me leave less and embrace more.” So the next time you feel tempted to geotag that ‘hidden gem’ you stumbled upon during your travels on Instagram? Consider whether it can handle the influx of visitors your reel might reach.

Promote using renewable energy sources

Ishita Khanna, cofounder and director of the social enterprise Ecosphere, recommends using renewable energy whenever possible while travelling. Make efficient swaps such as using solar-powered chargers instead of batteries or promote accommodations that use renewable energy like solar cookers and solar lights. This not only helps reduce energy consumption significantly, but can also educate like-minded travellers about the hotels they should choose.

Spread the economic benefits of tourism evenly

“Every decision you make—where you stay, where you eat, what and where you shop—has a ripple effect on the local community,” says Sri Lankan creator Sahani Dikkumbura. “Consider going beyond the touristy hot spots and venturing into lesser-known areas because this helps spread the economic benefits of tourism more evenly. It also reduces the pressure on popular places that may be suffering from overtourism,” Dikkumbura suggests. “These choices really matter in destinations with fragile or unstable economies so supporting local businesses helps keep the tourism revenue within that community, where it can eventually make a meaningful impact.”

Low-impact transport

Opt for low-impact modes of transport such as trains and buses instead of taking short flights to and from different cities. While this admittedly does increase travel time, I find travelling by road to be a relaxing way of viewing the scenic in-betweens and the seemingly never-ending patches of open land between major cities. I most recently took a train from Vienna to Prague whilst travelling around Europe, and the hours seemed to pass by as smoothly as the postcard-like woodlands rolling by outside the window.

Don’t foist your culture upon unsuspecting bystanders

A better understanding of the environment is just one of the answers to how to be a responsible tourist. A crucial part of temporary assimilation into a place is also about keeping the peace and respecting its customs. Which reminds me, surely, there’s a better way to express your patriotism than by breaking into garba on the top floor of the Burj Khalifa or in the middle of a street in Austria. What you can do instead? Why, do what every Indian has done since the Stone Age: fish that box of khakras out of your backpack and polish it off in one go.