Author: Mishka Ramdas, Digital Copywriter
As the world evolves, so does the travel industry. Establishments, governments, and travel companies are slowly but surely introducing efforts to minimise their carbon footprint and boost their contributions to local communities. More and more people are becoming aware of how their habits affect the natural world around them, so we at Your Perfect Africa thought it would be a great time to share some tips on how to travel sustainably.
First things first, what does ‘sustainable tourism’ mean? It is an approach to tourism that prioritizes low environmental impact and social responsibility. The aim is to provide development in the tourism industry and bring positive experiences for local people as well as travellers. Ecotourism and sustainable tourism go together. But, ecotourism focuses on offering travellers an opportunity to appreciate the natural landscapes, wildlife and local culture of a particular area. This is intended to promote the conservation of natural resources for future generations.
Sustainable travel is a multifaceted concept and is said to be held up by 3 pillars:
- Applying environmentally friendly practices, for example, The Three R’s: Reduce, Reuse and Recycle.
- Protecting cultural heritage. Many establishments do this by restoring historic buildings or implementing measures to save endangered species, which in many cases, travellers can take part in.
- Offering tangible social and economic benefits for local communities.
Now, you must be thinking, “how can I do my part?”, well that is where Your Perfect Africa comes in. Here are 5 ways to travel sustainably in South Africa.