Sustainable Tourism

An important lesson I learned in Laos, is to become a more social conscious traveler. Beside stimulating the economy, tourism can play an important role to improve the social development and preserve the culture and tradition of the society. Here are a few examples that I could think about:

1. Fair Trade: Spend on Local Products
Instead of purchasing duty free products from multinational brand in the airport, buying the local handcrafts as souvenirs to your friends could be a better idea. if you choose wisely, some of the products are amazingly good. In addition to help sustain the local small businesses, the very few dollars they earn from you might help a family from hunger on the day, or help a child to go to school.

2. Eliminate Illiteracy
In developing countries, they have very limited books and study equipment, and they are not afford to buy it. Sharing the used materials with them could be a good means to flow in more information resources to them.

3. Knowledge Sharing
Try to talk to the people to understand the situation and give constructive suggestion for discussion, many of them can't see their future due to their limited exposure. Sharing some ideas about how to find opportunities would be very helpful. However, I always remind myself not to promise or give too much hope and expectation if I can't do it. Besides, many of them like to practice English or other foreign languages, this could be a great thing to do too.

4. Culture Preservation
Try to understand, respect and show interest to the culture so that the locals will become more conscious to preserve their own tradition. For instance, in Luang Prabang, a town in Laos, many tourists from Thailand participate in their alm giving in the morning, which gives them more incentives to continue it.

5. Ecology Preservation
Participate in some activities with the animals, especially endangered animals which need extra money to take care of them. For example the elephant riding, you gain benefit having fun communicating with the animal and learning more about the ecology, your money is wisely spend to preserve and take care of the animals. Of course if you are not an animal lover you can
try to do something else like with the plants.

6. Support Local Projects
For example, there are some bridges taking fee so that the money can be used to build and maintain the bridge which make the transportation easier. Try to pay the fee and use the bridge.

7. Share the stories with your friends.