I live in a small town. Really small. Here in Rockport, MA, tourism is the town’s primary industry and source of income, so the year-round population of 7,800 expands in the summer to 20,000. From June to August, things get a little…cozy here at home.

“Do people actually live here in the winter?” is not an uncommon question from summertime visitors.

For these thousands of tourists, Rockport is an escape, a family getaway, a chance for shopping, or lazy days at the beach. For me, it’s home: where I work, where I live with my family. Sometimes it’s difficult to reconcile these two different places that are both my hometown; I’m not the only one to have this problem.

After reading Niko’s article from abroad, “Japan Jargon: Languished from Language?“, I thought a lot about how we act as tourists and the conundrum Niko and so many others have faced – am I acting the right way as a “guest” in a foreign place?

“Behave the way you would like people to behave if they were visiting your hometown, whether it’s a tourist destination or not,” said Deborah Loomis, who has worked at various shops in Rockport in her years as a resident here. “Be respectful of people’s homes and properties; sometimes it’s a fine line between the tourist stuff [and private property].”

At the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg in 2002, the Cape Town Conference on Responsible Tourism met and established these tenets of “responsible tourism”:

  • “minimises negative economic, environmental, and social impacts;
  • generates greater economic benefits for local people and enhances the well-being of host communities, improves working conditions and access to the industry;
  • involves local people in decisions that affect their lives and life chances;
  • makes positive contributions to the conservation of natural and cultural heritage, to the maintenance of the world’s diversity;
  • provides more enjoyable experiences for tourists through more meaningful connections with local people, and a greater understanding of local cultural, social and environmental issues;
  • provides access for physically challenged people; and
  • is culturally sensitive, engenders respect between tourists and hosts, and builds local pride and confidence.”

rockportma1Since 2002, the second and third international conferences have been held in India and Belize, respectively, to further define policies associated with responsible tourism.

Specifically, these tenets can be applied by hiring local guides or tours, seeking out locally run museums, entertainment, and restaurants (i.e. don’t venture into the Arctic Circle just to scurry to the safety of a McDonald’s…try some reindeer!)

According to the Transitions Abroad Responsible Travel Handbook, essentially, the aim is to engage in activities “that bring tourist dollars directly into communities” rather than merely using the destination and allowing the money to go to external corporations.

Responsible tourism also discourages the trade of illegal souvenirs, such as bits of coral or unlawfully obtained antiquities. While one of the aims of responsible tourism is to allow more money to go to the locals, it also attempts to maintain the integrity of its cultural heritage for future visitors.

rockportma2All of these points can be simplified to essentially one rule. You may remember it from kindergarten as the “golden rule”: “It is simply treating others with the same respect you would ask for in your own community.” This means anything from respecting local traditions to making sure that places that you stay are eco-friendly.

As impoverished students, many of us probably won’t have to worry about how carbon neutral our trips to Thailand and the North Pole are. But the same principles of courtesy and responsibility can be applied to wherever you go, even if that means a day trip by car.

I’d like to add just a few locally-applicable suggestions, which I’ve learned from personal experience:

  • You’re driving around, admiring the scenery and then you see a view that you absolutely have to photograph (or maybe you’re just obscenely lost). Pull over instead of slowing to a crawl in the middle of the road.
  • So you’ve decided to go for a vacation. You also own a dog. Consider the places you’ll go and the activities you’ve planned before bringing Fido along. Make sure that you’re willing to provide your dog with all the attention that you normally would (walks, etc.) Also, try and find out whether other people bring their dogs there too – even if your dog is well-behaved enough to handle a day of shopping, can it handle a bunch of other dogs in an area where it needs to behave itself?
  • Make sure you know whether bartering is expected or accepted in the area you’re visiting. It’s pretty awkward having to insist that the price on the tag is the price you have to pay.

rockportma3Tourism will always be a fraught issue for some. One shop owner I spoke to suggested that the phrase “responsible tourism” is an oxymoron and that tourism is by its very nature “irresponsible”.

While I don’t believe this is necessarily true, it is clear that there are right and wrong ways to enjoy new places.

The right way often boils down to making sure that it is enjoyable for your “hosts” as well as you, and leaving the place as you found it for others to experience.