Category: Responsible Travel

  • Should Travellers Boycott Controversial Destinations?

    There are plenty of destinations around the world that have what some consider controversial political or cultural stances on many issues, from women’s or human rights abuses to LGBTQ issues or the actions of oppressive dictatorships to name but a few, but does that mean travellers should boycott a destination? Should your ethical or moral…

  • Improving Animal Welfare In The Travel Industry With Global Spirit.

    I have been writing about ethical and responsible wildlife tourism for many years now to raise awareness about the many conservation issues involved in the industry and to help travellers avoid unethical and abusive wildlife tourism operators. But it is time to take that next step and not just write about the issues, but to…

  • Responsible Wild Bear Watching In Slovakia.

    Bear watching in Slovakia with Adventoura Slovakia is the ultimate responsible wildlife adventure! Slovakia has over 700 wild brown bears roaming free in the mountains and I couldn’t pass up the chance to spot a wild bear on a bear tracking trip. Especially when I heard how the adventure tour company adhered to responsible best…

  • Gap Years, Overtourism, And How Travel Is Ruining The Destinations We Love.

    Travel in general is a very positive thing, both for the traveller and for the destinations they visit, but what happens when the sheer level of tourism threatens the very places travellers love? What happens when overtourism becomes a burden to a destination? And what can travellers do to help solve the problem of overtourism?

  • Making Positive Tourism Count In Lalibela.

    Lalibela is a small town in northern Ethiopia that despite being a significant pilgrimage site for Coptic Christians and a UNESCO world heritage site, has yet to be hit by mass tourism. But as travellers wake up to the beauty of this region and start arriving in larger numbers, the local population are already taking…

  • Bemused Backpacker Is Proud To Announce Our Partnership With Global Spirit.

    Bemused Backpacker is proud to announce our new partnership with Global Spirit, the animals in tourism specialists!

  • Plastic Free Travel, Taking The Single Use Plastic Water Bottle Challenge.

    This past month I have taken a plastic free travel challenge with Better Places Travel to reduce the amount of single use plastic water bottles I use when travelling by using refillable water bottles as much as possible, with the ultimate aim of going completely single use plastic bottle free. But it wasn’t as easy…

  • Are Camel Safaris Responsible Or Ethical?

    Camel treks and safaris are a popular tourist activity around the world, but is camel riding ethical or responsible? Is Camel trekking harmful to the animals and should travellers and backpackers be riding a camel at all on their gap years? It is time to ask if we can’t find a better, more ethical and…

  • The Benefits Of Local Tourism On Your Gap Year.

    Local  tourism is more than just the latest buzzword, it is a very real and tangible way of travelling that has a positive impact on not only the wider environment, but also the local people in the destinations we visit. Here are just a few reasons you should stay as local as possible on your…

  • Australia Bans Tourists From Climbing Uluru. And It Is A Good Thing!

    Climbing mount Uluru has been one of the top gap year bucket list items for any backpacker heading to Australia for decades, but as of 2019 all travellers will be banned from climbing the famous landmark, and despite some protestations this is a good thing.