Responsible Travel:

Environmental awareness, sustainability, cultural heritage preservation, social development, fair-trade
 

What is Responsible Travel?

Travelling gives us a wonderful opportunity to experience cultures that are so different from our own. But with the wondrous joy of travel comes the responsibility of ensuring that we do not adversely affect the local communities that we visit.

In a nutshell, responsible travel is about ensuring that you, as travellers, and Travel and Do, as a tour operator promote & practice social and environmental responsibility in the places that we visit.

That way, we enjoy a unique and memorable experience as well as an authentic cross-cultural exchange while the local resources, cultures and customs are protected.
Responsible tourism has incredible potential to have a positive impact on some of our most pressing global issues: peace and poverty, not to mention the influence it can have on biodiversity conservation.

By 2020 it's estimated that 1.5 billion people will be travelling each year. It's not hard to understand how each one of us needs to consider one's personal contribution to sustaining the natural and cultural wonders of our planet so that future generations can enjoy the same life-changing adventures we have shared.

Today there's no way of avoiding the importance of travelling responsibly. With the little information on this website we hope to inspire you to try a new, far more rewarding, way of travelling.

Don't be discouraged though, some of the aims described below are not that easy to be fulfilled.

After all, travelling responsibly is nothing less than living responsibly and we all know how difficult that is.

As responsible travellers we...

• Travel in a spirit of humility and with a genuine desire to meet and talk with local people
• Are aware of the feeling of the locals, and respect their culture and customs in our action
• Cultivate the art of being present, of listening, of learning by observing closely
• Realize that other people may have concepts of time and thought patterns different from ours—not wrong, not inferior, just different
• Remember that we are among many visitors, and do not expect special privileges
• Make no promises to local people that we cannot implement; keep the promises that we make
• Always respect temples and other sacred places and their holy artefacts as we would the churches and temples in our homelands
• Show particular respect when we photograph/take video: exchange a few words and ask permission to proceed with; respect a "no"
• Spend time each day reflecting on our experiences, considering the possibility that what enriched us may have robbed another
• Utilize the opportunity of travel for personal and transpersonal growth and global understanding

We at Travel and Do aim to:

- Provide opportunities for travellers to interact with local people and experience culture first hand, through:

   > Excursions to known, but also to non touristic places

   > Participation in cultural events, local feasts and traditional concerts

   > Visits to distilleries, vineyards, olive oil presses, beekeepers, organic farms etc

   > Mini workshops on local cuisine and folk circular dances

   > Lectures on the local customs, the famous Greek Mythology, the modern language and its live connection to the ancient Greek language as well as its connection to other modern European languages

   > Hands on traditional healing applications of the local herbs

- Explain to travellers which of their activities or consuming preferences might indirectly endanger animals or natural resources.

- Help preventing the exploitation of children in tourism, by asking from travellers to stand out and express their disapproval to the locals, whenever they encounter children under 16 years old working in the local shops, hotels or restaurants.

- Facilitate communication of our values to both travellers and the local community, educating them in sustainable tourism practices.

- Help in keeping the local fair trade alive and strong, by bringing travellers to the source of the local production, where they can buy in fair prices and benefit the local producers directly.

- Put back into the communities and regions we visit by supporting aid, development and conservation projects in these areas, like we do with ARCHELON and ALKIONI. Travellers are invited to contribute.

Travel and Do's responsible travel tips and how these may be realized when travelling with us.

Before you travel:

• Find out as much as possible about the destination you are visiting to make it come alive in your heart and mind. Look into the destination's history, culture, natural environment, customs, appropriate behaviour, body language, advisory notices, and more. Visit the "Links" area of our website to find references on the Greek history, mythology, modern language, music and culture.
• Learn a few words in the local language. Simple words may not go a long way to help you communicate with the local people, but they'll appreciate your efforts and your interest in learning, making you both feel proud! In the first days of your vacation with us we will teach you some basics of the Greek language, but the more you have learned on your own already at home, the more you will enjoy our introductory language classes.
• Air transportation greatly affects the environment, so wherever possible, try to minimize your impact by looking to alternative transfer options and off-setting your carbon emissions. When you do decide to fly however, try to make it count by booking a responsible holiday that increases benefits to local communities and environments. When choosing to travel with us you have the option to off-set your carbon emissions through atmosfair, an international carbon emissions off-setting company we collaborate with.

During your trip:

• Engage in local culture. Every international trip provides a unique opportunity to explore a new culture and to see the world through a different perspective. Enjoying local foods, shopping in local markets, and attending local festivals are all part of experiencing the Greek culture, therefore in our mainland or island-hopping excursions we will see to it, that you will get a fair taste of all the above and much more.

• Avoid visiting local shows or zoos that promote cruelty or exploitation of animals. Travel and Do will instead engage you in diving, horseback riding, mountain trekking or bird watching, being all mild ways in respect with nature, that allow you to come in deep contact with the beautiful and diverse Greek flora and fauna. 

• Shop from traditional artisans and for locally made products, helping keep traditional crafts alive and favour local products over imported items. Do not buy products made from endangered species, threatened natural resources or ancient artefacts. Since it is sometimes difficult as a foreigner to distinguish between authentic and fake local products, we will provide you with a suggested list of shops to buy from, helping you rest assured that whatever you will find in those shops is local, authentic and "green". 

• Bargain, if that is a local practice, but bear in mind that a small amount to you could be more important to the seller. Greece is one of the countries, where bargaining is a live and accepted part of everyday shopping, nevertheless keep please in mind that the financial crisis of the last years does not allow prices to get much lower and every business connected with tourism is already facing a hard time to survive. Bottom line: Travel and Do suggests keeping bargaining alive, as it is important in countries like Greece for sustaining the balance and the competitiveness of the market, but at the same time accepting any even slightly reduced price with much gratitude and understanding of the seller's limitation in selling too cheap.

• Dress respectfully with an awareness of local standards. Dress modestly at religious sites and check what swim wear is suitable for pools and the beach. Greece outside the big city centers is a conservative religious country. The need for tourism's income may widen the reactions against nudity in tourist places, but the feeling of the offence remains hidden and causes various tensions. So please, try to keep a balance between your justified need to enjoy the Greek see and sun to the fullest and the local dressing customs.
• Use public transport, hire a bike or walk where convenient - you'll minimise demand for special tourist vehicles and fuel, reduce pollution and carbon emissions, meet local people and truly get to know the place. In Travel and Do's excursions we try to use the public buses wherever possible and mostly walk our way to our destination, creating the necessary slow rhythms to absorb what's new and different. If nevertheless you rent a car, drive cautiously always ready for unexpected obstacles, like animals leaping onto the road during the night.
• Respect the natural environment:

  - Always try and use local energy as efficiently as possible in line with local practices.

  - Use water sparingly - its very precious in most countries and tourists tend to use far more than local people.

  - Whenever possible use biodegradable soaps and detergents.

  - Leave only footprints... Take out all you take in, to areas away from the cities. Use alternatives to plastic and say 'No' to plastic bags.
  - Never ever litter. Find a bin or recycle it. Find out how to recycle your waste most efficiently from your hotel or tour operator. Try not to bring any superfluous containers or packaging that you do not intend to take back home.

• Think of the Big Picture. While it is important to support local economy, certain tourist activities and souvenirs can damage a fragile ecosystem or a cultural and historical site. So simply say “no” to a souvenir that's a piece of the site itself, and to tourist activities that may be harmful to a site’s longevity.
• Be wary of giving gifts or money to beggars, children and people you have just met. Supporting the community through a local school, clinic or development project will be much more constructive. Travel and Do will provide you with lots of relative development suggestions by local authorities or NGOs to choose from.
• Smile and have fun! The traveller who wishes to have a happy and successful trip should keep as calm, cheerful and friendly as humanly possible, even when unexpected problems, unfamiliar behaviours or other stressful issues occur. Real travelling is all about observing yourself, learning and enjoying when finding a balance within a new environment. When back home, the achievement of this balance will follow and strengthen you against your everyday routine and difficulties, leaving in you invaluable memories and a feeling of deep satisfaction and gratitute.

After returning home:

• Share tips about responsible travel. In addition to telling family and friends about the wonderful memories you made, also consider sharing tips on how they too can positively impact cultural or historical sites while having an amazing journey. You may even post your thoughts and experiences under Travel and Do's Yahoo group page, for other people to read and benefit from.
• Think how you can support programs and organisations that are working to protect the welfare, culture and environment of where you've been lucky to visit. Review more carefully now all the NGO information, Travel and Do has provided you with, and decide whether you believe it is worth it or not to commit into a one time or yearly support for any of these.
• Write to us with any comments, complaints or feedback about your holiday and the quality of our or the hotel's services. Especially include please any suggestions on reducing environmental impacts and increasing benefits to local communities.

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