An old Hmong lady carrying a load on her back

There is no job as noble as being a traveler. When you travel to a country or a destination, jobs are created directly and immediately for the airline companies, for the travel agents and tour operators, for the train companies, for the transport companies, for the cruise companies, for the boat companies, for hotels, for restaurants, for universities, colleges, and vocational schools, for local handicrafts, for the local souvenir businesses, for the involved local communities... When you travel, it seems the whole local economy may benefit immediately and the money you spend may be spread most among the local communities...

Mass tourism may destroy the local natural environment, puts a burden on the local traditional culture as local people and businesses try to satisfy the visitors and abandon their traditions ...

Today you travel to Vietnam, at the same time some others have tours to Cambodia and some others take trips to Laos...If you travel responsibly and others do it responsibly, then the natural environment remains unchanged or improved, the local culture remains unchanged or even better preserved, the local people may learn good habits from you. Responsible travel brings more value to your trips, makes your holidays more authentic and enjoyable. With responsible travel, the reasons for which a destination attracts people to travel to remain unchanged, or become more of a reason...Responsible travel pays everyone and benefits everyone!

How to travel responsibly?

1/Choosing the eco-friendly airlines and transport companies;

2/Staying at eco-friendly hotels and dining at eco-friendly restaurants;

3/Choosing the tour operators & travel agents who understand, love and respect the local culture; who have professional staff that are well-trained in eco-tourism; who share the income from your travel most with different local communities; who take part in protecting the environment and traditional culture, and giving back to local communities;

4/Choosing travel itineraries of responsible travel:
a/Off-the-beaten-track itineraries: Travel to destinations and take the paths that are not visited by the crowd. This helps to put less burden on the environment and local culture of the touristy places, while it helps to improve the income of many local communities at the not-so touristy sites and helps to preserve the local environment and culture. Off-the-beaten-track travel itineraries help you with a more authentic experience.

b/Eco and nature tours: Eco and nature tours bring you to destinations of eco-tourism, nature reserves or national parks. These tours give you a time of understanding nature and get relaxed amid the wild. In the mean time, these tours help local communities and local authorities more income so that they can protect the natural landscapes and wild life in the communities.

c/Trekking and biking adventures: Traveling by means of trekking and biking doesn't require fuels and generates no exhaust elements, hence has no harmful effects to the natural environment. Trekking and biking adventures make your travel accessible to many far-flung destinations, which means more communities are benefiting from your travel. Taking these adventures, you'll be rewarded immensely with the chaste natural beauty and the untouched local culture, your experience will be a more authentic one.

5/Travel in family or take part in small group journeys: Travel in family and in small groups (fewer than 12-15 persons/group) makes your travel have minimized impact to the environment and local culture.