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| Responsible travel |
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At Flower Of Egypt Travel we research, plan and operate tours for our valued customers with local Suppliers . We patronize restaurants which provide employment to local people and stay in hotels and resorts which follow responsible-friendly policies. In essence, we espouse all the principles of responsible travel.
Responsible travel , what does it mean ?
- It means respecting and benefiting local peoples.
- It means taking actual idea about people, traditions, culture and the environment.
- We are committed to protect human and animal life and the natural environment.
- We are often not responsible for everything in the same way.
We might not be responsible all of the time, but we all have a responsibility!
As a responsible traveller
- You get closer to local culture and environment by involving local people in tourism activities . You do this in a fair way to ensure that you get an even warmer welcome!
- You get deeper and more real travel experiences - to get more out of your travels and to give a something back to the special places you visit and people you meet.
- You understand that some cultural experiences are best kept private, and that sometimes a visit would be an intrusion. You believe that respectful travel earns you respect.
- You re-discover how to experience nature and be in it, feeling it, smelling it and learning about it rather than just looking at it.
- You understand local people's relationship with their environment, and that income from tourism can be a powerful incentive for conservation and development .
- You value diversity of people, cultures and environments. You believe that during your travels you can grow as an individual and also give a positive contribution towards conserving global diversity.
A few notes for the responsible traveller
- Do some research: Read up on the countries you plan to visit - the welcome will be warmer if you take an interest and speak even a few words of the local language
- Think small: When booking a holiday - for example, hotels, Resorts, Oasis houses and locally owned accommodation benefit local families
- Buy local: Help the local economy by buying what is produced locally, especially the handmade products in preference to imported goods.
- Be sensitive: If bargaining for an item, bear in mind that a small amount to you could be a great deal to the seller.
- Be patient: Understand that often people's concepts of time differ from your own, as do their thought patterns; this does not make them inferior, only different.
- Be tolerant: Cultivate the habit of asking questions, instead of believing you have all the answers. Learn to see through others' eyes and be enriched by this way.
- Be conservation-minded: Use water sparingly - in many countries it is a precious commodity and the local people may have insufficient clean water.
- Be adventurous: Find out where the locals go when they have time off. Visit the main sites and respect the local culture in wear and behavior .
- Be environmentally aware: Don't discard litter, take it home with you and ask others to do the same thing. Waste disposal is a major expense in poorer countries.
- Be respectful: Respect for local cultures, traditions and holy places earns your respect. For example, ask permission before you photograph local people - in some countries it can cause offence.
- Be thoughtful: Spend time reflecting on your daily experiences in an attempt to deepen your understanding. It has been said that what enriches you may violate others.
- Beware: Do not buy products made from endangered species, hard woods, shells from beach traders, or ancient artifacts (which have probably been stolen)
- Be generous: Pack small gifts from home as gifts for the local orphanages and poor people ( remember what Princess Diana was doing )- get your tour operator to ask the local community what would be of most use to them.
- Be grateful: When you reach home write a short note to let your tour operator know how you got on.
- Be happy: Remember that man travels the world in search of what he needs and returns home to find it (Moore 1916)
- Enjoy the memories!
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