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Behavior of a Responsible Tourist Promoted by Other Scholars

Example 1:

1. Travel in a spirit of humility and with a genuine desire to learn more about the people of the host country.

2. Be sensitively aware of the feelings of other people, thus preventing what might be offensive behavior on your part. This applies very much to photography.

3. Cultivate the habit of listening and observing, rather than merely hearing and seeing.

4. Realise that often the people in the country you visit have time concepts and thought patterns different from your own; this does not make them inferior, only different.

5. Instead of looking for that “beach paradise”, discover the enrichment of seeing a different way of life, through other eyes.

6. Acquaint yourself with local customs - people will be happy to help you.

7. Remember that you are only one of the thousands of tourists visiting this country and do not expect special privileges.

Source :O'Grady,R.“Third World Stopover:The Tourism Debate ”

Example 2:

Tourism involves the movement of large numbers of people from their normal places of residence to new locations. Tourism results in certain impacts on the environment, social, cultural and economy of the host destinations. (Detail of tourism impact on host community will be further elaborate in module 3). In order to minimize the negative impact of tourism on the host destination and so as to enable tourists to enjoy the originality of the destination, tourists should be aware of the effect of their behaviour on the host destination.

Understanding Human Differences

Do not impose your thinking on the others. The local community may have a different concept of time, thought pattern, customs, values and the way they behave may be different from your home country.

It is necessary to understand the taboos and protocols of a destination and to avoid any acts that may offend the host community.

Appreciate all aspects of the host destination

By understanding the indifferences, tourists should appreciate all aspects of the destination including their customs, heritage and environment.

Protect the environment, heritage and be concerned with the feelings of the host community

Tourists should assist in protecting the physical environment so that the attractiveness of the destination would not be depreciated.

It is necessary to respect the culture of the host community.

The tourists’ own culture is not superior than the others and they should not expect any

When cultural tourism and ecotourism are the major forms of tourism of a destination, the code of behaviour of the travellers on culture and environment of the community is very important. For example, the Himalayas in Nepal is a popular trekking destination and a culturally distinct area.

The British-based organization, Tourism Concern has set up a voluntary code of conduct for tourists as a guideline when they visit the country. This guideline was launched in 1991 which aims to:

promote greater understanding of the impact of tourism on host communities and environments;

raise awareness of the forms of tourism that respect the rights and interests of people living in tourist receiving areas, promoting tourism that is just, sustainable and participatory;

work for change in current tourism practice such as vast tract of forest depleted in order to fulfil fuel-wood needs and accommodation for tourists. This has resulted in soil erosion and flooding;

to enable tourists and travellers to travel with critical insight and understanding.

The guidelines were distributed to all British tour operators carrying visitors to the Himalayas.

They also encourage tour operators to include the Code in their brochures. Copies were also sent to major ticket outlets, such as Campus, Trail-finders to ensure they reach independent travellers.

The set of tourist code is as follows:

The Ruins of St Paul’s, Macau

Understand Appreciate Protect

y Remove litter, burn or bury paper and taking away out all non-degradable litter. Graffiti are permanent examples of environment pollution.

y Keep local water clean and avoid using pollutants such as detergents in streams or springs. If no toilet facilities are available, make sure you are at least 30 metres away from water sources, and bury or cover wastes.

y Plants should be left to flourish in their natural environment –taking cuttings, seeds and roots is illegal in many parts of the Himalayas.

y Help your guides and porters to follow conservation measures.

y When taking photographs, respect privacy – ask permission and use restraint.

y Respect Holy places –preserve what you have come to see, never touch or remove religious objects. Shoes should be removed when visiting temples.

y Do not give to children as it may encourage begging. A donation to a project, health centre or school is a more constructive way to help.

y You will be accepted and welcomed if you follow local customs. Use only your right hand for eating and greeting. Do not share cutlery or cups, etc. It is polite to use both hands while giving or receiving gifts.

y Respect for local etiquette earns you respect – loose, light-weight clothes are preferable to revealing shorts, skimpy tops and tight fitting action wear. Hand holding or kissing in public are disliked by local people.

y Observe standard food and bed charges but do not condone overcharging. Remember that when you’re shopping the bargains you buy may only be possible because of low income to others.

y Visitors who value local traditions encourage local pride and maintain local cultures, please help local people gain a realistic view of life in Western Countries.

Source: Davidson, Rob, Tourism, 2nd ed., Longman, 1995, p. 170-171

Additional Information:

- Useful website for tourist conduct: www.tourismconcern.org.uk

- The Nepal Tourism Board also inform tourists on some do’s and don’ts through their website aiming to enable tourists to be aware of the local cultures and to minimize the conflicts between tourists and host communities. (www.welcomenepal.com)

- Global Code of Ethics in Tourism (UNWTO): http://www.unwto.org/code_ethics/eng/principles.htm

2.4.2. Concerned Issues While Traveling

Besides behaving oneself, safety is also the primary concern of a tourist. Other concerns include health hazards and the crime rate, especially theft at the destination.