India has been one of the most sought after travel destinations in the world. But, over the years, many scenic travel destinations of India have lost their charm due to irresponsible traveling by the tourists. To counter this, the concept of sustainable tourism is being popularized to make people aware of the dangers of traveling irresponsibly and the need to embrace sustainable tourism.

Sustainable Tourism means to travel without harming nature so that our future generations can also enjoy the sights and sounds as we are doing now. We need to see that the way we are traveling should not have a negative impact on the local community, cultural fabric and the local biodiversity and ecosystems of the destinations.

Let’s explore the ways in which we can promote sustainable tourism in India:

Maintaining Cleanliness to Preserve the Natural Beauty

This should be our first step in this direction. If we stop littering and maintain the cleanliness of the local environment of the places we are visiting, we will be helping in the preservation and protection of the natural beauty of the places which attracted us to visit those places in the first place.

Supporting Local Economy

We need to support the local economy by buying local products, eating from eateries set up by local households and stay in village homestays. The money they earn from us will help to support their families. If they find their livelihood in their village itself, they will stop migrating and, in this way, we can help in the preservation of local culture, lifestyles, and society.

Embracing Local Culture

Each place in India has a unique culture. In order to preserve the local culture, we must learn to embrace it. Embracing culture means to respect it while we are staying in that place. We can do so by observing and appreciating the local livelihoods, tasting local cuisines, meeting and conversing with the localities and in that process understand their pains and joys. The experience will surely enrich us.

Participating in Eco-Tourism

India is a host to a variety of wildlife ecosystems. By traveling to these places in eco-friendly ways (through cycling or trekking) we can participate in eco-tourism. Eco-tourism provides a lifetime of enriching experience to us and makes us respect the natural marvels of this earth.

So, let’s choose our next travel destination keeping in mind these four ways. We love to watch nature in its unspoiled form, let our forthcoming generations experience it, too.