What is responsible tourism and why is it important?
Responsible Tourism is a type of tourism where the traditional activities of the communities are placed at the center while respecting the freedom of their projects and favoring the real empowerment of the inhabitants over their natural resources. They will be exploited in a sustainable way through activities of low impact that far from damaging nature, they conserve it and generate direct, well-paid jobs for a decent life in the community. In this way, the Responsible Traveler with his visit supports the conservation of species and the dissemination of the message and legacy of the original peoples mainly, as well as the message of a whole new generation that wants to return to consider nature as the most sacred.
Responsible Tourism can only be possible when visitors and inhabitants open their consciousness and put the common good at the forefront.
We can arrange for you visit the communities that we support and the guides that we work with are from an organization called El Viaje de Kanan (The trip of Kanan). These guys are committed 1000% to the following standards. Please take a look at the Experience called Travel the Maya Route here on our site to get the details.
The commitment of the true Responsible Guides and Responsible Travelers:
The Kanan Guide agrees to:
1) Propose only activities that benefit the local community and / or the care of nature.
2) Always offer fair prices to travelers and respect the prices of the communities with which they collaborate, so that Responsible Tourism allows them to have a decent life in the community, without deficiencies and with job opportunities.
3) Always carry out your work with great enthusiasm and passion for nature and culture.
4) Avoid risks by always informing the group in a timely manner, through exhaustive security briefings, always taking care of the physical integrity of the visitors.
5) Explain to travelers what is the correct way to approach the people of the community, especially with families and children.
6) Avoid using single-use plastic bottles, and always carry a reusable bottle and provide the travelers with water from a larger container that is not single use.
7) Avoid taking travelers to places where wild animals are in captivity.
Kanan Travelers want to care, and are committed to:
1) Inform yourself well before traveling, looking for the best options that are as respectful as possible of the culture and nature of the places you are going to visit.
2) Travel with a spirit of sharing with the inhabitants, avoiding haggling over the prices of products and services of the guides and the people of the communities.
3) Avoid traveling with the idea that "the people of the city help those of the country". Therefore, it is not necessary to bring things such as toys or sweets to give as a gift, since the Responsible Traveler knows that his visit is in itself more than enough, and that buying local products such as handicrafts, bee products or fresh products from the orchards and milpas, is supporting the community in the best way.
4) Ask the guides a lot of questions, especially about local customs and uses. Always avoid carrying children and taking sneaky or posed photos. A group photo all together between family and friends is much more beautiful than photos of people without their consent!
5) Avoid using creams and sunscreen, better a long-sleeved lycra, a hat and sunglasses, as well as long pants for hiking and camping in the jungle. Let's take nature seriously!
6) Share photographic material of the trips with the Local Guides so that each tour helps the community to have a record of its history in Responsible Tourism, and has material for the dissemination of its activities.
7) Always listen to the guides' instructions to guarantee one's physical integrity during outdoor activities and workshops in the communities.
8) Always take into account the respect for the beings that inhabit the jungles, lagoons and other ecosystems. If we manage to listen to nature avoiding speaking out loud or playing loud music from the boats we will be able to observe more species and sometimes you can get to experience magical moments of deep connection and understanding.
9) Participate in the Non-Plastic Single-Use Project, always carrying canteens and refillable bottles, as well as their own containers or tuppers and cutlery for their box lunches. Likewise, the Responsible Traveler agrees to take any other plastic waste such as cookie wrappers and similar things back to the city.
10) Avoid doing activities with wild animals in captivity. We must once and for all understand that all beings are capable of feeling, and that they suffer tremendously from being locked up.
We hope that all the Travelers of the World and that all the Guides also dedicate themselves to this important commitment. It is a proposal that aims to simply value and care for culture and nature.