A GUIDE TO BECOMING A MODEL TOURIST
World Tourism Day is held on 27th September each year to raise awareness among the community of travellers of the social, cultural, political and economic value of this sector. Our travel choices and the way we move around the planet are clearly immersed in a process of constant change and the options for discovering new places are rising steadily. Yet it is also important to respect and care for the places we visit, and because we know that you too want to be a model tourist, this post offers you the tips and guidelines you need to become one of the best:
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Respect for local culture and traditions
Although many destinations may appear to be centred exclusively on sun and sand tourism, the truth is that each location has its own rich history that is well worth discovering.
Taking an interest in the culture of your next destination is definitely one of the key aspects to becoming a responsible tourist. The history of any country or region always sheds light on the people that live there and making the effort to learn more about it will ensure you respect their traditions and customs and make you feel more at home during your holiday.
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Reducing waste
As a tourist, your presence will inevitably have some kind of impact on the place you are visiting. A clear example of this is the waste we generate. When travelling, we tend to consume more plastic packaging or products that generate more waste. Today, there are numerous ways of reducing our use of this type of products, such as reusable utensils or water bottles, although, as in other situations, generating a certain amount of waste is inevitable; what matters is that you recycle and in particular that you never leave litter behind you.
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Consuming local produce
Consuming local produce is another essential way of supporting the community you will be visiting. Taking advantage of the opportunity to taste the area’s traditional gastronomy and dishes is a great way of discovering new flavours. When choosing souvenirs to take home for family and friends, go for locally made items and crafts.
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Learn a few phrases in the local language
This is the key to getting to know the local residents a little better. They always appreciate it if you can say a few everyday expressions in their language. “Good morning”, “Please” and “Thank you” are a few of the typical phrases and the easiest to learn. This will help you to start a conversation with the locals and get their attention if you need to ask them for help or directions.
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Follow the instructions provided
When visiting tourist areas, the entities responsible for them often provide guides, signposts, posters or other elements with instructions and best practices on how to be as careful as possible of the environment.
Here at THB hotels we have followed this example and introduced various actions into our hotel aimed at raising awareness. Examples include the recycling points, our guide to saving water or the elimination of single-use plastics. Whenever you visit us, we encourage you to follow these guidelines so that together we can contribute to protecting and caring for our environment.
After reading all these tips, if you’d like to put them into practice on your next holiday, check out our hotels and all their excellent facilities at our destinations on Mallorca, Ibiza, Costa del Sol and Lanzarote.
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