7 Ways to Travel More Ethically and Make a Positive Impact When Travelling

Travelling is becoming available for an increasing amount of people, especially people from Western countries. In the Netherlands, I would go as far as to say that doing a big backpacking trip in your 20s is almost becoming a rite of passage into adulthood. Teenagers take gap years after high school to travel to Central America or Southeast Asia, broke students have discovered volunteering and workstay platforms like Workaway, and travel is simply becoming a lot less scary due to an increasing amount of content creators sharing their experiences online.

However, what is not being talked about enough alongside the upcoming trend of backpacking and solo travel is how to do so ethically and responsibly. Too often, I have seen groups of travellers or tourists remain unaware of the impact they have on places and people when travelling. As travellers we have a responsibility towards the people, cultures and countries that welcome us. Tourism and travelling often leaves a footprint, but your presence does not necessarily have to be bad. As travellers we can make a positive impact on the world if you know how to!

Is there really a way to travel ethically? How to be a responsible and respectful traveller? As an avid traveller and cultural anthropologist, here are my thoughts on ethical travel and seven tips to travel more ethically and make a positive impact on the places you visit.

Is there a way to travel ethically?

I won’t pretend that travel—especially mass tourism—doesn’t do harm. Just the number of planes flying daily emits a shocking amount of CO₂. And that’s only one part of the picture.

But the reality is, that the travel and tourism industry is growing rapidly. Travel is here to stay and I also believe that travel can have a positive impact on local communities if done right. So, if travel is here to stay, the question becomes: how can we do it in a way that’s more conscious, more ethical, and more supportive of the places we visit?

So wat is ethical travel? Ethical travel means making choices that respect the people, cultures, and environments of the places you visit. It’s about being aware of your impact as a traveler—and trying to minimize harm while maximizing the positive.

Here are a few small choices that you can make as a socially conscious and ethical traveller that really do make a difference.

1. Shop locally and artisanal products

Try to avoid supermarkets and buy your products on local markets and in locally owned stores. Big plus is that the produce is way fresher (and thus tastier) and it is usually a lot cheaper too!

At the same time, this is a careful balance because you also want to avoid low-quality products that cause a lot of damage to the planet. When it comes to non-food products like clothing, always check where te clothing comes from and choose to pay more for handmade, artesenal products that preserve local crafting methods.

🔎 Why it matters: Just 10 corporations control over 90% of the food and beverage brands sold globally, including Nestlé, PepsiCo, and Unilever (Oxfam, 2020). Buying local helps reduce your support of monopolized food systems and instead contributes to more sustainable, small-scale economies.

📉 In many cases, less than 15% of every dollar spent at a supermarket stays in the local economy, whereas up to 60% stays local when spent at a local business (via Institute for Local Self-Reliance).

2. Take local transport

Especially within cities there are usually tuktuks, colectivos (vans), etc. These are often also cheaper than Uber! In between cities you should of course take into account safety, but speak with some locals and you will find out that often local buses are safe, easy, more fun, and cheaper than shuttles. Read here how to ride chickenbuses in Central America!

🔎 Why it matters: Apps like Uber or Bolt can extract 20–30% commission per ride, taking money out of the local economy. Plus the working conditions have been widely criticized with drivers being nudged to work long hours for no minimum wage, no vacation pay, no overtime pay, no health benefits, and none of the workplace protections often legally required in countries. Choosing local transport supports small drivers directly.

Booking locally directly is the best, but if you really want to book local transport beforehand, this online platform books via local transport services.

🚌 Public and shared transport also significantly reduce your carbon footprint: riding a bus emits less than half the CO₂ per passenger per kilometer compared to a private car.

3. Learn about history, politics and local culture

This shows people that you care about visiting their country. You can learn about history, politics, and local culture via locally guided walking tours, visiting museums or speaking with locals!

🔎 Why it matters: According to the UNWTO, only 5% of travellers engage deeply with local cultural experiences, yet these are the ones that tend to redistribute tourism benefits more equally.

Plus, countries with colonial histories or ongoing political tensions are often misrepresented in global media—informing yourself helps counteract this.

4. Visit local events

Many backpacking destinations have lots of activities, but they are usually either set up for backpackers or change/exploit traditional experiences for backpackers. Do your research and mix up activities to include some local festivities or activities while being respectful of whether your participation is allowed or not.

🔎 Why it matters: Studies show that cultural appropriation is common when traditional performances are adapted for tourists—leading to loss of meaning and community control. Participating in community-led events helps preserve local traditions and supports cultural pride.

🎭 A 2018 UNESCO report stresses that community-based tourism can directly support heritage preservation when done respectfully.

At the same time, it is important to realize that traditions always change. No tradition has ever stayed exactly the same and an experience is not always less authentic when it has been adapted to contemporary life and visitors.

5. Get off the beaten track and out of your ho(s)tel!

Try to include one or two less familiar places in your itinerary. You will often find them on the way – after all, if you have found them online they probably are already a bit known at least to some extent. This can already start with wandering off the mainstreet in some tourist hotspots. By going off the beaten track, the money you bring to a country will reach more people, plus you will likely get a more challenging and authentic experience!

A recent storytelling program from Actuality Abroad, with whom I filmed documentaries with forestry concession community Uaxactún in Guatemala in 2024, visited a local community for one month. Because all 10 of the group consistently brought their laundry to the one laundry service outside of the hotel, that laundry service was able to get an official sign and new supplies after just a few weeks. This example shows how small amounts of income can be very important for the growth of local businesses!

🔎 Why it matters: According to the UNDP, in many countries 80% of tourism spending is concentrated in just a few urban areas or hotspots, leaving rural or lesser-known regions underfunded.Spreading your footprint helps decentralize tourism and benefits communities often left out of the industry.

6. Learn a bit of the local language(s)

I have met so many travellers who do not speak a single word of the country’s language(s) they are visiting. Especially if you are on a longer backpacking trip in Latin America, where the vast majority speaks Spanish, please take a serious effort to learn the basics of the language. It will help you throughout your trip (and for example at markets and in buses) and people will always be very happy that you try, even if you are making mistakes. It is the intention that is the most important!

🔎 Why it matters: A British Council study found that locals are 45% more likely to engage positively with tourists who try to speak their language, even if imperfectly. It fosters connection and reduces the power imbalance often present in tourism.

Moreover, for places where local Indigenous languages are endangered, showing interest in the local language will show youth that their local languages are not only valuable in themselves, but also with regards to the tourist industry.

7. Remember that you are visiting

While it is your backpacking trip or other travel experience, remember that you are visiting the daily lived communities of people. Act like a guest and respect the local population. I know that in certain places – ahum, Latin America – locals have different standards when it comes to noise nuisance but try to be mindful of the noise that you are producing.

Parties are especially a source of concern for certain places, such as on Ometepe and  elsewhere in Nicaragua. I spoke with various locals there and the weekly parties popular amongst backpackers and solo travellers are causing increasing drug abuse amongst the younger local population.

When it comes to taking photos and videos, one good guideline I recently learned is: do not do anything you also would not do or like visitors to do in your own country! This includes taking photos with strangers for their appearance – unless really respectfully and kindly asked after a genuine conversation –, of people’s private belongings, and with children.

🔎 Why it matters: Mass tourism often causes "cultural fatigue" in host communities—especially when visitors ignore local customs or act entitled. A 2023 study showed that 40% of locals in over-touristed areas report negative emotional impacts from disrespectful behaviour by tourists. Respect builds trust and preserves the hospitality that makes travel meaningful.

Last but not least, always remain open to learn from others. No one will do ethical travel perfect and sometimes guidelines are blurry, ethics is a lot about dialogue. When is it okay to participate in a local event and when is it not? When do well-intended individuals become part of a larger systemic problem - such as in 'hippietown' San Marcos La Laguna in Guatemala? How can going off the beaten track positively impact a community that has little tourist infrastructure rather than damage it?

I would love to hear your thoughts and additional tips in the comments! Happy travels!

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