1. Introduction
Responsible or ‘low impact’ travel may be defined as “minimizing the negative impact on environments and cultures caused by tourist activity and enhancing the positive results of tourism”.
Traveling is as much about how you visit as where you visit. Tourism does impact on local communities and we strongly believe in a need to balance the welfare and conservation of all people and environments with the benefits sustainable tourisms offers to protect the people, cultures, environments and resources of the areas in which we work.
As a wholly Nepalese owned and managed company, at Royal Mt Trekking we are inviting tourists into our home. As such we want them to gain as much as possible from the stunning natural environment and the immense cultural wealth of the Himalayan region. We are also very conscious of the impact that mass tourism can have on the environment and the negative impacts that this can have on small communities, whilst appreciating the social and economic benefits that tourism can bring.
- Throughout Nepal, Tibet, Bhutan and India we work with locally owned and operated agencies.
- We use existing infrastructures where possible such as public transport and small-scale locally owned accommodation.
- Encourage small groups
- Guides and group leaders follow detailed guidelines on acceptable behaviors and practices. These cover cultural considerations, reduction and disposal of waste and protection of endangered wildlife.
- Travelers are issued with country specific guidelines to help them to make responsible decisions whilst traveling. These guidelines cover appropriate dress, etiquette for visiting homes and religious complexes, waste and environmental issues and endeavor to explain cultural behaviors which may seem alien to western travelers.
- We are committed to 'putting back' into the communities and regions we visit by supporting development and conservation projects in these areas and specifically choosing to use local businesses that support such projects.
2. General Guidelines for Guides & Leaders
The following general guidelines are standards of behavior we should expect from everyone. By observing them you will gain the respect of the local people and help your groups increase their respect and understanding of local cultures and peoples.
Experiencing cultural diversity is one of the great joys of traveling, and we need to make sure that these differences are encouraged and respected. At a general level, we need to respect the cultural rules in the areas we travel to. Please make sure in your dealings as guide/leader and in educating your group members that you accept these differences and not try and change them for the benefit of your group's comfort. Forewarn travelers about differences that they may find confronting or misinterpret, early in their trip and explain the background to these customs.
The flip side of cultural understanding when traveling is helping the locals gain a greater insight into western culture, beyond the superficial attractions of money and wealth. As guides and leaders working with western groups you are in a unique position to act as a ‘bridge’ between locals and tourists, assisting each in appreciating and understanding the other.
Help group members recognize that as a westerner in Asia they are in a position of power. They are probably richer than the locals they are meeting, and a world traveler - something many locals they meet can only dream of. When dealing with locals respect that they may wish to develop economically and have access to material possessions that we take for granted. While this undoubtedly changes the villages and makes it less "uncoil" for tourists, it is something that we should respect and understand. Everyone has a right to development and a better standard of living.
You can also help people to understand the negative influences that come from increased material wealth on the family and the community. Assist local people to achieve a balanced view of development.
Asian people generally dress modestly, and as a rule groups and guides/leaders should dress the way the locals do. Dress standards vary from place to place, with the rural areas tending to be more conservative than the cities. Be aware of this, and inform your group of it too.
It is highly offensive to the Asian community for women to wear singlet tops. Not wearing a bra is also offensive and provocative. If women dress inappropriately they may attract more male attention than they really want to! Tight, body-hugging attire is also not acceptable. This is not to say no one can wear shorts, but there will be situations where they are inappropriate, especially for females. Shorts should never be too short, and lycra is best left for the gym.
More formal dress codes apply for religious sites you may visit, and to prevent the wrath of the gods as well as the locals these should be closely followed. In general one should have covered shoulders and legs, shoes and hats should be removed.
There are no areas of Asia where nude sun baking or swimming is acceptable, despite what other travelers might be doing. We don't want to sink to the level of other travelers. Bikinis are generally inappropriate but a bikini is all some travelers will have. If this is the case they should be encouraged to swim/bath in a sarong or T-shirt where necessary. If you are staying in a small village you will probably be bathing in a stream, river or waterfall, and women should wash in a sarong or in the mode that the local women use. Men and women may need to bathe in a different area – check what is appropriate.
There are a few general codes of behavior that apply throughout the areas we operate and groups should be informed, and reminded if necessary.
• Crooking the finger to call somebody is considered impolite.
• Showing affection in public is considered quite offensive. Explain that away from the major urban centers it is extremely rare to see couples holding hands, though it is quite common to see friends of the same sex holding hands.
• The head is the symbolic high point in Asia. You should never touch a person on the head.
• It is polite to remove your shoes before entering a house. Look for shoes at the front door as a clue and follow suit.
• Criticism should only be used when put among praise.
• It is inappropriate to express anger in a raised voice. Becoming angry is embarrassing to those with whom you are dealing - they will not be embarrassed for themselves, but for you making a fool of yourself. "Keeping face", that subtle but important quality of personal dignity, is important!
The ideal demeanor for the traveler I Asia is friendly and open and ever ready to answer questions - where you are going? Are you married? How old you are? - Questions that in a western society may be considered personal. You need to prepare travelers for this and insist they remain patient, and also to recognize that the people are just being friendly and curious. Asian people often ask what your religion is. They have a general concern that everyone has a religion, though it doesn't particularly matter which one. Asian people usually have a similar attitude to marriage and children. If someone asks if you are married or have children, and you are not/do not, a good standard response is "not yet". If the group members are feeling uncomfortable with such questions, try to encourage them to be patient or subtly change the subject!
The locals' enthusiasm, curiosity and eagerness to speak English often antagonize travelers. In return the locals often find western attitudes ‘stand offish’ and cold. Different attitudes towards privacy may conflict with the western attitude. Asian people often have an interest in our books, writing or photographs, which the westerner considers ‘private property.’ Concepts of property, private ownership and privacy are very different for the rural Asian, who is accustomed to living and sharing in a close knit community. These need to be explained to travelers so they are prepared and understand that their local hosts are not being ‘nosy’ but politely interested.
The laws of most Asian countries carry harsh penalties for drug possession or usage. Guides/leaders are not to indulge in opium, dope or other illegal drugs whilst leading trips and it is not acceptable for group members to do so either.
The use of alcohol needs careful consideration especially in smaller villages and tribal regions. In these areas our 'privileged' status brings with it a responsibility to promote the good in our cultures and not the excesses. Many village people cannot afford to purchase alcohol and so see our sometimes excessive consumption as a sign of affluence and elitism. For some the lure to taste that influence causes them to ignore family responsibilities and spend their income on alcohol.
In communities where we are offered the ‘local brew’, still keep in mind a level of constraint and if group members are becoming more than a little inebriated it may be time for you to have a subtle word in the local guide or hosts ear about slowing it down or changing activities. Out of control drunken Westerners (aside from making fools of themselves) can damage our positive relationships with locals and negatively change the group dynamics. In towns and larger urban centers where there is increased local wealth our influence has less impact and the use of alcohol has wider acceptance.
Avoid giving western medicines to our Asian hosts. In general they are not accustomed western medicine and we are not trained to give it. In addition, we don't want dependence on medicines to occur especially when natural and traditional treatments may be just as effective. If a local person approaches you for treatment, encourage them to seek traditional cures or assist them to the local clinic/hospital. You may have a doctor in your group who wishes to treat local people. In this instance please explain the above concerns and encourage the doctor to take these into account when deciding on what assistance should be offered. It may be better to suggest to medicos in your group to not reveal their profession as they may quickly gather a queue of patients and be left in a dilemma.
There are exceptions to this rule in the case of emergencies. If a local is seriously injured and in a potentially life threatening situation then they should be given the appropriate first aid treatment which may include medication. However, remain aware of the potential dangers of allergic reactions to drugs and try to get them to medical help as soon as possible.
Be aware that it is taboo in some communities we visit to conduct an intimate relationship with the locals, and in many countries there are strict laws governing the behavior of unmarried couples. In some communities there are heavy fines for such indiscretions and in other communities it can be punishable by serious injury. Be aware too that the recipient of a foreigner's attentions can be seriously affected within their local communities in terms of their well being, social standing and reputation. Homosexual relationships have gained much wider acceptance in Western communities in recent years. Be aware that you may need to remind a group member that this is not the case in some parts of Asia and if a local is found to be engaging in a homosexual relationship they could be totally outcast or shunned by their families and community or worse.
The prevalence of prostitution is an aspect of many Asian societies.
Any group member who shows interest in frequenting brothels needs to be given strong words on the social and economic reasons behind prostitution in Asia. Point out the risks of contracting HIV and sexually transmitted diseases. They should also understand that unlike prostitutes in developed countries, many Asian women are not prostitutes of their own free will but in fact are bonded labor. They have been sold to pimps by their families and are imprisoned in brothels. They face ridicule and condemnation by their communities and can never return. Many end up with drug problems and become infected with HIV.
Please ensure that group members are aware and sensitive to the impact of photography. Sensitivity is the key. They should always ask permission before taking photographs of people and respect their wishes if they refuse. Minority groups in particular are often unhappy to have their photo taken. They may think they do not look attractive (wearing their work clothes rather than festival clothes), while other groups believe that part of their spirit is taken away if they are photographed. Porters are often unhappy about being photographed.
Encourage travelers to send back copies of photos via you or directly to the people themselves. The locals gain a great buzz from seeing themselves in photos and it encourages a ‘sharing’ rather than ‘taking’ attitude towards photography. Also in many cases the locals could never afford to take photos themselves. You should make every effort to distribute the photos the next time you are in the area. When your group sees you doing this it is all the more encouraging to them to return photos.
While we welcome travelers to pack their video cameras, there are some places that we request not to film. In some small villages, home stays and remote communities we discourage the use of videos as the local people consider that filming is too intrusive.
This is a difficult issue for many travelers who want to assist the local communities but are unaware of the larger implications. Inform travelers of these issues before visiting tribal communities and advise them of the most helpful methods of giving something back to the region.
If travelers wish to donate to a community suggest what you know of local charities or development agencies that are operating in the area. If you are visiting communities regularly perhaps check with the local school about what they actually need so you can direct interested groups to purchase appropriate donations (ie. Don’t keep donating pens to a school where all the children are required to use pencils).
Travelers may look to you for advice on dealing with beggars. Essentially it’s up to individuals but you may make some suggestions. Suggest to travelers not to give sweets/candies to children who may not have access to good dental care. Advise groups on how the local people treat beggars in their community.
Giving money and goods away at random to individuals can result in the local communities acting like beggars. It accentuates an unequal relationship between locals and visitors, with tourists being seen as purely ‘money givers’. It also strips self esteem away from people when they get money for simply being poor rather than having to solve their own issues of poverty through community action. We also need to be careful not to pay for acts of kindness in monetary terms (eg. paying kids for pointing you in the right direction if you are unsure where you are, or lighting the way down a dark alley with their torches). We do not want to encourage the development of a society that equates every human action as a potential money making scheme.
Avoid feeling that we necessarily have to give ‘material’ things at all. The best giving can sometimes be shared interactions. A smile, a joke, a song, dance, or playing a game. Giving something of your friendship, time and interest to interact with locals can be the best gift of all.
In Asia, the enormous economic growth of the region has been at the cost of the environment. Analysts are only now beginning to recognize the extent of the damage and the true cost to the environment and the welfare of its inhabitants.
Tourism adds to this problem. However, we can minimize our impact on the places we visit by encouraging travelers to practice waste minimization initiatives whilst on holiday.
It is often easier to act responsibly if we can see the fruits of our actions. For example, removing litter from a trail makes it more pleasing to the eye and is something we can enjoy straight away. In contrast, the impact of sewerage and soap in waterways takes a lot longer to be of visible concern and makes us slower to react and improve our environmental practices. We are naturally reactors rather than preventers, yet in environmental terms, reacting is often too late. We should be looking to adopt preventative actions on our trips by adopting practices that are commonly recognized as the three R's: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. Some practical examples of this:
Rubbish
- Encourage group members not to use plastic covered or wrapped foods when fresh options are available. The disposal of plastics and styrofoam is a major problem, and the more we can do to reduce its use the better. Take your groups to local markets where little packaging is used, the food is fresh and the money is benefiting the local producers. Suggest travelers always take their own bags when shopping.
- Whenever you are away from towns or cities we must not leave any rubbish we take in with us. Encourage travelers to pick up any rubbish that they see, left behind by other travelers, so that we leave a place cleaner than we found it.
- Make sure support trucks on Tibet trips have sacks (or equivalent) to store excess empty water bottles until they can be properly disposed of.
- In National Parks and other protected areas organic waste such as food scraps should not be dispersed or buried there. This practice may introduce exotic seeds and is not the natural diet of the native animals. Take it out with you again.
Drinking water
Bottled water is for sale in much of Asia, but unfortunately there are few facilities for recycling of the bottles. We are actively trying to reduce the ‘consumption’ of plastic bottles by encouraging alternatives. Please do what you can to help implement these and discuss with travelers their options.
- In hotels –asking management to install large water ‘bubbler’ dispensers where you can refill your bottle with purified water for free or for a small fee. This has proved quite successful where the hotel charges less than for bottled water but at a price that enables them to make a higher profit margin.
- In Tibet encourage group members to refill personal water bottles from the boiled water thermoses provided by hotels.
Toilet facilities
When trekking or in remote areas use the toilet facilities that are provided. If none are established, find a suitable place and inform group members. This should be at least 50m away from water sources and people’s homes. Bury your shit - a small spade/ shovel should be purchased and carried for this purpose. Instruct the group that toilet paper should be carried out in a plastic bag for appropriate disposal later, or burnt.
Energy and water conservation
Create awareness amongst your group of being prudent with fuel and water. Pollution, green house gases and other problems of fossil fuel use are escalating as developing countries strive towards modern Western appliances, vehicles and production methods. Clean water supplies are diminishing. Some examples:
- Air-con in hotel rooms. Don’t use unnecessarily or leave on when out of the room. Turn down, to ‘fan only’ or off overnight. Better for avoiding sore throats and colds too!
- Air-con vehicles. Short journeys are easily managed with windows open.
- A cold shower may be more refreshing than hot in the tropics. Encourage solar systems for hot water heating. Avoid hot showers where the water is being heated with cut timber or other non-sustainable methods eg Nepal trek tea houses.
- Encourage alternate sources of fuel for cooking and heating.
- Talk to hotel management about systems – eg cleaning lady/person not changing the sheets and towels every day unless requested.
- An empty room does not need light.
Environmental degradation
On treks use existing tracks and stay on them. This is especially important during the wet season because it is all too easy to create new tracks in order to get a better footing. If people don't adhere to this, the trail will soon become a series of footpaths that turn into erosion gullies. This impacts on the vegetation as branches are reached for as handholds, broken off, and add to the topsoil that has been dislodged to silt up the waterways.
Fires – reduce deforestation by avoiding unnecessary use of scarce firewood. Fuel stoves should be used for cooking on camping trips and we should choose accommodation that uses kerosene, gas or fuel – efficient firewood stoves. Put on warmer clothes rather than stoking a wood fire for warmth.
Soap – On treks when the group is bathing in streams or lakes ask group members to forget about soap for a few days and feast in their beautiful natural body smells! A soap-less bathe will still remove sweat! A nail brush and face washer may help! Conventional body soap and shampoo are degradable but it takes time for them to break down and in the interim they may still be contaminating water quality for people downstream. The bigger problem is actually products like washing powders which contain cleaning agents that will damage the soil and vegetation if not disposed of in a controlled manner. It is difficult saying ‘no soap’ to passengers when the locals have their big bags of Omo on the riverbank, but it is important that we don’t add to the problem, as we are visitors and an additional ‘load’ on the eco-system.
When visiting National Parks or reserves where groups will be in contact with wildlife, please ensure that they follow the appropriate Park Regulations that ensure that wildlife is protected. Ask group members to respect this even if they observe that other tourists don't.
Sometimes local people will try and sell protected species to foreigners. Travelers may wish to do this so that they can set the animal free. However please explain that this can sometimes be a money making scam for locals and it is a better policy to refuse to pay money and encourage the local to release the animal. When they realize there is no demand for the animal then the practice may eventually stop.
Shopping and dining - Please encourage travelers to refuse to buy any souvenirs, food or products made from local wildlife.
3. Informing travelers about responsible travel.
Education on responsible travel is the key.
The initial group meeting is a good time for this information to be followed up and given specific detail in relation to the trip you are leading.
- You should emphasize the importance of mutual respect.
- Explain the reasons why we have these guidelines, that we are guests and are privileged to visit local homes and communities. We want to have sustainable tourism so travelers in the future can also visit and enjoy the same experience.
- Cover the General Guidelines in brief, gauging the topics you think require the most emphasis for this particular trip and passengers – eg dress, photography.
- Do not be overbearing, but clear and informative. Have some fun too explaining what happens when rules are broken. It can be useful to share why you as a leader believe in Responsible Travel and allow some of your own style to show through. This introduction sets the tone for the rest of the trip and allows you to set the ground rules and make clear your expectations from the beginning.
- Distribute and explain country or trip specific guidelines.
Group members may also need a further briefing before entering particularly sensitive areas (eg. areas of special religious significance). Tell them directly what to expect from the locals' behavior, the physical conditions of the toilets, shower, beds, etc. Inform them of taboos and their origins. Give them some handouts on language, hints on things they can do to communicate with the locals and generally sort out what sort of behavior you expect from them. Being prepared and informed allows travelers to actively participate in Responsible Travel efforts (and can minimize the risks of culture shock for them too).
You have incredible influence on a group's behavior. Lead by example. Treat the locals like the valued friends they are - and watch your group do the same, reassured that there is no need to be cautious or shy of these Asian people after all. Acting responsibly and with respect as a leader is perhaps the best way to get your group following suit.
Explain to travelers during the initial group meeting that you are serious in your commitment to responsible travel with behavior that compromises either the safety or comfort of the group is unacceptable. If people do something that is offensive take them aside and help them to understand what they should be doing instead. Explain what they will get out of respecting the rules - pride in respecting local cultures and learning more about the culture. If someone constantly refuses to follow these rules, take them aside and firmly tell them that their behavior is inappropriate. This does not necessarily involve getting angry or loud - indeed in accordance with local norms it is better if this is not the case - but can be a calmly stated “you have embarrassed yourself, you have embarrassed me as your leader and I can not have that happening again on my trip". Sometimes other group members will support you in telling people their behavior is inappropriate.
Encourage open discussions/debates about styles of tourism. Get feedback from group members about things they found difficult. This can help you to develop ways of better preparing future groups. Give positive feedback to travelers too, thanking group members for their cultural understanding, reinforcing their efforts, noticing their attempts and passing on appreciation from locals.
Guides/leaders should be in discussion with local operators about our Responsible Travel aims and how they can be achieved in a particular region. Knowledge of environmental issues and the affects of tourism may be lacking in the regions we visit and guides/leaders should play a pro-active role in the sharing of information.
4. Groups and Local Interaction
Discuss at first group meeting what opportunities there will be for meeting/getting to know the locals. Encourage pax to break the ice with locals and start talking to them first. Immerse themselves as much as possible.
The guide/leader’s example and attitude is crucial. The more you make the first move and interact the more passengers will.
Use should use simple local language in passenger’s presence to set an example, and give passengers confidence to give it a go.
Right from the beginning encourage people to learn bits, broken down so it doesn't seem so daunting. Demonstrate that you can communicate with the local people even if you only know two words, hello and thanks. After they get past their initial fears of not being able to communicate most people relax and their holiday becomes much more exciting and enjoyable."
Start the trip with a very 'local' experience - dinner at a back street local restaurant/market; buy snacks from a local vendor, etc. Use local non-touristy restaurants. Don't do all the ordering – have passengers do at times.
Places with lots of locals, market stalls, on the street etc
Avoid eating in formal air-con restaurants too often. Set an example suggesting lots where you can sit outside, and be amongst the local activity.
Don't have too many group meals – meet more locals if go off in smaller numbers and try places independently.
Identify ‘bridges’, special interests or activities that bring locals and travelers together eg playing cards, Mahjong, cricket. Start a game outdoors and you are guaranteed to attract local children and before you know it you've got an entire series on your hands.
Our local guides are often the key that unlocks interaction...for many people the language barrier can be a real issue so local guides can play a huge role."
Be friends with the local people yourself. Know personal things about them and their family that you can impart to passengers. This goes especially well for home stays etc. The best way to learn and achieve this is to spend time with them yourself. Passengers love to see you interacting well with the people that you work with, makes them feel safe and more likely to get involved.
Get to know the life stories of many of the people passengers will meet: give them some of the info in advance to whet their enthusiasm to learn more when they meet – helps give passengers a lead into conversation.
Include first hand experiences of how locals make their livelihood.
- eg learn weaving technique
- paddy field – have a go at threshing machine
Get in touch with local NGO's, especially those that support local industries. Most of our clients do not have the time or skills to volunteer but they have the money and will be prepared to support if they know the money is going to a good cause."
Go where they relax eg park, tea shops, have a beer, worship. School Visits.
Encourage groups to send back photos and always check if there are photos in the office for distribution. If pax have digital cameras having them take photos of locals and show them the photo on the screen is one of the best tools to get locals and pax interacting.
Having passengers share their photos from home creates a great response. This is when their families bring out their photo albums of weddings and other important events and you get to know them a lot better.
Take groups on walks through city back streets, away from main tourist areas.
Just reminding pax there are other sides to the city is enough for many of them choose to go off and explore these areas, and often come back with stories about the people they've met and some unique things they wouldn't have seen on the main roads.
Take your group to the local market, buy some different fruits/snacks and then have a tasting afterward. Interaction with people plus f
5. Establishing new activities or trips
Up to this point these notes have concentrated on the on-going issues that arise in the running of our established trips. In addition to these there are special considerations that need to be addressed when establishing a new component of a trip or a completely new itinerary. The guidelines below refer specifically to setting up a new home stay within a minority group village, but the issues raised are relevant whenever leaders are researching new activities or locations.
If you have discovered a suitable destination for a trip, approach a local person and express your interest. If possible this approach will be to a person who you know so there is a relationship of trust established and a strong foundation to build in these sorts of visits. Encourage them to talk to the appropriate committee or channel within the community to ascertain interest and support of tourist visits. Clarify what we mean by visiting:
- We are interested to stay in community because of the traditional element there and would like to learn more about the culture.
- We do not expect any special conveniences built for us. We wish to stay and live with the local people. We wish to eat local food. We wish to participate in and appreciate the local way of life.
- We would pay them for the work that they do - in a way that is best for the community - individual or a community bank account. It can be a lot of work for one person and we need to be sensitive to the family situation - elderly, babies. We would like the financial benefits of our visit be able to be shared as widely as is possible.
- We would expect them to educate leaders and group members about the cultural and spiritual rules of the village and to let us know what rules we should be expected to follow.
Ask the local person to let us know if there is interest and if so can we visit and discuss further issues. On getting a response take care to decipher "yes" as meaning an actual yes from the local people. We have to be careful that the home stay isn't one person desperate for it to happen at the expense/inconsideration of the local community.
You should go to the community and meet the appropriate people in the village. You should have as much info as possible about the community before the visit. If a local operator is assisting you in establishing the home stay make sure they go along too, to act as in interpreter if necessary and to give them an understanding of the Responsible Travel considerations that we want to address in setting up the visit. Be sure that the operator is acting in the best interests of the whole village and not just themselves.
While there it is good to collect information on:
- Community structures - leadership and decision making
- Spiritual beliefs
- Material culture
- Economic/political aspects of the community
All these areas have implications for visits such as:
- Appropriate gender behavior
- Possible activities to participate in
- Use of alcohol or opium
You should discuss how other community visits work with RMT. What sort of things are done, the practicalities, the problems, the good things and bad things, etc. You should continually explain that we do not expect any special privileges. Explain our philosophy, views on tourism, our vision and our requirements. Describe what travelers may be like (some are insensitive no matter what we do), and the need for activities and learning. Talk about the environmental impact of visits and assess what awareness there is. Explain concerns you may have and how we could overcome these. (Using local firewood, toilets, bathing in rivers etc.)
Discuss and record what is said on the following matters:
- payment - type and method
- planned frequency of visit
- how problems and disagreements will be resolved
- planned activities during our stay
- how would proposals for change be dealt with
- positive and negative aspects of the visit
From a tourist point of view look at the facilities and what travelers will need to know - sleeping, bathing, eating, transport and things to do or learn with the community. Facilities can be basic as long as group members understand that in the beginning. Usually they require simple mattresses or blankets in cold places. Discuss this with the local people and explain that if we bought them could they be kept in the community for use by us on our visits.
You may need to be sensitive on the issues of payment. Look at the possibility of setting up community banks or alternatives - maybe paying school fees if the community does not want a cash system.
Involve the local community members in writing low impact codes for our visit. Some issues that should be understood and followed by our travelers include:
- Entering premises appropriately - Shoes on or off? Are there any taboos to uphold? Who are the key people to introduce travelers to and to greet? Gift of thanks appropriate?
- Moving about premises appropriately - What are general traffic areas? What are private areas, family areas, toilet bathroom areas, etc? What are the rules of leaving a group or individual properly?
- Communicating appropriately - Are there issues that can or cannot be addressed to certain people? What are the rules about physical contact? What are the rules about nonverbal communication - eye contact, hand gestures, etc? How and where do people sit, etc.
- Bathing and washing appropriately - What should be done? Where? What should be worn? Males together or separate to females? Other rules?
- Eating and drinking behavior - What is good mealtime etiquette - eating with hand, fork, spoon, etc? Leaving rice, starting with rice? Ways of sitting, communication and noises during eating? Ways of expressing satisfaction or fullness? Ways of leaving eating area?
- Enquire if there are other rules that are very important for the local community that tourist should know and respect
You should meet as many of the local people as is possible during your visit. Try and gather general community support and don't exhaust the resources of one or two people. Discuss the possibility of sharing group members around during our stay, or getting villagers involved in other ways. We should be encouraging the distribution of the income we bring amongst the entire village. This can be difficult and should be negotiated with your main contact.
Consider the relationship you would have with the community – ‘patron/beneficiary’ or ‘entertained/entertainers’ may not be a constructive basis to establish a home stay. Establishing visits on an equal basis is far more likely to succeed.
Thorough documentation of rationales and processes assists in our long-term accountability for our low-impact stance. Documentation gives the project a history, allows others to be informed of what has been agreed upon, can be utilized in future training, and keeps us accountable to see the project through the various steps involved.
First visit
Communicate very clearly with the village about the visit - clarifying what will happen and when. Ring to confirm or write letters. You should explain very carefully to travelers about the visit - what to expect and how to behave. Ask them to support the process and explain there may be problems. Provide as much information as possible to group members about culture etc. Set rules with group members regarding appropriate behavior, local customs, giving of gifts, use of alcohol, and so on.
At the end of visit discuss how it went with your local hosts as well as your group. If there were any problems or misunderstandings have an open forum on how they can be resolved. It may be worthwhile to set up a time to visit the village again without a group to discuss how everyone felt about it.
Review
Six visit review. Discuss any problems and strengths of visits for groups and locals. Discuss frequency and impact and future of visits. Encourage twelve monthly reviews. Once we have developed visits to a community we have an ongoing responsibility to them. If there are problems within villages then we should discuss these with the operator and the appropriate people in the village to try and solve them. We should not just ‘up and leave’ a village if there are problems without spending time negotiating and trying to solve the issues to the benefit of all concerned. |
