Sustainable tourism, also known as responsible tourism or ecotourism, refers to the practice of visiting a place as a tourist while minimizing the negative impact on the environment, supporting local communities, and preserving cultural heritage. It aims to promote economic development, conserve natural resources, and foster social and cultural integrity.

There are several ways to support sustainable tourism, and this article will focus on the following:

1. Choose Eco-Friendly Accommodations
2. Support Local Businesses and Communities
3. Respect the Environment
4. Conserve Resources
5. Choose Sustainable Transportation
6. Minimize Plastic Waste
7. Learn About the Local Culture and Customs
8. Support Conservation Initiatives
9. Educate Yourself and Others

So How Exactly Do You Travel Sustainably?

Let’s have a more detailed look into each of the above categories.

Choose Eco-Friendly Accommodations

Look for hotels, resorts, or lodges that prioritize sustainability practices, such as energy and water conservation, waste reduction, and use of renewable resources.

Support Local Businesses and Communities

Opt for locally owned hotels, restaurants, and shops to contribute directly to the local economy. Engage in cultural exchanges by participating in local activities and purchasing locally made products.

Respect the Environment

Follow the principles of “leave no trace” by minimizing your impact on natural surroundings. Avoid littering, respect wildlife and their habitats, and use designated trails when hiking.

Conserve Resources

Be mindful of your water and energy consumption while traveling. Take shorter showers, turn off lights and air conditioning when not needed, and reuse towels and bed linen in your accommodations.

Choose Sustainable Transportation

Opt for eco-friendly transportation options whenever possible. Consider using public transportation, cycling, or walking to explore destinations. If flying is necessary, favor direct flights and try to offset your carbon emissions.

Minimize Plastic Waste

Carry a reusable water bottle and refill it instead of buying single-use plastic bottles. Bring your own reusable shopping bags and say no to plastic straws and bags.

ACTIVES INSULATED WATER BOTTLE WITH STRAW LID

Learn About the Local Culture and Customs

Respect and appreciate the local culture by learning about their customs, traditions, and etiquette. Be mindful of appropriate behavior, dress modestly where required, and ask for permission before taking photographs of people.

Support Conservation Initiatives

Consider visiting national parks, wildlife sanctuaries, or nature reserves that focus on conservation efforts. Your entrance fees and donations can contribute to the preservation of these natural areas.

Read SENIORS GUIDE TO THE TOP 10 U.S. NATIONAL PARKS

Educate Yourself and Others

Learn about sustainability issues in the destinations you plan to visit. Share your knowledge and experiences with others to raise awareness about sustainable tourism practices.

Remember, sustainable tourism is a collective effort that requires the involvement of both travelers and the tourism industry. By incorporating these practices into your travels, you can help protect the environment, support local communities, and ensure a positive and sustainable tourism experience for everyone involved.

Why Travel Sustainably

Traveling sustainably is important for several reasons.

Environmental Conservation

Sustainable travel minimizes the negative impact on the environment. By adopting eco-friendly practices such as reducing carbon emissions, conserving water and energy, and protecting natural habitats, we can help preserve biodiversity, mitigate climate change, and maintain the beauty of destinations for future generations.

Supporting Local Communities

Sustainable tourism emphasizes the empowerment of local communities. By choosing locally owned accommodations, restaurants, and businesses, travelers can directly contribute to the local economy and support the livelihoods of residents. This helps create employment opportunities, reduce poverty, and improve the overall well-being of local communities.

Preserving Cultural Heritage

Responsible tourism promotes the preservation of cultural heritage and traditions. By respecting local customs, engaging with the local community, and supporting cultural initiatives, travelers can help protect and celebrate the unique identities, languages, arts, and traditions of different cultures.

Enhancing Social Well-Being

Sustainable tourism aims to benefit the local population and promote social inclusivity. By engaging in community-based tourism projects, travelers can interact with locals, learn from their experiences, and foster cross-cultural understanding. This kind of interaction can lead to meaningful connections and promote mutual respect and tolerance.

Personal Enrichment and Learning

Eco-friendly travel offers an opportunity for personal growth and learning. By immersing yourself in different cultures, landscapes, and communities, you can gain a deeper understanding of the world and develop a broader perspective. It can be a transformative experience that promotes empathy, cultural sensitivity, and appreciation for diversity.

Responsible Tourism Industry

Traveling sustainably encourages the tourism industry to adopt responsible practices. As more travelers demand sustainable options, hotels, tour operators, and other service providers are incentivized to adopt environmentally friendly and socially responsible measures. This shift towards sustainability can lead to a more responsible and ethical tourism industry as a whole.

Traveling sustainably allows us to explore the world while minimizing our negative impact, supporting local communities, preserving cultural heritage, and contributing to a more sustainable future. It is a way to make our travels more meaningful, responsible, and beneficial for both the environment and the people we encounter along the way.

Eco-Friendly Travel Companies

There are several sustainable or eco-friendly travel companies that prioritize responsible practices.

Intrepid Travel

Intrepid Travel is a leading global adventure travel company that focuses on responsible travel. They offer small group tours that aim to minimize environmental impact, support local communities, and promote cultural exchange.

G Adventures

G Adventures is another tour operator that emphasizes sustainable and responsible travel. They offer a wide range of small group tours with a focus on local experiences, community engagement, and environmental conservation.

Ecoventura

Ecoventura is a Galapagos Islands cruise company that operates eco-friendly yachts. They are committed to minimizing their ecological footprint and supporting conservation efforts in the Galapagos, including implementing sustainable practices and collaborating with local communities.

Wilderness Safaris

Wilderness Safaris is a luxury ecotourism company operating in various African countries. They offer responsible wildlife safaris and conservation-focused experiences, and they actively contribute to wildlife and habitat conservation projects.

Responsible Travel

Responsible Travel is a platform that connects travelers with responsible tour operators and accommodations worldwide. They have a wide range of trips and experiences that adhere to sustainability principles, including eco-friendly accommodations, wildlife conservation projects, and community-based tourism initiatives.

Natural Habitat Adventures

Natural Habitat Adventures specializes in nature-focused travel experiences. They prioritize sustainable practices, support conservation projects, and offer environmentally conscious itineraries in destinations like Antarctica, the Galapagos, and Africa.

Kind Traveler

Kind Traveler is a socially conscious hotel booking platform. They partner with hotels and properties that have a positive social or environmental impact. When travelers book through Kind Traveler, a portion of their payment is donated to a local charity or community project.

These are just a few examples of sustainable travel companies. It’s always recommended to do thorough research and check for certifications, such as eco-labels or memberships in sustainable tourism organizations, to ensure the companies align with your sustainability values.

Want to discover another way to travel with purpose? Read VOLUNTEERING ABROAD DESTINATIONS FOR ACTIVE WOMEN OVER 50

Let’s Have a Conversation:

Do you travel sustainably? Do you make an effort to minimize your eco-footprint when you travel? Tell us about it in the comments below.

Originally posted at: Erin Lichy’s Silver Sequin Disc Outfit

Contrary to popular belief, the process of downsizing is super easy. All it really involves is three things. First, penetrating awareness that you have way too much ‘stuff’. Second, a firm commitment to making some tough decisions. Third, courage – a lot of it! I thought that I had all three, but the truth turned out different.

Downsizing Forces You to Make Hard Decisions

For the past few years, I have been systematically reducing my material possessions. It all started about 10 years ago. After a move that didn’t materialize, I found myself looking at 39 boxes of stuff that were waiting patiently to be opened. I was overwhelmed and started a downsizing initiative to reduce my possessions to just 200 items. Items, in total.

Admittedly, there were some things like books, and postcards and photographs, paperwork, handmade items and children’s art that I allowed to remain in limbo for many years. It was not until this year, that I began to tackle them.

Letting Go Reveals Your True Self

So how did I get to 200 items? Some of this was guided by a travel experience. I was going on a trip to India to visit close friends. I knew that I wanted to take gifts to friends and charities I supported, so accepted there would be baggage limitations on my international flights. I culled and honed, and selected and made decisions like a crazy person. I felt great and a little self-assured that I had been so disciplined.

Downsizing Challenges You to Be Honest with Yourself

So, off I went to London from Seattle with the following entourage! I took three purple suitcases filled with clothes, gifts, and goodies. In addition, I carried one small pink roller carry-on bag with an extra change of clothes, more gifts, and miscellaneous treasures.

Next was my trusted leather Tumi computer bag carrying my laptop, charger, extra phone battery, mouse, book and my famous ‘just in case’ bag. Finally, I carried a small crossover handbag with my wallet, passport, kindle, phone, makeup, pen, paper, and chocolate. Jet Blue to New York City – no problem. Virgin to London – no problem. Emirates to Delhi (via Dubai) – problem.

You Learn How Small a Kilo Really Is!

Now, at that time, I honestly had no idea what on earth a ‘kilo’ was. I figured it was around a pound – so even though I knew the suitcases were bulky (with clothes, gifts and a few of the chosen 200) no idea on real weight. But the little machine knew – 74 kilos.

Ok, I do freely admit that is a LOT. 30 kilos went free and then came the shocker. Emirates Airline policy was to charge $25 for each additional kilo. Yes, it was, apparently, in the fine print.

At this point my mind froze. I was trying to multiply as the blood rushed through my brain, but thank goodness for Emirates efficiency! The airline representative knew right away that 44 extra kilos would cost $1100 for my 2 suitcases. Obviously, this was an impossible scenario. With 90 minutes left to my flight, there I was in Terminal 3 with two suitcases chock-a-bloc with everything I honestly thought was totally essential.

So, I went to a quiet spot, opened both suitcases, and went through them one item at a time. I made decision after decision. Do I want to carry this grey t-shirt or that white one? Do I really need that purple sweater? Do I take back that jacket or that scarf? I burst into tears a couple of times and tried to disguise my despair for insanity. In an airport like Heathrow, this seemed to be totally acceptable behavior.

A couple of people passed me and shook their heads like “ah, poor woman.” But with every decision, I felt lighter, physically and metaphorically. My mind moved from “Oh my goodness, what am I going to do” to “Why didn’t I downsize this far in the beginning?” I donated the one remaining bag to charity (Thank you, kind person, at British Airways Terminal 3 Info Desk) and with a much lighter suitcase holding 18 kilos of special treasures off I went.

You Quickly Forget What You Gave Away After Letting Go

Now, funnily enough, I can’t remember what I left behind – so that tells you how important everything I thought really WAS. I did keep some pretty silly things like a funky handmade mirror, but mostly all I have now is what I really need. But this process was the ultimate forced decision-making. I am eternally grateful that I was given the opportunity.

Let’s Have a Conversation:

Have you ever had to make tough decisions about items in your life that you need to let go? What is the most courageous downsizing decision you have ever made?

Used to be that smaller live theaters did not run year-round. That changed in the last five years. Ok, there is nothing scheduled for August, but Chicago keeps producing excellent theater while drumming up season subscriptions for 2023/24. Sister-in-law Norah and I are all signed up, even spending a bit more money at Goodman Theatre to move from the balcony to the orchestra. We’re both sick of climbing stairs.

For those of you who bargain hunt, as I do, when you purchase season tickets talk directly to the box office. Ask for the Previews and ask for a senior discount. That brings our ticket cost down to about $25 per production. I heard from a friend that many theaters offer unsold tickets for as low as $20 on the day of performance if you call before noon. I’m rarely that spontaneous.

The Who’s Tommy, The Musical

The musical is produced by Goodman Theater, Music and Lyrics by Pete Townshend, Book by Pete Townshend and Des McAnuff, starring Ali Louis Bourzgui, Alision Luff, and Adam Jacobs. With a cast of 37, a dance ensemble of 17, and an orchestra of 9. Album originally produced in 1969, opera debuted at the La Jolla Playhouse in 1992.

So much fun! I’d never seen the original, nor listened to the score. So, The Who’s Tommy just poured over me with great music, exceptional choreography, clean and evocative staging, meaningful acting and showstopping singing. Goodman Theater pulled out the stops with 63 performers and heaven only knows how much back-stage support. The dancers appeared in different costumes in each of their many scenes. Tommy appears as a child, adolescent, teen, and adult.

The book, the music, and lyrics were reviewed and refined for this production by Pete Townshend and Des McAnuff, the original creators. McAnuff introduced our performance. There was such honest pride in his words and his admiration for the achievement of the Goodman. “I am stunned and overwhelmed that the journey continues.”

The story is unchanged – childhood trauma causes Tommy to become blind, deaf, and dumb. As he grows, he is molested by a trusted uncle, bullied by playmates and schoolmates, seduced by drugs. He finds salvation in his uncanny pinball skills, gaining confidence, overcoming menacing opponents. Ultimately, he regains his faculties through counseling and reconciling with his father. It is a happy ending.

The pinball wizard Tommy Walker is played by Ali Louis Bourzgui. Broadway regular Adam Jacobs (Aladdin, Les Misérables and The Lion King) plays his father, Captain Walker, and Alison Luff (she played in Waitress and Matilda on Broadway) is his mother, Mrs. Walker.

John Ambrosino (Les Misérables on Broadway) is the abusive Uncle Ernie; Bobby Conte (Company on Broadway) is Cousin Kevin, who introduces Tommy to pinball; and Broadway star Christina Sajous is the Acid Queen (a role played by Tina Turner in the 1975 Ken Russell movie). You will be seeing lots more on stage and screen from ingénue Ali Louis Bourzgui.

The movement and dance elements are fresh and innovative. Chicago choreographer Lorin Laterro of the Evanston Actors Gymnasium completely overhauled the 1992 Broadway version. Several dancers traded off for singing cameos, which added to the power of the ensemble.

Though I’ve seen no official announcement, word is that Goodman’s production of The Who’s Tommy is headed for Broadway. See it!

Another Marriage

The play is produced by Steppenwolf Theatre, written by Kate Arrington, Directed by Terry Kinney, starring Kan Barford, July Greer, Caroline Neff and Nicole Scimeca.

It’s a treat to see plays generated by Chicago’s amazing theater community – Steppenwolf’s production of Another Marriage, is a debut play written by ensemble member Kate Arrington. The cast features Judy Greer (prominent Hollywood character actress, trained in Chicago), and regular players Caroline Neff, Ian Barford, and making her Steppenwolf debut, Nocile Scimeca.

The plot is reassuringly simple: writers Nick and Sunny fall in love in college and marry. Nick, from a writing dynasty, enjoys huge success, Sunny grapples with writer’s block, motherhood and envy. Nick’s fangirl, Macassidy, ends up stealing him away. Co-parenting ensues, anger, retribution, reconciliation, and all’s well that ends well.

Note that Macassidy, played by Caroline Neff has an aura similar to that of TV series smash Natasha Lyonne (Orange Is the New Black, Poker Face). Her stage presence commands attention, but Neff does a fine job of not stealing the show. Actually, each performer seems perfectly cast.

We experienced Another Marriage in Steppenwolf’s newer Ensemble Theater in the round. It seats 400, but any seat is never more than 20 feet away from the stage. We go for cheap seats, near the top, and they are excellent. This play featured a unique turning circular cut-out mid-stage hosting many of the scenes. Scenes in rotation gave every audience member front and center experience often lacking “in the round.”

This new play is less expensive than most to produce, and you will likely see it appearing in local theaters in 2024. It’s a tight play, and you can feel the love.  

Antonio’s Song: I Was Dreaming of a Son

Produced by Goodman Theatre, written by Dael Orlandersmith and Antonia Edwards Suarez, Directed by Mark Clements, starring Antonio Edwards Suarez.

Set in Bushwick Brooklyn, Antonio’s Song tells why he reacted violently to a mild disturbance caused by his five-year-old son, for whom Antonio was child sitting in Antonio’s writing studio. His aura of quiet productivity is broken by childish demands, and he violently slaps and shouts at his son. Why does he react violently (though Antonio’s transgression is common among parents)?

Antonio dances and speaks his history in an Irish/Puerto Rican/Black family – in a ghetto with gang members as playmates. He struggles with his identity among Black gangs, Latino gangs, his gun-selling father, his crippled, bitter mother, his “pass for white” sister. He’s small, he loves to dance, he questions his sexual orientation, he does not fit in.

It’s ballet that provides a trajectory for his talent and ambition after he sees a video starring Baryshnikov on PBS. I could find nothing in Suarez’s bio about how he rose from that discovery to an MFA from Harvard, but let’s hear it for PBS!

This play made me “feel good” for the success of an underprivileged American. But not every ghetto boy has a complete family, that taunted yet supported him. Nor does every boy have the talent of Suarez as a writer/actor/dancer and the determination to succeed. May he long be a role-model for following generations.

No Man’s Land

Produced by Steppenwolf Theatre, written by Harold Pinter, starring Jeff Perry, Mark Ulrick, Samuel Roukin, and Jon Hudson, directed by Les Waters.

This is a difficult play in the best of time. And we attended the first performance starring Mark Ulrich who stepped up from under-study at the last minute and continued in the role for the run of the play. He was amazing, dealing with Pinter’s long, rambling monologues. Kudos to a real professional.

The play was staged as a vehicle for Steppenwolf founder and ensemble player, Jeff Perry, now 68 years old. No Man’s Land has negligible plot: an old man (Jeff Perry), drinking at his club, asks a slightly younger man (Mark Ulrich) who he may or may not know from the past, to accompany him home where they continue drinking and conversing.

The old man is wealthy – the stage is a static, a stark library sitting room in a large house. All the furniture, save one side chair, is gathered in the middle of the set. The dialogue reveals a possible sharing of lovers in the past, but it’s not certain. Two much younger men live in the home, appearing to take care of the old man. Has he become their hostage? They clearly don’t like the new drinking partner. That’s about it, filled out by two hours of dialogue. Viva Pinter!

I saw this play in London in 2016 starring Ian McKellan and Patrick Stewart. Nothing is going to top that production. There are several significant differences between the two productions, regardless of the cast. The London version was staged at the Wyndham Theatre in the West End. While this theater seats about 250 more than the Steppenwolf main theater, the stage itself is smaller, so the whole production seemed more intimate.

The accents and voice projection in the West End are all British, all the time. In Chicago, only one of the four performers was a native Brit, the other three assumed accents. Perhaps this affected their ability to project.

Players are rarely miked in the UK, acoustics in the old theaters are better. In the U.S., miking the actors is common, but not for this play. And they should have been. U.S. actors are not trained to project. We were sitting in the ninth row of a 10-row orchestra section (10 being the last row) and strained to hear the dialogue. Other people sitting near us heard nothing.

Direction of the London version was different – more menacing, evil lurking outside the library door. The menace came from the two young men. What was their hold over the old man? Homosexual? Stealing his money? Something was afoot. This was not emphasized by Les Waters’s direction.

I’m thinking the acoustics improved as the play ran. Reviews were positive. But reviewers are usually seated in the first five rows. I was disappointed, but my memories of the London production kept a smile on my face.

Let’s Have a Conversation:

What does summer theater look in your city/country? What plays have you seen to date? Which ones would you recommend?

My recent posts have mainly focused on physical health. Let’s now turn our attention to mental health, which is a vitally important part of our overall wellbeing. A healthy lifestyle is just as much about maintaining good mental health as it is about preserving physical health.

The term mental health now encompasses a very wide range of conditions. Some of these – schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, for example – can be very serious and complex, requiring careful long-term specialist treatment.

Here, I am going to confine myself to what we might think of as the “everyday” mental health of people who have not been diagnosed with any particular mental-health condition by a medical professional. If you have been diagnosed with a mental-health condition, the advice I give here may not be right for you.

If you feel you may be developing a mental-health condition, please, contact your doctor or the mental-health services available in your area.

What Does Good Mental Health Look and Feel Like?

To understand what poor mental health is, first we need to look at what good mental health is. The inner feelings associated with good mental health include a sense of ease with the world and the people around us, self-confidence, a sense of purpose, and a zest for living.

On a physical level, we will tend to feel refreshed when we wake up, energized during the day’s “business hours,” and ready for a good night’s sleep at bedtime. That said, it’s perfectly possible for a person to have a physical health condition that leaves them feeling tired or in pain yet also enjoy good mental health.

We’re most likely to feel these inner feelings when we realistically understand ourselves, our abilities, and our environment. And when we do that, not only do we find it easier to tackle the normal stresses of life, but we also enjoy strong and loving relationships with other people, are able to work productively and make a contribution to our community, and, most of all, laugh a lot and enjoy life.

What Does Poor Mental Health Look and Feel Like?

Conversely, the feelings associated with poor mental health include low self-worth, helplessness, resentment towards the people around us and intrusive negative thoughts about the past or the future. These can often trigger unpleasant physical sensations and conditions, such as a tightness in the chest, insomnia and a sense of being drained and washed out.

These feelings may be tied to a genetic predisposition or experiential or environmental factors from our earlier life. However, they can also arise when we are not realistic about ourselves, our abilities, or our environment – that is, when we frame life in a way that sets us up to fail, leading us to struggle with challenges, feel like we have no sense of purpose, blame others, and lose our ability to laugh and love.

Going through life in this way can have devastating consequences that also exacerbate our poor mental health: we may alienate ourselves from our loved ones, or we might seek temporary relief in alcohol or drugs. Left unchecked, living life in this way can cause the onset of debilitating anxiety and depression.

But There’s More to “Good” and “Poor” Mental Health Than That…

Those are the two polar extremes of “good” and “poor” everyday mental health, but we need to handle them carefully. Above all, it’s important not to be misled into thinking that a person who has “good” mental health always feels joyous and on top of the world. Even people who take excellent care of their mental health will grapple with periods of sadness and stress, because these feelings are deeply inherent to the human experience.

It’s normal to feel worry in response to the crises that we inevitably have to live through at various points. It’s normal to feel an intense sadness as we experience loss, whether it takes the form of a bereavement, our children’s departure to new pastures or our retirement from a career we loved. Weeping in response to life’s sorrows is a healthy emotional outlet.

And just as these events and the feelings they trigger are inevitable, it’s also likely that we will go through times where we experience the more physical torments that come with these feelings. You will surely have gone through a period when you felt exhausted from forcing yourself to go about your business as usual with a smile while you were living under a black cloud.

And you will likely have at some point experienced being unable to concentrate, eat or take an interest in activities you usually enjoy because of sadness or worry.

What really defines “good” mental health is not some magical ability to instantly banish negative feelings from our life. It’s the ability to acknowledge and work through them and ultimately emerge from them, returning to that sense of ease, self-confidence, purpose and zest for life that I described above.

The cycle we go through when we are grieving is a good illustration of this. A normal sequence of response to loss is denial that it has happened, anger that it has happened, the “what if …?” stage, depression where it is difficult to continue living and, finally, acceptance and a return to being our usual selves. Good mental health is about completing the cycle; poor mental health is about getting stuck in one of the first four stages.

How Can We Take Care of Our Mental Health?

It takes hard work to take care of our mental health, especially when we are dealing with adverse events in our life. The first step is to maintain our physical health. We need to get enough rest and sleep and have a sensible exercise programme, a hygienic regime and a healthy diet of natural foods.

Good relationships with the people in our lives, productive work we enjoy, fun times with family and friends that make us laugh a lot and a creative outlet that makes us happy all add up to good mental health.

The difficulty, of course, is that when a crisis arises, our first instinct is to jettison all these things. Fear and sadness make us want to hide away from others, to let our bodies shut down, to seek respite in substances that create momentary feelings of comfort.

And this is another reason why good mental health takes hard work. It requires a willingness to balance the extra time you need to reflect, rest and cry with continuing to look after your physical well-being and to satisfy those universal human needs to socialize and contribute. Friends and loved ones are often a good source of support when you are struggling to achieve that balance.

Recommended Reading

Feeling Good: A Mental Health Workbook (2022) by Dr. Kojo Sarfo is an excellent tool for taking control of our mental health and living life to the fullest.

When to See Your Doctor

As when you are suffering from physical ill health, it is wise to consult your doctor if you are experiencing any psychological health problems. Your doctor will know which specialist to consult.

Let’s Have a Conversation:

Are you mentally healthy? Do you enjoy life? Do you laugh a lot? Do you feel there’s more that needs to be done about your mental health?