We all love travel and visiting beautiful places. But in order to protect the places, environments and wildlife we love, and ensure we can continue to enjoy them for many generations to come, we all need to do our bit to help make tourism more sustainable. Sustainable tourism, greener holidays, responsible travel – whatever you call it, there are many different ways we can help to make a positive difference to the people and destinations we visit. Thomas Cook, a long-standing package holiday tour operator that started operating a whopping 160 years ago, is one such holiday company that’s campaigning for a better future of travel.
It helps tourists to do their bit by providing a number of travel tips. More often than not, it’s simple common sense – but as the old adage goes, every little helps. And nothing could be more apt where sustainable tourism is concerned.
Leave nothing but footprints: Wherever you visit, make sure you leave it better than when you found it. Be responsible – don’t leave litter, recycle where possible and help to look after the natural environment.
Show respect: Be diligent to your surroundings and respect local people, cultures and traditions. Observe dress codes and behave politely and appropriately.
Buy local: Buying souvenirs and eating out can provide a boost to the local economy of the destination you are visiting. Buy locally produced or made goods 
and crafts where possible, use local services, and eat at local bars and cafes.
Don’t pick: Leave wildflowers, seashells, and such like where you found them. If everyone picked a flower or took home interesting pebbles, there would be nothing left for others to enjoy.
Watch out for endangered species: Many countries produce goods or crafts made from endangered plants or animals, such as corals, ivory, hardwoods, fur, horn and eggs. Be diligent to this practice and don’t buy anything that has been harvested from endangered or illegal sources.
If we all travel sensibly, we will all do our bit to help preserve the places, people and things we love the most. Find out more about sustainable tourism through Thomas Cook – a provider of package holidays and late holiday deals – which provides information and details on greener, responsible travel.
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