After our 3 day tour with Kuldip in the Great Rann of Kutch, my eyes were opened to the principles of “responsible tourism”, and the enormous benefits to both the traveller and host community.
A World Summit on Sustainable Tourism in 2002 defined responsible tourism:
“making better places for people to live in and better places for people to visit”
Kuldip is not alone, but there are not many
I told Kuldip that our only experience with “responsible tourism” in 5 months through South-East Asia, Nepal and India was with an independent tour company in Sa Pa, Vietnam, run by an Englishman and his Vietnamese wife.
Two-way street
But I have to say this first, “responsible tourism” is a two-way street, the traveller must be responsible enough to find responsible and ethical tour operators. It was not easy to find Ethos and Kutch Adventures India. They are not on page 1 of a Google search for tours in their respective areas. They are not in Lonely Planet nor have hundreds of reviews on TripAdvisor. We found Ethos through the WorkAway website, and Kutch Desert Adventures on Instagram, channels not widely used by the standard traveller. The onus is equally on the traveller to diligently seek out responsible tour operators through channels other than Google search.
minimises negative economic, environmental and social impacts;
We stayed with Kuldip and his family, priveleging us to an authentic homestay, helping the local economy, and minimising our environmental footprint due to his clean living.
During our time with the indigenous people in Sa Pa, we entered their way of life, a subsistence way of life. We bought the fresh groceries to be cooked for lunch, and we were hosted by indigenous people only.
generates greater economic benefits for local people and enhances the well-being of host communities, improves working conditions and access to the industry;
Kuldip took us to villages not well known by the mainstream tour operators due to his long-term connection with these communities, allowing us to economically benefit them.
Ethos trained indigenous women to learn English and basic tour guide skills, empowering them to work as tour guides, a job they would not attain from some local tour operators.
involves local people in decisions that affect their lives and life changes;
The local artisans we visited had modernised their products due to feedback from travellers Kuldip brought, improving sales.
These indigenous women in Sa Pa, have been approached by Ethos to include them in the decision-making process on tour itineraries and activities.
makes positive contributions to the conservation of natural and cultural heritage, to the maintenance of the world’s diversity;
I told Kuldip that I learned more about India and its people, culture, history, and mentality through him than my entire life – a key principle of responsible tourism.
Kuldip, as a passionate local and art-enthusiast, contributed greatly to preserving these local artisan skills by educating us on their history and underrated talent.
Philip, the founder of Ethos, started our tour with an hour lecture on the history of the Indigenous Hmong and Red Zao people, and the social injustices they face everyday. This informative hour laid the foundation for us to deeply connect with the indigenous people we met, and learn a lot about their culture and traditions.
provides more enjoyable experiences for tourists through more meaningful connections with local people, and a greater understanding of local cultural, social and environmental issues;
Kuldip, through hard work and perseverance, had developed lasting connections with these villages. Consequently, we were able to step into their lives, to awe at their talent, and fully understand their economic and social challenges.
Ethos, after many years of connecting with these indigenous people in Sa Pa, and training them to be tour guides, has been a successful intermediary connecting travellers with these people. Through this connection, travellers can get a first-hand education on their precious way of life and social challenges.
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