The benefits of responsible and low impact tourism
Responsible tourism is one of those concepts that has been under the spotlight for a few years now. But its definition is not always clear.
The Cape Town Declaration, agreed upon in the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development and adopted by the World Travel Market, states that responsible tourism is about “making better places for people to live in and better places for people to visit.”
At Portugal Green Walks we are aware of the difficulties around sustainability and responsible tourism. That is why we do our part.
Travel should be a safe and rewarding experience for all those involved in it, including the destinations that you visit and the people you meet: this is something we strongly believe in, and more importantly, that’s what we practice on our self-guided tours.
Find out how we embrace sustainable and responsible travel.
Supporting local economies
Our programmes
Rural Northern Portugalsuffers from depopulation as young people tend to head to the cities for work, leaving older generations to manage subsistence agriculture. That’s why we make sure our programmes not only bring money into these marginalised communities, they also make local people feel appreciated and motivated.
The nature of our self-guided programmes enables us to work in very quiet villages with small locally-owned, family-run hotels, cottages, guesthouses and restaurants. Our packed lunches and picnic baskets are sourced from local suppliers and we encourage our guests to experiment with traditional Portuguese dishes at family-run restaurants, which are usually made from fresh, locally-sourced ingredients and offer an insight into local culture as well as supporting the local economy.
During a stay in the various villages, we invite clients to observe, sample and, if possible, purchase, traditional crafts and quality produce, thus helping to keep local traditions alive and make older residents feel valued as well as supplementing their income.
Our people
The Portugal Green Walks management and admin team consists of locally-employed specialists, most of whom grew up in the area where the office is based and have strong ties to the local and wider communities throughout the Northern Portugal region
We meticulously screen all of the service providers that we work with, ensuring that they operate in a professional, reliable manner and also that they have a certain distinctive authenticity and a genuine desire to share their enthusiasm with our visitors in a way that fits with our responsible travel policy.
Protecting the environment
In our office, we recycle as much as possible and we do our best to minimise printing and waste in general.
And we also take into consideration environmental issues when planning new programmes within Northern Portugal and design them to have negligible harmful impact.
We follow the guidelines laid out by the Portuguese Nature Conservation and Forestry Institute (ICNF), which protect and preserve the areas of natural beauty and environmental significance in which we operate.
We provide our self-guided clients with a full briefing and detailed instructions of their route, which includes a traveller’s code of conduct. This covers guidelines for avoiding damage to the landscape and advice on minimising waste.
On our guided programmes, all of our guides are trained to be environmentally aware, to ensure that they and our clients respect and protect the environment.
Our preferred accommodation and catering partners are those who make effective use of eco-friendly practices to save water, utilise solar power and promote recycling.
The use of transport on our walking programmes is kept to the bare minimum – walking circular routes or village-to-village is the standard. When taxis are required, we use local drivers to reduce carbon emissions.
We provide an app for clients to use during their tours with us, in order to reduce the need for printing information such as roadbooks.
Respecting culture and communities
The invaluable and diverse specialist input from our multidisciplinary team helps clients fully appreciate the landscape and culture by articulating popular and scientific knowledge, sharing stories, evoking memories and explaining ways of life. We make the most of opportunities to interact with the local people, providing valuable opportunities for clients to have a truly authentic experience.
Our ‘roadbooks’ and traveller’s code of conduct contain information about the destination and advice for clients on how to respect local cultures and interact without inadvertently causing offence.
We are committed to working with local partners to help them adhere to quality standards without losing their genuineness and to cooperate with others to support the fledgling tourist industry that is providing these remote, underpopulated areas with a more promising future.
We ensure our staff and those who work for us are treated with respect and have fair working conditions.
5 tips for travellers to be more responsible during trips
Minimise plastic usage
Bring a reusable water bottle and shopping bag to reduce single-use plastic consumption. Refill your bottle from filtered water sources and avoid buying bottled drinks or packaged goods whenever possible.
Respect local culture
Learn about the customs, traditions, and etiquette of the destinations you visit. Respect cultural norms, dress codes, and local beliefs to ensure you’re not inadvertently causing offence or disrespecting the local community.
Support local economy
Opt for locally owned accommodations, restaurants, and shops to contribute directly to the community’s economy. Purchase souvenirs and handicrafts made by local artisans rather than mass-produced items, supporting traditional craftsmanship and sustainable livelihoods.
Conserve resources
Conserve energy and water by turning off lights, air conditioning, and taps when not in use. Choose eco-friendly transportation options like walking, cycling, or using public transport whenever feasible, reducing your carbon footprint during your travels.
Leave no trace
Practise responsible waste management by disposing of litter properly and participating in recycling programs if available. Follow designated trails, avoid damaging sensitive ecosystems, and refrain from collecting natural souvenirs like shells or rocks to preserve the environment for future generations.
Find out more about our responsible and sustainable self-guided tours!