Responsible tourism starts with you the responsible traveler! The first and critical component in any responsible travel experience is the traveler! If we all made every effort to make responsible and sustainable decisions about our vacation destinations, providers and activities then we could make a significant step in protecting communities and the environment around the world.
Let us start with a simple responsible decision that will not cost you a cent. In fact, it might just save you an unplanned visit to the emergency room:
Be Responsible for your own Safety
Read the Signs and Follow the rules! How many times have you seen people ignore the rules or guidelines provided while traveling? Let us take one example: When you visit Yellowstone National Park there are signs reminding tourists to NOT approach the wildlife. For the last several years, rangers have handed out flyers to each car (now hangtags) at the entrance gates, posted signs near almost every parking lot in the park, and repeated the warnings in the park newspaper. The rule posted to the Yellowstone National Park website:
"Approaching on foot within 100 yards (91 m) of bears or wolves or within 25 yards (23 m) of other wildlife is prohibited."
Yet, tourists can be seen everyday approaching wildlife in an effort to get that memorable photo. Perhaps they do not know how far 25 or 100 yards is from an animal. It might be that tourists do not know how much damage an animal can generate when annoyed by intrusions in their “personal space.”
Let us start with a simple responsible decision that will not cost you a cent. In fact, it might just save you an unplanned visit to the emergency room:
Be Responsible for your own Safety
Read the Signs and Follow the rules! How many times have you seen people ignore the rules or guidelines provided while traveling? Let us take one example: When you visit Yellowstone National Park there are signs reminding tourists to NOT approach the wildlife. For the last several years, rangers have handed out flyers to each car (now hangtags) at the entrance gates, posted signs near almost every parking lot in the park, and repeated the warnings in the park newspaper. The rule posted to the Yellowstone National Park website:
"Approaching on foot within 100 yards (91 m) of bears or wolves or within 25 yards (23 m) of other wildlife is prohibited."
Yet, tourists can be seen everyday approaching wildlife in an effort to get that memorable photo. Perhaps they do not know how far 25 or 100 yards is from an animal. It might be that tourists do not know how much damage an animal can generate when annoyed by intrusions in their “personal space.”
Bison warning that was received at the West Entrance to Yellowstone National Park.
A typical warning sign at Yellowstone National Park. I cropped out the two children that were with this man . . . I warned him to please take his children away from the area but he proceeded to advance on the elk regardless of the posted warning.
As we were turning out of the drive from the North Rim of the Canyons of Yellowstone, we could see a crowd of tourists and a wildlife jam focused on this mature bull elk. This tourist was trying to get a close-up photo by walking up to the elk . . . much closer than 25 yards to a full grown bull elk at Yellowstone National Park. I love this guy in his bright red shirt! It was clear that the man was disturbing the animal because the elk kept moving away every time the man moved closer. As the elk moved up the hill another crowd was forming between the main road that approaches the Canyon Lodge.
I snapped this photo as we drove by the scene . . . this was just a few moments after observing the photo shown above this photo. These men were watching the same mature elk and were now turning their back on the elk as a ranger was asking them to please return to their cars. If that elk became annoyed with the crowding he could have charged these men and been upon them before they ever knew what was happening.
Check out the trusting tourist getting his photo taken with his back to the herd of bison. Maybe the tourist just does not know how far 25 yards might be . . . so let us examine an analogy.
As a swimmer I can relate to this illustration. . . imagine swimming laps in a 25 yard pool.
To imagine the 100 yard distance, consider the image of a football field.
For those individuals that lull themselves into thinking that these animals are tame, consider the following YouTube video of a Bison attack.
For those individuals that lull themselves into thinking that these animals are tame, consider the following YouTube video of a Bison attack.
RSS Feed