Responsible traveller values diversity of cultures, people and environment

PRINCIPLES OF OUR RESPONSIBLE TRAVELLING

 How are we going to travel?

1. 1. PLAN AND PREPARE

Do some research  about the destination to learn more about it.

Make a plan according to the principles of responsible travelling.

Learn some local language in order to  understand other cultures and people better.

Have suitable equipment.

2. FIND NEW HORISONS

You do not develop as a personality if you stay at home. You learn nothing if do not use your knowledge in practice. With travelling you can reach even more. It is another side of education. Everyone who travels has a different point of view on many things, usually  more sophisticated one. You may face many difficulties while travelling and it is a great challenge to cope with them. You are aware of  two worlds – the one that is at home and the other one which is abroad.

3. RESPECT LOCAL CULTURE

Culture reflects the traditions, history and people of the country.

Have an interest for the local way of life; behave according to the rules  applied there.

Although sometimes we may find things difficult to understand, we should always tolerate the culture of other countries.

4. COOPERATE WITH LOCAL PEOPLE

Establish contact with local people. Communicate with them about their way of life. Ask them for information about places to visit, things to buy and other.

Any kind of help for local people is very supportive and shows that travelling can be really responsible.

With voluntary work and contributions support the vulnerable groups of people.

After travel try to maintain contacts with the local people, send to them promised photos and letters, invite them to visit your country and offer them guidance, food and accommodation.

5. THINK ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENT

Since travelling is closely connected with the movement of people from one place to another it is important that no harm is made to the environment because of that.

Use environmentally friendly transport and budget transport while travelling.

Reduce waste. Use biodegradable packaging or packaging for multiple uses.

In the nature leave as little traces as possible.

6. SUPPORT THE LOCAL BUSINESSES

Contribute to the development of the local economy by promoting and supporting it: use local carriers and accommodations, travel with local guides and eat locally produced food.

When paying ensure the money goes into the right hands.

Cook and prepare food yourself using local products and traditional ingredients. Try to promote the local food of your own areas.

Try to buy and use hand-made things by local crafts to promote them and support them.

Do not buy souvenirs, whose manufacturing process does not comply with the UN Convention of the children rights. Buy souvenirs which were not made from endangered animals and plants.

7. AVOID DANGER

Never take actions that may be risky for you or anybody else. Think twice and make once. Always make sure that someone else knows what your plans are. Have an appropriate insurance. Know relevant numbers for mountain rescue team and the embassy of your country.

8. BE SELF SUFFICIENT AND INDEPENDENT

Make sure you have everything to be independent and self-sufficient. Never rely on others’ help. The more you depend on other things less independent you are.

9. BE PART OF THE TEAM

If travelling with somebody else always discuss with them your suggestions and feelings. Be prepared to show respect for other members of the team and also to be strong enough to enforce your point of view. Don´t forget you always have to respect the weakest member in the group. Never act as if you are solitary.

10. RAISE AWARENESS ABOUT RESPONSIBLE TRAVEL

Organize presentations focusing on raising awareness of responsible travel, continue to provide information about good places and give feedback to tourist agencies.

Prepare the summary of what we  learnt, what we did well, what could be improved in the future. Reflect on  the stereotypes that we had about this country and its people, perhaps our thinking has changed.

How to follow the 10 principles

1. Plan and prepare

Do some research about the destination to learn more about it. Make a plan according       to the principles of responsible travelling. Learn some local language in order to understand other cultures and people better. Have suitable equipment.

      How to do it:

• look up basic information about the country (where it is, what the weather is normally like in the season you’ll be travelling to it, language, currency, etc.);

• consider the principles and their different aspects; how can you adhere to all of them? Write down some ideas and discuss them with your companion, if you have one,  or with people you respect for help;

• buy a pocket dictionary edition of the local language and try to memorise some basic phrases (“Hello”, “Goodbye”, etc.);

• take into account what you have found out about the country’s weather and what you plan to do there in order to prepare suitable equipment.

2.   Find new horizons

You do not develop as a personality if you stay at home. You learn nothing if do not use your knowledge in practice. With travelling you can reach even more. It is another side of education. Everyone who travels has different point of view on many things, usually more sophisticated one. You may face many difficulties while travelling and it is great challenge to cope with them. You are aware of two worlds – the one that is at home and the other one which is abroad.  

How to do it:

• be open to new people and experiences. They can, and often will, change you as a person – not neccessarily in terms of personality, but in such of growth. Let your world view expand and change. Make use of all the new people you meet and places you visit by trying to see what you can learn from them;

• be brave. Travelling requires being responsible and independent, but that shouldn’t scare you: there are people who would help you with your journey – family, friends, and, if you have one, your travelling companion.

3.   Respect local culture

Culture reflects the traditions, history and people of the country. Have an interest for the local way of life; behave according to the rules applied there. Although sometimes we may find things difficult to understand, we should always tolerate the culture of other countries.  

How to do it:

• observe the way people behave and try to mimick it in order to better “fit in” and not accidentally insult someone. Look up the specific gestures people in the country use in order to be able to recognise them. Beware, however, of stereotypes, and thread carefully when applying  this information;

• keep in mind that a foreign country’s country may seem very different from yours, and that there is always something unique and interesting about it; you should not disrespect it.

4. Cooperate with local people

Establish contact with local people. Communicate with them about their way of life. Ask them for information about places to visit, things to buy and other. Any kind of help for local people is very supportive and shows that travelling can be really responsible. With voluntary work and contributions support the vulnerable groups of people. After travel try to maintain contacts with the local people, send to them promised photos and letters, invite them to visit your country and offer them guidance, food and accommodation.   

How to do it:

• travelling, as well as helping you see new things, also makes you meet new people. Try to establish communication with the locals. Not only would that be of immense help, the connections you build can actually become long-term – you may keep in touch if you become friends, invite them to your own country, and travel together;

• try to make a positive impact on the lives of the people you meet – small gestures, like buying a souvenier from the shopkeeper that helped you, or a chocolate for the kid that pointed you to the right way for that one landmark you really wanted to see.

5.  Think about the environment

Since travelling is closely connected with the movement of people from one place to another it is important that no harm is made to the environment because of that. Use environmentally friendly transport and budget transport while travelling. Reduce waste. Use biodegradable packaging or packaging for multiple uses. In nature leave as little traces as possible.

How to do it:

• public transport is the easiest way to travel across the city without harming the environment too much. If you are travelling in the countryside, walking is the best solution. If you have a car, do not use it more than necessary – only  travelling from town to town, for example;

• whenever you can recycle, do it. If you see the characteristic bins, use them instead of the common ones. Use biodegradable packaging or one for multiple uses, but if you must use plastic, recycle it later;

• you should be careful when out in nature – don’t litter, pick up flowers by the roots, or disturb the animals. Look up endangered species in order to be careful about the wildlife.  

6.  Support the local businesses

Contribute to the development of the local economy by promoting and supporting it: use local carriers and accommodations, travel with local guides and eat locally produced food. When paying ensure the money goes into the right hands. Cook and prepare food yourself using local products and traditional ingredients. Try to promote the local food of your own areas. Try to buy and use hand-made things by local crafts to promote them and support them. Do not buy souvenirs, whose manufacturing process does not comply with the UN Convention of the children rights. Buy souvenirs which were not made from endangered animals and plants.

How to do it:

• immerse yourself in this new country; that includes using the same local produce the people do, and not going for the well-known international brands. Same goes for souveniers – hand-crafted ones are both more unique and support the community;

• make sure the souveniers you buy are not produced illegally or from illegal materials. Once again, look up endangered species.

7.  Avoid danger

Never take actions that may be risky for you or anybody else. Think twice and make once. Always make sure that someone else knows what your plans are. Have an appropriate insurance. Know relevant numbers for mountain rescue team and the embassy of your country.

How to do it:

• be careful. Avoid bad neighbourhoods (research which ones are such beforehand) and keep to the central areas of town. Do not be reckless when it comes to nightlife – getting too drunk (or worse) in an unfamiliar country with few people you know is not a good idea. Be aware of where each of your companions is at all times and have their numbers, as well as the other way around;

• arrange a travel insurance. Find out where the embassy of your country is and ways to contact them, in case it becomes necessary. Memorise the numbers for all essential emergency hotlines, or write them down on a note and always keep it with you.

8.  Be self-sufficient and independent   

Make sure you have everything to be independent and self-sufficient. Never rely on others’ help. The more you depend on other things less independent you are.

How to do it:

• take responsibility for yourself and your own actions; no one is here to tell you what to do and what is the best way to do it – you have to find out on your own. During travelling, you are your own person – with all that it ensues.

9.  Be part of the team

If travelling with somebody else always discuss with them your suggestions and feelings. Be prepared to show respect for other members of the team and also to be strong enough to enforce your point of view. Don´t forget you always have to respect the weakest member of the group. Never act as if you are solitary.

How to do it:

• being responsible for yourself means that you take the full burden of your actions. Never forget, however, if you are travelling with somebody else, that you are not the only one there; you should support them, if needed, and respect each other. You have a common goal – travelling for whatever purpose you have chosen. Discuss ideas about how to approach various obstacles as equals. If there is a person in the group that is not ‘on the same grounds’ as you – like a child – you must still respect it. Do not act as if you are the only one there.

10.   Raise awareness about responsible travelling

Organize presentations focusing on raising awareness of responsible travel, continue to provide information about good places and give feedback to tourist agencies. Prepare the summary of what we learnt, what we did well, what could be improved in the future. Reflect on the stereotypes that we had about this country and its people, perhaps our thinking has changed.

How to do it:

• after your journey is over, sit down and think about everything. Then, summarise everything you have learned and share it with others – how the experience has changed you, what new things you’ve learned, the mistakes you made, what you did right, etc.

Atina Shalamanova

Before this mobility trip, I expected probably the same things as everybody else: new friendships, learning about other countries’ culture and having an unforgettable time. As one of the hosts ,I did not expect to see anything new. Each of my expectations was fulfilled, so I would rate it as 10 out of 10.

In my opinion, everything we have done that week was abided with the principles of responsible travelling. All the food we ate together was bought from local producers. Many of us had a renewable plastic water bottles and we played a lot of games together and learnt different countries’ traditional dances. I cannot think of anything we have done that did not abide the 10 principles of responsible travelling. As far as supporting the local business is concerned, we consumed a lot of Bulgarian famous yoghurt and white cheese. I recall that we drank juice produced by a multinational company the last day. Of course, the locally produced products prevailed in our meals and in my opinion their usage was more than enough. I felt a part of the group because I took part in every activity from showing the guests our school to sending them to their home countries. The only thing I did not take a part in was showing them the city. For me, the best memory of this whole mobility was the night when we were in Vitosha and showed each other different dances from different countries and this is a fun way to learn about other countries culture so this is what I will suggest for our next trips. To be honest, I cannot think of anything that Iwouldd change.

A week I’ll never forget

Andrea Mazgaleva

I had been looking forward to that week since the beginning of the summer. Mostly, my expectations were to meet new friends and explore new traditions. However, I received a lot more than that. I made new friendships and new amazing memories with these awesome people.

I am in the opinion that every single one of us tried their best to abide by the 10 principles. What is more, that particular mobility had been focused on three of those principles: support the local businesses, think about the environment, be part of the group.

To begin with, “responsible” means keeping the environment clean. That is the main aspect and I think it was strictly followed by all of us. As for supporting locals, the Bulgarian group tried to provide as much as possible locally produced food such as ayran, moussaka, tarator and others. Concerning the third main principle, there were many activities in which I certainly felt as a part of a team.

The best activities were the ones in which we had to choose ourselves whom we want to work with. Moreover, I would like to have had more free time to bond with my new friends. Probably more dancing activities would be best! I am definitely looking forward to the next mobility!

Vanissia Tzarvenkova

All Bulgarians were excited and nervous about the foreign students’ arrival. We didn’t know what their attitude would be and if our preparation would fulfil their expectations. Happily, we got along pretty well and quickly felt like a part of the group.

The time we spent teaching the foreign students how to write their names in Bulgarian, playing games and presenting small plays, showing the 10 principles of responsible travel let us get to know each other better. Among all Bulgarian meals the foreigners mostly liked the tarator, but were quite suspicious to the boza. Still, they ate everything we offered them.

The journey in Vitosha was the part I liked the best. The way up and down was long and it gave us time to talk and find even more things we have in common. In the hut, we played some more competing games till twilight. My most favourite part was the dance party in the evening when we showed and learned traditional dances and songs from all four countries, but added some modern music too.

There really isn’t a thing I want to change about our adventure. I simply wish it could have lasted longer.

Responsible Travel

Lora Manolova
I was dreaming about the upcoming project and how I was going to meet lots of new people and hopefully make friendships… then suddenly Mom woke me up and I found myself back to reality again. The dream was really nice because I had many expectations.

It was the first day of the project and I was super excited. As always, I didn’t know where we were meeting, but finally, I found everyone packed up in the small biology cabinet in our school. I and my Bulgarian friends presented the presentations we had done and played some interesting games in order to introduce ourselves. Over the next two days, we walked our guests around our capital, Sofia and I was really satisfied as I made lots of new friendships. Unfortunately, I couldn’t go to the 3-day trip to Vitosha mountain.

Through our time in Sofia, we fulfilled plenty of the principles of responsible travelling and I definitely felt as a part of the group. We supported the local business, protected the environment and everyone was accepted into the group. One of the best things we did following the principles was that we served our guests traditional Bulgarian lunch.

I really liked the trip around Sofia, because I made real friendships with girls from The Czech Republic and Lithuania. However, I would like to have more free time with my new friends on our next trip, which I am really looking forward to!

New experience

Yana Hartarska

At first, I wasn’t recorded for the project, but when I realised there is a place for me I thrilled. My expectations were to explore different traditions and meet new people. Exceed my expectations I made new friendships, had fun and amazing memories.

I think that the whole group abided the 10 principles of responsible travel during this week. The mobility has been focused on three principles: support the local businesses, think about the environment, be part of the group.

By supporting the local business all the Bulgarian group took care about producing local foods and drinks like mousaka, airan and etc. Responsible means think about the environment. I think we all (ex. Vitosha) kept the mountain clean. And last we all had different interesting games where I felt as a part of a group.

The best activities were the ones which we made a strange sound trying not to laugh. Sure I was one of the first that started laughing and couldn’t stop until the end. It was an unforgettable week with amazing people, that I will always remember.

Martin Savov

I had quite high expectations from the Responsible Travel project and the results came out even higher. I was expecting all 10 rules of responsible travelling to be followed which they obviously were. But also we were given a good amount of free time to have fun and communicate with the other kids. The fun activities were creative and good for breaking the ice between everybody. We all followed the principles:

– We didn’t throw any waste outside of bins

– We visited the local monuments and respected the culture

– We purchased only products made in Bulgaria especially for the food.

A great part of the activities was to make us feel as a team and work together. For me, the best result was with the competitive sports games and also the acting game when we were divided into groups and had to act out a certain scenario. The best things for me were the hiking on Vitosha. Walking is healthy and was also interesting to explore the only mountain which is in a capital city in Europe. What I’d change is to maybe give some more free time to the students and make them more independent. As for the activities, I’d suggest more interesting sports games like we had in Aleko where every country showed a traditional game of theirs. I look forward to participating the mobility in Lithuania.

Responsible Travel – Bulgaria 2016

Stanislava Dimitrova

Before the arrival of our guests, I imagined that the mobility would be exciting, full of new people and opportunities to get to know them. It fulfilled these expectations, exceeding them, even – we got along with our guests excellently and had a lot of fun together.

In terms of abiding by the ten principles of responsible travelling, we did well. The mobility was largely focused on supporting local business (6), thinking about the environment (5), and being part of the group (9). We ate only local food, bought hand-made souvenirs, stayed together as a group (even if we split up into two in the end), and travelled eco-friendly to Vitosha and back. We managed to follow the other principles well enough, too.

The best part has to be the last night dancing at Vitosha – everybody having a go at different music and style of dance, all having a good time. It would have been better if more people had joined in, though. Exploring new games and customs for the next mobility would have also been exciting, and I do look forward to seeing what the next mobility could offer in those terms.

                                          Mobility in Bulgaria

Magda, Lithuania

The second country of ,Erasmus+” project what we have visited was Bulgaria. We were living in the capital of Bulgaria-Sofia. Sofia is a really beautiful city because of its old town.

So on the first day in Bulgaria, we were learnt to ten principles of responsible travelling to use them on this mobility. On the second day, we were preparing for the expedition so we were using some of the principles of Responsible Travelling. Firstly we were buying local products for the trip so we were supporting local business. Although we were following the principle to use local transport because on the third day we were getting by local bus to the first point of our trip. In the evening when we have got to Aleko village (Aleko village was a place where we have stayed for two nights) we were divided into some groups to play sports games so every member of the team was part of. Next day we climbed the Vitosha Mountain, it was not easy so we were drinking a lot of water from the bottles which we were using many times to protect the environment. Anyway, we did it and we were really stunned by the view from this mountain.

Anyway, this mobility was a really great experience to us because we have made new friends have visited a new country and just spent a little bit different it means very cool and unforgettable one week. Saint Augustine said, The world is a book and whose who do not travel, read  only one page” so travel as much as you can!

 A Week in Bulgaria 

Gabriela, Lithuania

The week in Bulgaria was an amazing time for me and I think for my friends too! We had the opportunity to learn something new about Bulgaria, Sofia. We met many new people with whom we relate to today. During the seven days the students made a trip around the capital of Bulgaria. We had also a three-day expedition to the mountains. In the country in which we live there are no mountains, so this trip was quite difficult for us but we are proud of ourselves! From this trip will remain only the best memories. During this trip I understood better what it means to travel responsibly . This trip has taught us cooperation.

I’m very happy that I take part in this project! In this wonderful project we know ourselves better, we get to know people from other countries, we learn many interesting things about the country and its culture. This spring we are waiting for students from other states on a trip to Lithuania! We hope that they will be impressed! I encourage everyone to this project because this is a wonderful and preferably the time spent!

How the principles of responsible travelling were applied in Bulgaria and why these things are important?

Bulgaria 2016

Paulina

   For the second time, four countries (Slovenia, Czech Republic, Bulgaria and Lithuania) were got together to follow the responsible travel principles. The first time we met was the Czech Republic, where we got to know better responsible travel rules, so it was easier to twig in a situation this time. Bulgarians had a perfectly organised program of how to use the responsible travel principles.

On the second day after arrival we immediately made a revision about ten principles and of course during all journey in Bulgaria we were using them. We were divided into two groups which later became a teams. Also, we haven’t forgot about the environment and because of that we were using eco bottles and we tried not to leave rubbish after ourselves. Without a doubt, we were following other principles too. We tried local food, each of us was self-sufficient and independent: everyone had their well prepared backpacks. Of course before the journey our trip was well planed and the road was safe.

I’m just wondering how organizers so aptly organized the “Responsible Travelling” project… Partly this project changed my life. One year ago, I knew nothing about the responsible travel and in all, I hadn’t been travelling in this way. I got to know something different than typical journey. I will never regret taking part in this project!

Why the responsible travel is important? Simon Reeve said: “Responsible travel is not only better for our world, it’s also more interesting and memorable. Responsible tourism is the future of travel,,. So if we want to make our word little bit better, we have to be responsible not only while travelling, but also in our every day life!

How the principles of responsible travelling were applied in Bulgaria?

Karolina Rusecka

     On 19-26 of September, I with several schoolmates and two teachers visited an incredibly beautiful country Bulgaria and its capital Sofia. There we met a lot of new people from Bulgaria, Slovenia and the Czech Republic. Together we discussed and tried to apply the principles of responsible travelling.

I believe that one of the most important principles is to respect local culture. First of all, we tasted some ethnic dishes such as banitsa, shopska salad and kebapche. Secondly, we bought souvenirs made by Bulgarian people like rose soap, various sorts of sweets and others.

Another important idea we applied was cooperation with local people. I made friends with young Bulgarians who were cheerful and friendly. We chatted about many issues such as their country, their way of living and educational system. They gave us a lot of useful advice as where to have a meal or what to buy. They tried to make our stay as comfortable as possible and I think that they succeeded.

What I liked the most was that we could be a part of a team. Everyone could understand the importance of group’s support and trust. We performed various challenging tasks together. Furthermore, we had indoor and outdoor games where we needed to collaborate closely and show our team spirit.  But mostly we had a great time all together.

Some people say that travelling broadens your mind. I definitely agree with this statement. What is more, I would say that it opens your heart. Thanks to this trip not only did I visit a lot of places, but I also met a lot of extraordinary people and spent fantastic time in this gorgeous country.

How the principles of responsible travelling were applied in Bulgaria?

 Juliana Saburova

On 19-26 of September, I was together with many people from my school – John Paul II gymnasium in the beautiful city of Sofia, Bulgaria. These days will be in my memory for a long time. We met a lot of new friends from Bulgaria, Slovenia and Czech Republic. Furthermore, we applied most of our responsible travelling principles.

To start with, we applied 3^rd principle (respect local culture). When we arrived in the capital city of Bulgaria – Sofia, we used the local metro. What is more, on the 4^th day we used local transport to get to the Vitosha mountain. We tried Bulgarian cuisine( Shopska salata, Banitsa, Kebapche, Musaka etc.) .  Bulgarian cuisine was very tasty, so most of us decided to try to cook it at hometown – Vilnius.

Secondly, we supported local business. First of all, we accommodated in a local hotel near Russian monument. We bought traditional Bulgarian rose soaps and rosewood oils. With respect to Bulgarian cuisine, we ate a lot of national Bulgarian dishes on the last day to remember the perfect taste.

Finally, we raised awareness about responsible travel. We prepared presentations about our expedition to Vitosha mountain. In conclusion, I hope that everyone of us learned something new from this journey and will remember this for a long time.

My name is Gabriela Andruszkiewicz and I’m a member of the project, Responsible travelling “. Since September 19th till September 26th I was in Bulgaria, Sofia, that was second this project mobility. At this mobility, I really felt that responsible travelling is actually the best way of travelling because I get to know a lot of new people, and I felt like a traveller not like a tourist. While all week in Bulgaria we tried to use all 10 principles of RT. The most interesting and existing principle for me was 2. Find new horizons, because I find out something new for me, hiking, and I liked that a lot. Hiking on the top of Vitosha mountain was not only amazing adventure but also challenge for me because in Lithuania we don’t have mountains. Next three principles that made me feel closer this country was 2, 4, 6 because by this principles I supported local business by buying products in the local market and using public transport. I get to know better Bulgarian history and traditions by visiting museums and making traditional Bulgarian symbol, martenitsa”. I tried Bulgarian cuisine: shopska salad, kebapche, banitsa and I made new friends with Bulgarian students and spent a great time with them. This week was a great adventure. By using principals of Responsible travelling I really felt the spirit of Bulgaria.