How to be an ethical tourist

The road to conscious travelling bypasses cookie-cutter holiday spots in favour of lesser-known parts.RUSHANI EPA uncovers the way to be a more sustainable traveller.

- RUSHANI EPA

T here's a warm coastal breeze in the air and tourists walk around in the heat, clad in shorts and singlet tops that stick to their sides. Signs along the beach promise poke and acai bowls in Russian, and bars blast Bob Marley and house music to lure holidaygoers. The last place you might imagine this scene is the beachside town of Mirissa on the island of Sri Lanka, but this is what tourism gentrification looks like in a small town.

It might sound harmless, but tourism gentrification is insidious when left unchecked. It strips communities of their identity and dilutes it in favour of the Western palate, making a place like Mirissa just another beach town with no personality. Travel further inland, and you will see locals in the village, receive invitations to eat the best, freshly caught fish ambulthiyal in someone's home, or try some of the country's finest kottu roti at a small restaurant.

The late author and chef Anthony Bourdain encouraged people to be travellers and not tourists. It's one of the antidotes to culture loss in beautiful spots across the world. But how else do you curb this problem? And what can you do to support locals? Here are some tips on what you can do to be a more sustainable traveller the next time you head overseas.

EAT LOCAL