Questions tagged [ethical-travel]

Questions regarding traveling and not participating in exploitation.

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22 votes
7 answers
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What are the economics of black market money exchanges?

It's fairly well know that if you are in a country with a "problematic" economy, that exchanging money on the black market can get you a much better rate than at an official exchange. But ...
Peter M's user avatar
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-10 votes
2 answers
321 views

How can I avoid supporting unethical/criminal behavior reagrding fiscal matters when travelling? [closed]

When travelling, I am often offered to pay in cash, with the risk of the business I am completing the transaction not paying VAT. On the other hand, if I pay by credit card, there is a non-zero risk ...
EarlGrey's user avatar
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27 votes
3 answers
5k views

Is paying for portrait photos good for the people in the community you're photographing?

Scenario: You go to a remote village in 3rd world country x. You see a photogenic wizened old man, or woman in traditional dress, etc and ask if you could take a photo. They indicate yes, but also ...
Mark Mayo's user avatar
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3 votes
0 answers
109 views

How can a traveller to Namibia best support African businesses? [closed]

Namibia is a post-Apartheid nation and has been independent of South Africa for nearly 30 years. However huge imbalances of wealth and ownership remain. In Namibia, the tourist industry accounts ...
Daniele Procida's user avatar
6 votes
2 answers
258 views

Does travelling to Venezuela in 2016 help or hinder the economic situation for local people? [closed]

I stayed in Venezuela for six weeks from late March to early May 2016. This ethical question has been bothering me ever since. Its answer will determine whether or not I recommend my family and ...
Pertinax's user avatar
  • 462
12 votes
1 answer
377 views

Availability and attitudes towards sky burial tourism

I've recently heard about sky burial tourism, and I've got a couple of questions about it. Has it been banned in China? I recently retweeted someone tweeting about sky burial tourism by Chinese ...
Golden Cuy's user avatar
5 votes
1 answer
3k views

Height and weight issues for riding animals in Mongolia

I'm about six foot four, and my weight varies, sometimes being on the wrong side of 90 kg. Am I likely to be too heavy or too tall to ride a camel for health, animal welfare, operator legal liability ...
Golden Cuy's user avatar
4 votes
1 answer
209 views

Sweets as gifts in lands untouched by modern dentistry

Lonely Planet's guide to Mongolia mentions, in a section about visiting the Tsaatan (Цаатан) people and "Do"s and "Don't"s for tourists, not to give them sweets as gifts, as there's no dentist there. ...
Golden Cuy's user avatar
11 votes
1 answer
1k views

Is it OK to eat turtles in Cambodia?

Last night at a tiny town in the middle of nowhere in Cambodia (Chhaeb) I was invited to join my hosts at the guesthouse to drink beer and eat turtle meat. In my travels I can only ever recall the ...
hippietrail's user avatar
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15 votes
1 answer
3k views

Do airlines recycle uneaten, unopened, pre-packaged food?

I understand why prepared food (e.g. the main meal or the salad) has to be thrown out if uneaten, but what about all the pre-packaged stuff, like the butter and/or jam, cheese bites, chocolate ...
Sam's user avatar
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8 votes
4 answers
241 views

Voluntourism - how to evaluate

I understand that volunteering in underdeveloped countries is not magically helpful under all circummstances, and that housing and feeding a volunteer costs money, so some volunteer opportunities ...
Kate Gregory's user avatar
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7 votes
1 answer
317 views

Are there any Australian war memorials I shouldn't take Japanese visitors to? [closed]

I'm planning on sightseeing Melbourne with someone who is Japanese. I was browsing Trip Advisor's top attractions for Melbourne, and site number five was the Shrine of Remembrance. I'm not after ...
Golden Cuy's user avatar
27 votes
5 answers
4k views

Environmental impact of ferries

When I travel, I try to limit my environmental impact. I don't want to refrain from travelling completely, but when I do travel, I tend to favour ground-level transportation over air-transportation, ...
gerrit's user avatar
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13 votes
2 answers
13k views

Avoiding human trafficking when getting a massage in Japan

I'm currently unable to distinguish between Japanese, Korean and Chinese ethnicities. How do I avoid exploiting victims of human trafficking while having a massage in Japan? Is human trafficking more ...
Golden Cuy's user avatar
31 votes
4 answers
2k views

How can I be sure the operator treats elephants humanely before booking a trek in Khao Sok national park?

The various bungalows in Khao Sok national park advertise elephant treks and there are various tours advertised out of Phuket and Krabi. These sound interesting. But how can I tell prior to booking ...
WW.'s user avatar
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13 votes
2 answers
2k views

Chiang Mai Trek without Elephant Ride

I'm heading to Chiang Mai, Thailand for several days at the end of January and I'm looking to do a 3 day, 2 night trek, but I'm looking for one that doesn't feature elephant rides and it seems to ...
justinl's user avatar
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8 votes
2 answers
2k views

Sustainable hunting in South-East Asia

One of my buddies asked me a question and I don't have an answer for him. So, I thought I would run it by here. He is a big hunter. As in, he travels for hunting... a lot. However, he tries to be ...
Beaker's user avatar
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