Puerto Rico Responsible Travel

The impact of tourist dollars on the destinations you visit should not be underestimated. The choices you make during your trip can have powerful effects on local communities—for better or for worse. Travelers who care about the destinations and environments they explore should make themselves aware of the social and cultural implications of the choices they make when they travel. Simple decisions such as buying local products instead of globally available ones, paying fair prices for products or services, and attempting to say a few words in Spanish can have a strong, positive effect on the community.

Community-based tourism aims to channel tourist dollars into the local economy by emphasizing tours and cultural programs that are run by members of the host community and that often benefit disadvantaged groups. This type of tourism also benefits travelers themselves, taking them beyond conventional tours of the region. The coastal regions of Puerto Rico and the eastern islands are heavily dependent upon tourism, particularly tours of natural areas. In general, travelers should look for tours offered by local guides, such as Tanamá Expeditions or Las Casas de la Selva , rather than those run out of large hotels and resorts. The Ethical Travel Guide (UK£13), a project of Tourism Concern (☎+44 020 7133 3330; www.tourismconcern.org.uk), is an excellent resource for information on community-based travel with a directory of 300 establishments in 60 countries.

More Travel Concerns in Puerto Rico

By clicking submit you agree to the terms of the Let’s Go Privacy Policy

For 52 years, we have published the world’s favorite budget travel guides, written entirely by students and updated every year. With pen and notebook in hand and a few changes of underwear stuffed in our backpacks, we spend months roaming the globe in search of travel bargains.