A FEW WORDS ON RESPONSIBLE TOURISM

The number of tourists to the Andamans is starting to increase. This is a good thing overall, as it helps improve the local economy and provides a better livelihood to the people of the islands.

However, increased tourist volumes, especially in developing economies, are accompanied by their own ills: increase in pollution/wastes, degradation of the environment and negative social impact on local culture. As an avid traveler myself, I am disheartened by the changes for the worse that have occurred in other “undiscovered gems” after their discovery. Ask anyone who has been to the Himalayas, to Goa, to Sharm El Sheikh or to Kenya over the past 15 years or so, and inevitably, the answer is: “it isn’t the same anymore.”

To prevent the Andamans from going down the same path, we request you to consider our suggestions below:

– Please be environmentally conscious. Solid waste is one of the biggest urban problems today, especially in developing countries which lack the waste management. Where possible, please avoid the use of plastics and disposables. Where unavoidable, please ensure that the trash is properly handled, not thrown out in the back.

– Limit the amount of water you use for showers. The fresh water table in Havelock has been decreasing every year, as tourist volumes increase.

– Do not touch or break coral, whether you are diving, snorkeling or swimming. Coral growth is very slow – taking years to grow each inch. Even a touch can remove the protective mucous covering on them, leaving them vulnerable to attacsk by other organisms. The old diving maxim – “ take nothing but memories, leave nothing but bubbles.” – holds true here.

– Do not give money, sweets or gifts to local children. Gifts are perfectly ok to people you know or who have helped you in some way. However, distribution of pens or candy to children builds dependency and leads to association of tourists with “freebies.” If you would like to contribute and give back to the Andamans, please donate to one of the many welfare organizations and NGOs working there.

– Please do not support businesses that operate in an eco-unfriendly manner. This includes resorts that throw their trash in the sea, snorkeling boats that throw their anchor on coral beds, shops that sell coral, turtle shells, tiger skins or similar prohibited items, restaurants that sell shark-fin soup, etc. If possible, let the person know why they have lost your business and in the event of illegal items for sale, please inform the local authorities.

– Raise your voice against shark-finning. This barbaric practice involves cutting off the fins of a shark while it is still alive, and dumping it back in the sea where it slowly bleeds to death. Charming, isn’t it?

– Please refrain from nudity in public places. We never expected that we would have to write this, but this is happening more often. Please keep local sentiments in mind – while swimsuits and bikinis are ok on the beach, nudity is most certainly not acceptable in India, and especially so in traditional Andamans.

– Do not engage or attempt to engage anyone to take you on a tribal tour. That is exploitation, pure and simple. We will call the police on anyone we learn is trying to do this.