I have always loved to travel for as long as I can remember. I decided to take French in middle school solely because I knew the high schoolers got to participate in a French exchange program. It was my dream to meet cute Frenchies, eat baguettes, and look at ancient smelly cheese in caves. The French exchange sparked my desire to travel differently and in any way possible. Because I have lacked money for vacations, I have primarily used school and work programs to live abroad and integrate myself fully. These experiences have made me wonder, is it possible to travel ethically when considering environmental and cultural factors? I don’t claim to know the answers to this question but instead pose some ideas to consider.

It’s pretty common knowledge at this point that the airline industry contributes massively to climate change. While I know that corporations and governments are largely responsible for mitigating our current circumstances, I think it’s important to remember the power of the people. People, individually, can’t change the current state of the climate completely, but I think it’s unhelpful to claim that we have no power or impact. Societal values are often reflected in ads and consumer culture. If we value travel, but not the environment which makes this travel possible, we are telling companies that the environment does not matter. I know that people still want to travel and take vacations. It’s unfair to ask people to stop, and frankly, I still want to travel as well. But there are ways in which we can change our trips for the better. For example, we should consider longer trips instead of multiple shorter trips. Besides this, travelers should be considerate of the environment where they are traveling. Pick up your trash! Use public transportation! Consider the privilege of a U.S. Passport and how this privilege comes with responsibility.

Ethical travel also applies to how we interact with people of different cultures. I don’t think this needs to be said, but I will say it anyway: respect the people of the place you are traveling. Many people already do this, but many don’t. It’s impossible to travel ethically without respecting the societal expectations and rules of a certain culture. This doesn’t mean that you have to do anything you are uncomfortable with! In my travel experience, I have found that my most valuable trips are ones where I’ve been fully immersed in the culture. While studying in Manchester (UK), I fell in love with the post-punk and industrial revolution, social justice culture. Even if you visit a country for one week, it’s possible to craft a trip that teaches you something and makes you feel connected to this new land that you’re visiting.

I don’t want this article to feel preachy or like I’m telling you what to do when traveling. Ethical travel is something we should all consider, especially with worsening climate change and an increasingly interconnected world. Some may say that there is no such thing as ethical travel in today’s society. What do you think?