Community Tourism can help people to make a difference for themselves. Digging deep in your pocket because you suddenly feel guilty or humbled during a holiday is not the answer.  Creating an environment of expectation and hand outs doesn't help anyone - not you, not the people you hand out to. Creating long term and sustainable opportunities that alleviate poverty by involving local people in initiatives that provide them with an opportunity to earn a living and improve  their life does help. Holidays that involve local people are not a new concept, nor are they necessarily the answer to alleviating poverty. Community Tourism based holidays and projects  need careful development and are about engaging with local partners and people on an equal footing so that everyone shares the benefit. This is the aim of our holidays to Morocco, Rwanda and Ethiopia.

Managing the Environment is challenging for developing Countries that are trying to maximise their tourism revenue.  In Morocco, people, such as the ones we stay with in the Mountain village rely on village taps for water, whilst golf tourism uses gallons of water and pesticides. In Morocco, Ethiopia and Rwanda local people walk miles to collect water and irrigating their land is a huge challenge.  Tourism developments, whether  built in cities and towns or in stunning locations impact on the limited natural resources. Accommodation, restaurants, swimming pools, golf courses, and lots more tourism facilities take precedence for water supplies over the local population.  They can also take precedence over location, with local people losing their homes and land, wildlife displaced, and the natural flora, fauna and trees  hacked down.  The stunning landscapes and fascinating cultures that tempt us to a Country can often be to the detriment of the local people, wildlife, nature, flora and fauna. Lots of tourism workers, many of whom are children are exploited, experience poor working conditions and do not earn a fair wage.  The answer is to plan, manage and develop tourism in a sustainable way that protects the environment and livelihoods for the future of both the local people and tourism. When you are travelling, please be responsible with local resources, dispose of rubbish and waste appropriately and if you are concerned by something you see, please let us know.  Buying locally produced or crafted goods where the money goes directly to the people who made them, or buying from local markets and shops is one way that you can make sure local people benefit from your holiday money. In the UK an organisation called Tourism Concern actively campaigns on tourism and human rights issues - visit their website link to become more informed on the issues and dilemmas facing the Tourism Industry.

Responsible Photography Holidays 
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