Responsible Travel Tips: How to choose the right Airbnb
Airbnb and its implications on destinations are often mentioned in a sentence with over-tourism.
As with many things, the mass commercialization of Airbnb has made it a two-sided sword. We have talked extensively about the pros and cons of destinations on Airbnb before, but for us travelers, there is also a different dimension to it: comfort &safety.
So why not amplify the benefits of Airbnb by choosing it more responsibly?
Airbnb might have become the go-to App for many. It’s easy to use, provides excellent accommodations, and often lower prices. Reviews and customer service add to the appeal.
It’d be a shame to give up AirBnB altogether, considering the positive impacts it can have and the comfort it provides.
We often have sad that to be a more responsible traveler; you don’t need to give up on all comfort and camp in the woods. Small changes in how you go about the trip can make a big difference.
After all, it can provide significant local experiences, a tap into tourism dollars, and less tourism leakage!
4 easy steps to choose your Airbnb more responsibly :
1. Avoid staying in Airbnb in places where over-tourism already has taken its toll.
People in big cities such as Berlin, Barcelona, and Paris are protesting against the uncontrolled Airbnbs. Entire towns and neighborhoods are changing because investors have bought up apartments are renting them to tourists.
2. Choose to rent a room instead of an entire apartment
By choosing a room over an apartment, you are likely to reduce the chances that this place solely exists for the purpose of tourists. And as a big plus: you”ll be able to get local insights from your host.
3. Read the description carefully
Often you”ll find hints as to who is owning and running this AirBnB. Make sure the listing is 100% owned by locals. With your decision, you make sure that your tourism dollars are likely to stay in the country and benefit it.
4. Wander off the beaten track
Did you find the most fantastic place but it seems too far off your original route? So often it”s worth to change your plans! Even or especially if your chosen property is the only one in the area. You”ll get the most authentic experience and be able to not just oversee but to participate in daily life. We”ve often made the experience that people in rarely visited neighborhoods or places react with friendly curiosity.
More on sustainable travel
-
Wildlife Tourism: How to Tell Conservation From Animal Exploitation
Wildlife Tourism: How to Tell Conservation From Animal Exploitation Some of the most powerful travel memories involve animals. A turtle rising beside you while snorkeling. Elephants crossing a dusty plain. Whales surfacing and disappearing again before you fully understand what you have seen. Birds calling before sunrise. A reef suddenly alive with colour and movement….
-
Sustainable Travel | Lebanon | Middle East | Morocco | Senegal | Tanzania | The Gambia | Travel Tips
Traveling During Ramadan and Eid: What to Know Before Visiting Muslim-Majority Countries
Traveling During Ramadan and Eid: What to Know Before Visiting Muslim-Majority Countries I visited Essaouira during Eid al-Adha, and the city felt different from the Essaouira many travelers expect. The Atlantic wind was still there. The blue boats were still in the harbour. The medina was still beautiful. But the rhythm had shifted. Some shops…
-
Tourism Leakage: Why Your Vacation Money Does Not Always Stay Where You Travel
Tourism Leakage: Why Your Vacation Money Does Not Always Stay Where You Travel Tourism leakage asks us to look beyond the beautiful surface of travel. Beyond the beach, the hotel, the tour, the perfect breakfast view. It asks a less comfortable question: when I spend money here, does it help build local value — or…
-
When Culture Becomes Content: Are We Witnessing or Consuming?
When Culture Becomes Content: Are We Witnessing or Consuming? Travel teaches us to look closely. Social media teaches us to share quickly. Somewhere between the two, culture can become content before we have taken the time to understand it. I struggle with this more than people might think. As a travel writer, I am drawn…
-
Sex Tourism: The Word We Search For, and the Reality We Need to Name
Sex Tourism: The Word We Search For, and the Reality We Need to Name Most travelers like to believe they would recognize exploitation when they see it. We imagine it as something obvious: older men in bars, young women waiting outside clubs, whispered offers on a beach, hotel corridors where everyone seems to know what…
-
Beyond Paradise: Why Beach Access Matters in Jamaica and Around the World
Beyond Paradise: Why Beach Access Matters in Jamaica and Around the World Jamaica is easy to describe through beauty: turquoise water, warm sand, cliffs at sunset, music drifting through the air, sea breeze moving through palms. It is one of those places travelers often approach with a ready-made image of paradise. But the beach is…
