Giving Compass' Take:

• Katherine Martinko, at TreeHugger, reminds readers to take a pause and contemplate strategies for limiting the detrimental effects of the tourism industry.

• Why is now a better time than ever to re-evaluate our touristic values? How can you encourage others to adjust their practices within the tourism industry? What can you do to support local tourist agencies suffering from the global shutdown?

• Read more about how to make the tourism industry more sustainable.

Much of the world remains in lockdown and, even if everything reopened tomorrow, I would not be lining up to buy a plane ticket. My thoughts on travel are more focused on how damaging the tourism industry has become in recent decades and how this pandemic-induced lockdown is a rare opportunity to rethink the way we move around the globe and to make it more sustainable.

1. Get to know your own country.

Visiting local national destinations is so much simpler than overseas travel. You don't have to worry about currency exchange, visas, passports, language barriers, cultural differences, clothing, and more. You're more likely to have contacts and friends to meet up with or to offer advice on what to do and see. This frees up more time to relax and enjoy the experience.

2. Go small and simple (or go home).

If reducing one's footprint is a goal while travelling, making "smaller and simpler" a priority will always be better. Keep this in mind when booking accommodations. When I'm in foreign countries, I look for small, privately-owned hostels, inns, bed-and-breakfasts, or house rentals. This is because I want my hard-earned dollars to go directly into people's pockets, not to a huge hotel corporation that pays its employees minimum wage.

3. Use local tour guides.

It educates and informs in a way that a guide book cannot, and leads one to places that are off the beaten track. As someone who often travels alone, it's a great way to make some friends and find a temporary travel buddy, whether it's just for another meal or excursion. And depending on the company you use, it's satisfying to know that money is going straight into the hands of local experts.

Read the full article about creating a sustainable tourism industry by Katherine Martinko at TreeHugger.