Responsible Travel Working with local tour operators and guides is fundamental to the ethics of responsible travel. When you pay a local company or guide for their services, you support the local economy and help tourism become a positive impact on the local population. In some cases, you can book an all-inclusive tour or you can hire a guide, a car and a driver for a period of time, and in others, you can rent some equipment, get some maps and off you go. The key is deciding what you want to do and how much you want to spend. Day-tours Day tours are the most common type of tour offered locally.
Tour guides take a small group to visit local sights, often including a meal.
These tours usually incorporate some kind of activity that requires equipment and guides, or involve access to local villages or attractions not open to the public. Rafting, kayaking, trekking, village visits and safaris are all activities that local adventure tour operators and outfitters offer for a reasonable cost. Multi-day cultural and adventure tours are also offered by local tour operators, and will often include accommodations and meals, as well as guide services, transportation and equipment. In some cases, local tour companies and outfitters will rent you equipment, drop you off and pick you up, and the rest of the time, you are on your own. Whether you are planning a trek in the Himalayas, an excursion to remote ruins or villages, or a walking tour of a city, sometimes it's a good idea to hire a local guide to accompany you, show you the way, and give you some inside background.