
Credit the high pay checks or the increasing boredom of fast-paced city life but the fact of the matter is Travel is steadily becoming an inseparable part of our lives. It is is liberating & rejuvenating. In fact, it is also becoming a financial consideration in annual family budgets. However, when it comes to responsible tourism and being a responsible traveller, WE Still Fall Short!
Of lately, there have been many instance that went viral of tourists involved with unethical & unruly practices like theft and more. There have been instances of tourist facing backlash from natives due to behavioral issue and more. Though these topics remain debatable but what one can surely work upon is on their travel etiquette. So here are some travel tips for travelling responsibly:

List of Contents
At the Airport/Bus Terminal/Railway Station/Tram Station/Metro Station/Ship:
-> Be on Time: We know some of us love to make those last minute entries with name being announced several times but it is an unnecessary nuisance and may adversely affect the schedule of the particular carrier.
-> Be in a Que and if it is utterly necessary then ask those in front and authorities.
-> Until and unless there’s a logical reason, try and Travel Light. In most airlines after a certain limit passengers need to pay extra bucks.
-> Especially while travelling internationally check what and what not is allowed in luggage and hand carry bag to avoid an unnecessary trouble.
-> Be patient with Immigration & Security checks. Also listen carefully what is being told while this process. Example: Different airports have different requirement for removing like belts, boots, jackets etc.
-> Don’t eat while standing in the line cause food droppings contributes to littering the place.
-> Check the weight & size of the bag beforehand and whether it is in compliance with the particular airline you are travelling with.
-> Keep the necessary documents handy while checking-in else you will end up yours and others valuable time.
-> Make use of headphones so as to avoid disturbing others.
-> Do not keep your feet on the armrest of the seat in front.
-> Wear a fresh pair of socks for travel, wear a decent deodorant if you tend to sweat a lot, and please avoid farting, and burping loudly.
-> Food & Drink: Do not waste food. Keep a restraint on the alcohol consumption while travelling in a plane, train etc.
-> Keep your excitement of trip & volumes down while talking during the journey.
-> Responsible Travel with Kids: While airline do provide some toys and activity books to keep kids engaged but it is advisable that parents carry few toys and baby food handy to avoid cranky kids & babies.
-> Be human & treat air-hostesses & fellow travellers with respect & courtesy.
-> Limited & proper use of washrooms is advisable.
-> Safety: Till the time seat belts sign is not switched off, remain seated. Stand behind the safety line as the train approaches platform. Do not push others for getting in or out from the metro, train, trams, etc.
Responsible Stay at Hotel/Resort/Hostel/Home Stay = Responsible Tourism
First things first hotels are temporary abodes and so booking a room does not make one an owner. So behaving and acting as a responsible traveller is a perquisite of responsible travel.
- Proper Use of Hotel Room and the amenities present inside should be done by guests. Damages for broken Glasses, Hair Dryers and more are usually billed by hotels. Switching off lights , air conditioners, heaters and using water in moderation etc. are an essential part of responsible tourism from traveller’s side. Stealing of equipment fitted inside the room, cutlery, towels etc. are a big No-No.

- While walking in corridors volume should be kept down & kids too should be controlled from running around and disturbing privacy and happy times of others.
- If you have an early or late check-in, hotel pick up then inform the hotel and request for arrangements accordingly. Don’t expect things to happen on the spot.
- During the breakfast or in a buffet service do not fill up your bags with eatables. In case of and early check-out or going for a trek or so request the hotel prior to pack some food as per your requirement.
- Generally, hotels forbid guests from doing laundry inside the room and so should be followed. Also following the rules stated by hotel for beach, balcony, swimming pool & terrace areas makes you a responsible & sensible traveller.
- If you are taking a road trip then check with hotel for parking & driver’s room facility if need be.
- Your belongings are your responsibility.
Some Additional Tips for Being a Responsible Traveller:
- Do not Litter & don’t damage historical & natural sites. There’s a popular joke among frequent travellers that ‘A beautiful place remains beautiful until humans reach the place’. Littering, Spitting, Graffiti making, Damaging a place of interest isn’t cool at all and certainly not a sign of responsible tourism.
- Avoid being a brat, tough to handle, noisy especially when in big travel groups.
- Do not indulge in excessive drinking, drugs or any contraband substance.
- Respect local people and before clicking photographs with them ask permission. Same is with women travellers, be respectful with them and avoid staring or passing lewd remarks.
- Don’t blindly believe on strangers especially while solo travelling.
- Follow the rules & dress code of the land especially while visiting religious places, wildlife sanctuaries, or indulging in adventure sports like trekking etc.
This exhaustive travel etiquette guide is for helping travel lovers, travels better. It is also a tiny contribution towards responsible tourism. If this guide was helpful or you want to add any other point or share your experience then do write in the comment box.
Happy & Responsible Travelling!

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So perfect and right tips you have shared .. actually few things we just ignore like kids running in coridores ….
These are some really helpful tips while traveling. We sometimes forget basic etiquettes while traveling.
Excellent tips!! Thank you for sharing! I am sharing and pinning!
Great post many times people forget basic ettiquattes .keeping small things in mind can go a long way .
Very simple and practical tips. That Ross callback was funny 🙂
I totally agree with you on these points – be respectful to the place, its culture and the hotel you stay in.
Absolutely love the post and the tips. Very thoughtfully penned and you have covered almost all the aspects of being a responsible traveler.
You have perfectly nailed the sustainable travel and have covered everything for us. With the recent news of an Indian family travelling in Bali and stealling hotel stuff, sustainable traveling now more than ever on the foreground.
Really good tips and at the right time when our planet needs it most. Hope everyone reads this…
For enjoying vacations to it’s fullest. We need to be mentally relaxed. And this start right from the time we reach at the airport.
Whenever we travel(especially during India trips), I prefer to keep passports in a pouch along with a paper with all the information written on it. It helps me in easily filling the forms without dropping anything from the bag.
Wonderful tips Judy. As an avid traveller myself, I know that following simple things like queuing and traveling light, can make our travel experience the best possible.
So true my dear, we forget the basics of being responsible when we travel. Hope many more people read your post and take note.
Really liked the write up about 30 ways to be come responsible traveller. Standing in Que, waiting for your number is always imp and many don’t understand this.
Wonderful post. Being responsible for every action is important. For our ease and not cause other’s inconvenience
These are excellent tips. Even though they should come naturally to us, we need to be reminded these every now and then (no offence intended).
Great tips! I am pinning the post. Useful for reducing the hassle of travelling and behaving like a responsible traveller.
I always follow the mentioned points and make sure my family follows them too.
With travel becoming mainstream, almost everyone is exploring the world. But very few travel responsibly. These are fabulous pointers and must be followed by all of us and ensure that our travel is responsible, sustainable and eco-friendly.
Wow really helpful article, would surely gonna use your points.
Useful tips
So happy to read this article. General attitude of the mass is that travel is for fun and therefore they have the right to damage everything. and harass people.
Need of the hour, especially now that more and more people are taking up travel extensively! World over, Asian tourists are considered the worst-mannered! So these travel etiquettes must be followed by all travelers!
I’ve read quite a few articles on this topic over the years… This is one of the best written. Well done.
Thanks, means a lot.
These point must be followed
Then only we can make a better world for all
Informative post, all ideas are doable.
The Traveler in us needs to be responsible and respectable to nature, place, city where-ever we are.
#PraGunReads #MyFriendAlexa
I have done a lot of group travels and trust me if people adhere to your points life would be so much easier. There are some basics which we ignore.
very useful tips, I always am a last moment runner, I need to start being on time, prepare earlier and make sure to enjoy trips
I always believe in travelling light. Great tips, you have covered all.
i love the tips you’ve shared for traveling. we should maintain the decorum for your as well as others comfort
You suggest some very sensible points to be a responsible traveller. But coming on time, no eating while standing in a queue, wearing a clean pair of socks and not stealing shampoo and moistening gels? You are taking all the fun out of travel. Might as well stay home.
Great tips in here. If each one of us is responsible while travelling then the whole experience of travelling becomes much easier.
Excellent tips – I feel these tips can be used not just while travelling but generally in life as well.
Need of the hour. These are basic common courtesies that travellers overlook. As the old adage goes ‘treat others as you wish to be treated’
These are some very helpful tips which one must follow. Loved your post!!! Hope people follow them!!
Some of the things that you mentioned are so basic and yet it is saw to witness so many people not following it. This should be sent as a reminder to everyone who is planning a travel.
Hi, that’s such an exhaustive list you have provided. Thanks for the same. I am surely gonna carry this list with me on my next travel/ trip 🙂
One more thing i would like to add and that’s coming from my personal experience. Whether travelling domestic or international, please ensure to carry the accepted credit cards.
Great tips ,explore more with these great tips.
Perfect list to be a responsible traveller. After the incident that shook social media, such reminders should be mandatory.
There are many such incidents that happen but don’t come in limelight. 😀 EVen foreigners do such extremes.
Responsible stay is responsible tourism made me chuckle…very informative post.
These are great travel tips. From Indian perspective, time management is biggest issue that I have experienced. Our countrymen don’t appreciate the value of time and this is something that irritates people in other countries especially the tour guides. This is a great list.
Such useful and pragmatic tips all. loved the images too
I travel very often. So next time I am keeping all your tips in mind especially not to trust strangers blindly. 🙂
I love this post. It’s important not to lose your humility when traveling.
I wish everyone would just follow your tips on flights. Sometimes it becomes too irritating during a long duration flight!
Travel etiquette is very important as a traveler and a good citizen. Taking note of how much luggage are you taking with you, smelling good and not burping aloud in public are some of the basic manners we can have.
After recently having Indian backlash in Bali, this post was much needed.
Hope we all follow & be responsible.
It is must for all of us to be a responsible travel. I always double check the weight & size of the bag beforehand and Follow the rules & dress code of the land. These are some helpful tips.
It’s a wonderful list. Not something we wouldn’t know. But I would use it for teaching my little kiddo for sure. Thanks for collating it.
Most importantly we need to have the right, positive attitude. Yes most of us know these things still when it comes to practicing these pointers we fail.
Very true
Great post and most of these need to be followed in own country too.People just dont like rules !
You have summed it up beautifully in your post. All pointers mentioned are practical and we Indians especially fall short in maintaining Que. This post is a good reminder of what travel etiquette should be.
I think this should be the Holy Grail for most Indian travellers! Or there should be a test on this like for a written drivers test! Thanks for sharing #wordsmithkaurreads
Being courteous and gracious should be the prime factors of every human being, same applies when we travel. you list and pointers are amazing.
All are great tips, doable and not impossible but are the ones that we often neglect. This is a great list.
Very useful tips while traveling shared by you, keep the baggage light is the one that I need to work on seriously.Thanks for sharing!
So well jotted down Judy. Unfortunately very few people realize these things and the ones who realize them are numbered.
Perfect doable tips shared Judy. While travelling respect others, give privacy and follow these rules with a smile in every country
When travelling abroad especially our travel behaviour speaks a lot about our cultural background. These are some good tips.
These are the apt tips for being a responsible Traveller. At times, we often tend to forget basic etiquettes which results in a lot of trouble not only for us but other travellers as well.
Such a well needed post. I totally remember that scene from Friends and how it cracked me up but no one would ever like to be in that situation in real. Responsible traveling is the word!
Responsible Tourism is somethig definitely i am close too… Liked reading atll your tips..Trying to follow all of these too….
Great tips I must say. I myself ignored many of these points u mentioned.
oh yes! these are some wonderful tips!
This post will be of great help when one plans to travel, thank you for the share buddy, all points are good
Traveling is so soothing and travelling for us and we should make it for others too. These are some great tips you have shared here.
A very important list for traveling outside and inside country.Should be common sense but often is not!
It is really important to know about local culture before visiting somewhere. What may seem ok to us may not be considered so by many.
And these are such helpful tips. Every word is essential and to be kept in check. I really wish Indians while touring our country considered this. I have seen people disturbing other with their non stop chatter or stamping the seats. it is irksome..
It’s really very important to be a responsible traveller right from packing to behaving at the new location. Travel light is something that needs more focus on.
You have absolutely written what I feel too. It’s always good to be responsible and respect the area and its laws and culture. Very nice tips shared here Judy.
These tips are nice and good to follow while we are traveling and make the experience worth it.
You have shared such important tips. It’s so important that we don’t forget basic etiquette while travelling.
Wow… That’s an interesting topic and a very insightful blog. Totally loved it. Will save it for re-read as well.
If every traveler is responsible the world would indeed be a better place. Small things that we as individuals can do have a cascading effect and can have a big impact.
These tips are very broadly divided and liked each pointer of it. Yes we all should know the country rules we are about to travel for hassle free holidays.
That, my girl is a super lengthy list and exhaustive list of do’s and don’ts! I should take printouts and share it when I encounter such people in my travels.
traveling with kids is not easy. That’s an intriguing read, Loved the post and your unique writing style.
I live outside India and have seen Indian tourists behave quite weirdly here … Thanks for all the tips and no littering is so important
Great tips! Your blog post is like Safe Travel Tips 101. Brilliant. Bookmarking it for future reference.
these are some amazing tips for people traveling with kids. I also agree with you to not to believe on strangers blindly. Nice compilation
Nice post , you have covered all points nicely . When one follows all these , traveling is fun and enjoyable.
A well detailed post. I could relate it to eco-tourism too.
Your ideas are so pertinent. It reminded me of a recent video where an Indian family got busted for stealing hotel accessories in Bali. They were caught by the staff .. what a disgrace!
A very essential read for every traveler! A sensible and responsible compilation!
Awesome tips, very handy
Ah! You have got everything in here. Being traveler and being responsible traveler have lots of differences.
Thank you so much for sharing these tips they sure would be useful when I travel.
So perfectly written and with kids it is more important to take care of all these things. You can not take a chance to miss any of this.
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