Code of Ethics for Tourists

I wanted to share the following that is posted on the bulletin board at the language school.

Code of Ethics for Tourists

1. Travel in a spirit of humility and with a genuine desire to learn more about the people of your host country.

2. Be sensitive to the feelings of other people, thus preventing what might be offensive behavior on your part. This applies to photography as well.

3. Cultivate the habit of listening and observing, rather than merely hearing and seeing.

4. Realize that often people in the country you visit have time concepts and thought patterns different from your own; This does not make them inferior, only different.

5. Instead of looking for that beach paradise, discover the enrichment of seeing a different way of life, through other eyes.

6. Acquaint yourself with local customs. People will help you.

7. Instead of a Western practice of knowing all the answers, cultivate the habit of asking questions.

8. Remember that you are only one of the thousands of tourists visiting this country and do not expect special privileges.

9. If you really want your experience to be a home away from home, it is foolish to waste money on traveling.

10. When you are shopping, remember that bargain you obtained was only possible because of the low wages paid to the maker.

11. Do not make promises to people in your host country unless you are certain you can carry them through.

12. Spend time reflecting on your daily experiences in an attempt to deepen your understanding.  It has been said that what enriches you may rob and violate others.

Early in the trip we read through the code of ethics and discussed them.  Overall, the group has worked hard to try to maintain our ethics as tourists.  We haven't been perfect but we have learned a lot and been humbled by our experiences and mess ups.  I thought I would share it with the readers of our blog so you can be aware of the rules we have tried to live by while in Mexico.

Saludos,
Beth Hatt