It happens more and more often to read or hear about structures or organizations that promote, “responsible tourism”. But what is it, basically?

In 2005, the Italian Association for Responsible Tourism (Associazione Italiana Turismo Responsabile, AITR) adopted the following definition:

“Responsible tourism is a tourism that is practiced according to the principles of social and economic integrity and with full respect for the environment and cultures; it recognizes the significance of the local host community and its right to be a protagonist in sustainable and socially responsible tourism development of its own territory, and operates by supporting the positive interaction between industries of tourism, local communities and travellers”.

This definition also includes the concept of sustainable tourism, that, unlike responsible tourism, which focuses on the ethical responsibility of the traveller itself, considers the impact that tourism can have on the environment, namely the risk of pollution and environmental degradation.

That something more - spiritual tourism

Spiritual and religious tourism undoubtedly embraces a responsible and sustainable approach to travel, but also adds important elements that will make your experience richer and more profound.

It is not obligatory to be a pilgrim or a believer in order to practice spiritual tourism.

Spirituality is in fact a very personal dimension of each person, and everyone lives and interprets it in its own way. Religious believers give it a religious meaning, living it through the experience of faith and in the constant relationship with the divinity, while others experience the spirituality trough the relationship with the deepest and most intimate levels of the self being.

Nevertheless, both types of travellers, while traveling and being spiritual, responsible and sustainable tourists, pursue the values of: awareness, respect, authenticity of relationships, acceptance, love for discovery and thirst for knowledge; they are open to new and unknown, they search beauty and joy, richness of experiences and fullness of life; they have the will for personal growth, desire for sharing and enjoy simplicity and harmony of a nature as a precious gift.

In general, traveling will make us discover a lot about what surrounds us and the people with whom we share the wonder of existence.

Traveling in a responsible, sustainable and spiritual way goes even further, making us discover so much about the things we already though we comprehend very well, but instead we remain surprised by finding and discovering ourselves again and again.