MANGO STICKY VIBES
ECOLOGY AND TRAVEL ACCORDING TO ALICE
Today we interview Alice, author of the blog Mango Sticky Vibes . We will discuss with her the relationship between travel and ecology in all its nuances, between notes and flavors of distant countries.
Today we have the pleasure of hosting Alice and her blog. Alice chose us as her hosting service and we are honored! Could you tell us how this blog of yours was born starting from the title, which has an Asian flavour?
My blog was born from my passion for travel, from my desire to get involved and to have a virtual space in which to talk about my experiences.
Thanks to the meeting with two famous Italian bloggers and their travel blogger school, I threw myself into this experience, which, at first glance, seems beautiful and easy, but in reality there is a very complex but very stimulating background. My name mangostickyvibes comes from my (heartfelt!) trip to Thailand in 2017.
For those who don't know, in the land of smiles there is a dessert made with mango, rice and coconut milk called mango sticky rices: I was madly in love with it and it could never be missing!
E’ born like this but I play, but when it was time to think about the real name of the blog I had become fond of it and I was no longer able to change it.
In your blog you have a section dedicated to responsible, sustainable tourism and ecotourism. Would you like to talk to us about it, explaining the various differences.
Exact! I wanted to include this section not only to clarify since often these “labels” are used synonymously or inappropriately, but also because it is a profoundly current and necessary topic.
Over the years, also thanks to the definitions provided by the Assemblies and World Organizations in the sector, the terms of “responsible tourism” e “sustainable tourism” have become almost synonymous: they make a clear reference to respect for the environment, to the support of populations and their local economies.
In reality, originally, responsible tourism was more related to the economic and ethical sphere, while sustainable tourism was more concerned with the negative impact generated on the ecosystem that hosted uncontrolled mass tourism.
Ecotourism, on the other hand, is the right balance between tourism in nature, such as a trek in the mountains or a safari in the savannah, and sustainable tourism, i.e. implemented according to the principles of environmental respect.
If I go hiking in the mountains, I'm not necessarily doing it “ecotourism” just because they are in contact with nature. I am actually practicing it, if I implement a whole series of behaviors that do not disfigure the surrounding landscape, such as, for example, I collect the papers from my packed lunch or I do not throw my handkerchiefs or, worse, my cigarette butts on the lawn.
What was the country or city that transformed you the most and changed your travel perspective?
I would answer this question with “the last three trips: Thailand, Malaysia and Zanzibar”.
Visiting South East Asia opened my eyes to the lack of care and attention they have for the environment: Bangkok's Chinatown is a huge warehouse and in Malaysia I saw guys who live and work in Perhentian throwing cans into the sea as if nothing had happened, regardless of the damage.
Zanzibar, on the other hand, made me think a lot about the disparities: from super mega resorts directly on the beach to barefoot children it was just the distance of a road (very bumpy!).
Finally, what do you do to make your travels greener?
First of all, I choose accommodation facilities that are attentive to the environment and managed by locals or local people.
Then during the trip, I pay attention to my lifestyle by being careful and limiting the consumption of plastic bottles (or cutlery), choosing to eat in restaurants that favor zero kilometer and organic farming.
This is not always possible, especially if you are abroad, but in all cases I try to avoid fast food and eat as many locals as possible. Oh, and if I can I try to visit places by bike.
Easy Travel Hosting thanks Alice very much for taking part in our interview and choosing us as her Ecological Web Hosting service.
If you want to follow Alice's adventures, you can do so on her website by clicking here. And on social media too!
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