New Year is here. Is being a responsible tourist among your resolutions? Here are some tips on how to achieve it in London.
Being a good tourist means treating somebody else’s home with respect, leaving little in your wake and putting as much money as possible in local pockets.
Travel
Travel by train if you can. If you have to fly remember economy flights has a much smaller carbon footprint per person than an expensive flight with a lot of business-class seats.
People tend to think about sustainable, responsible travel only as environmentally friendly travel. Of course, we should support businesses that are kinder to nature. But the economic power of travel is immense, and you control that wealth distribution.
Stay
Book a small independent guesthouse directly or book hotels and businesses who have the Green Tourism Award. https://www.green-tourism.com/members/awards
Hotels in London with the Gold or Silver Award and great locations are: K West Hotel and Spa.One Aldwych Hotel,Park Plaza County Hall Waterloo, Park Plaza Sherlock Holmes hotel, The Bloomsbury, The Langham, The Marylebone, Hotel du Win Wimbledon, London Hilton on Park Lane, The Ned, The Ritz, The Violin Factory
Visit
I always advocate for under tourism. Choose places that get fewer travellers rather than more obvious, overpopulated, overbooked places.
Some places must be visited but there is so much to see in London.so many options to enjoy yourself and avoid queues and get to know British history and culture.
The Victoria and Albert Museum is one of my favourites. It is the World’s first design museum and it’s never as busy as the British Museum. Though mostly famous for their fashion history collection the museum has soon much more to offer. Their British Gallery offers an insight to Britain’s History, there is a cast court a photography exhibition. Asia galleries and much more.
If you find there are queues at the National Gallery, choose Tate Britain Art Gallery instead that offers unrivalled displays show the development of art in Britain from Tudor times to the present day.,
There are loads of smaller museums and art galleries, Leighton House home of the 19th century painter Frederic Leighton, has just been recently refurbished. He associated with the Pre-Raphaelites and was knighted by Queen Victoria.
Chelsea Physic Garden: Purchased by the founder of the British Museum Dir. Hans Sloane and leased to the Society of Apothecaries requiring that the garden supply the Royal Society of which he was a principal, with 50 good herbarium samples per year, up to a total of 2,000 plants. The Garden is also holder of the Green Tourism Award.
Guided Tours
When choosing a tour rather than opting for coach tours choose a walking tour or get in touch with independent Blue Badge Tourist Guides who not only hold the highest guiding qualification in Britain but can offer you tours in London and daytrips from London. Check out some of our London walks here: https://www.takemetolondon.com/
The Take Me to London team, Ildi, Jackie and Jill would be glad to tailor-make a sustainable itinerary and guide you through London or the British countryside responsibly.
Keep an eye out for our blogs or sign up for our newsletter as we will be posting about small businesses we recommend and secret gems of London. And more on responsible daytrips from London.