Ethical tourism (or how not to be a prick on holiday)

Going on holiday is kinda just the best thing. There's no chores, you're spending quality time with people you love, visiting places you've never seen before and making memories at every turn. It's starting to get to that time of year where we're all thinking about booking a holiday, and we all v much need one because 2018 has been SO COLD so far. 
It's so easy to be so destructive and wasteful on holiday, and I'll be the first to say that I've definitely done it in the past. But, I'm going to be doing my research into the next holiday we book, and finding out how we can make it the most ethical and environmentally friendly holiday we reasonably can. 
First up is watching what we eat and drink, and how we do it. Provided we're going to a place with safe water we'll be bringing our own reusable water bottles rather than buying endless plastic bottles as we go. This can honestly make such a massive difference. We'll also be saying no to straws and recycling as much packaging waste from food and drink as possible. And also v importantly is that we'll be trying to eat local, supporting small businesses that rely on income from tourists.
I'm *that* person that always likes to have a vague itinerary in mind, so I always do quite a bit of research before we go away, to see what kind of local attractions there are. Both me and my partner love animals, and although that makes it super tempting to do things that are up close and personal with animals, we tend to avoid it. We steered far clear of Seaworld on last year's Florida trip because neither of us agree with the ethics of the park. 
There's so many things you can do whilst away to help a place rather than harm it. Sticking to designated areas whilst hiking (aka not trampling through native plants), buying local handmade gifts to take home (obvs not the kind that are dubiously probably made from animals), don't litter, be friendly, and most of all have fun and relax.
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