Travelling is fun and you learn a lot. Other places have other customs, other people and other landscapes. How often do tourists travel to foreign places and admire interesting architecture, exotic restaurants and foreign behaviour without thinking that this place is a home for all the people they see there? This is something like what a host experiences after showing his guests how beautiful his house is, only to be left with a huge mess to clean up for days afterwards. 

A good, responsible tourist tries to show respect to their host location and leave something positive behind through their visit. Being a responsible and respectful traveller can make the trip that much more valuable. 

A good tourist is polite, positive and environmentally aware. Good manners are universal, even or especially on holiday you should not let yourself go as a tourist and behave as if there were no other people around. 

Before travelling somewhere, it is polite to know a little about the place and to inform yourself. You will often find out that certain behaviours that are acceptable in your own country appear offensive in the host country. These may be simple lapses in courtesy or even criminal offences. Just recently, an Australian couple was arrested in Dubai because they did not know that extramarital sex is a criminal offence there. It is also important to know whether the place is only worth a short visit or a whole holiday. 

You don't have to forego environmentally friendly behaviour when travelling either. You don't necessarily have to have your towels washed every day in the hotel if no one else uses them. Even the air conditioning only needs to be switched on when you are in the room. This also applies to other electronic devices. If you are staying in one place for a long time, it is worth finding nearby recycling bins instead of simply throwing the rubbish together. If it's not too time-consuming, you can perhaps use public transport or a hire bike instead of a taxi or hire car. After all, a bit of exercise is good for us, especially on holiday. 

Small local shops should be supported and local brands should be bought. This is a good opportunity to try something new instead of buying exactly the same thing that is available at home. In this way, the lives of the locals are enriched by the tourists. 

Far too often we travel to exotic places and limit our meals to the hotel. But you can experience a place much more closely by eating in bistros and restaurants outside. It's even better if you show an interest in the country and its people and exchange a few words with the locals. Most people appreciate it when tourists make the effort to learn a few words of their language. Sometimes it takes a little effort to get out of your comfort zone, but it's worth it and leaves you with unique memories.

Respect for the culture of the local people should actually be a matter of course. Unfortunately, however, many tourists make fun of things that are foreign to them without realising that they are hurting the feelings of others. If you visit a church or mosque as a tourist, you should keep your voice down, as the locals go to their places of worship to pray. Tourists should also make sure they dress appropriately. In many countries it is considered offensive to show too much skin, not just in churches but in general. In places where it is customary to take off your shoes before entering, you should do the same as a foreigner, even if you don't understand the custom.

Please help to maintain the sights of the village so that others can enjoy them. Neither walls should be painted nor facilities damaged or defaced with rubbish. If you can't find a rubbish bin, you can take your own rubbish back to the hotel. There are also antique works of art that should not be touched for good reason, namely because they are very delicate. 

You can also take a cloth bag with you when you go shopping on holiday, just like at home. Even though plastic bags are still available for free in many countries, you don't have to waste plastic if you don't need to. 

Don't forget: even in the best holiday destinations, not every corner is the prettiest, just like at home. Open criticism is therefore neither appropriate nor welcome. As a guest, you just have to deal with such situations, because everyone works on their problems as best they can under the circumstances.