 Responsible consumption and tourism, how to choose the right souvenir. Meet Tom. Tom has spent two weeks' vacation in Sardinia and is now on his way home. Unfortunately, a bad surprise is waiting for him at the airport. The board police won't let him through because of a glass full of sand he took as a souvenir. They confiscate the glass and he has to pay a $1,000 fine. Why would this happen? Sand is a non-renewable resource, valuable not only to our planet, but also to the tourism and construction industry. Taking sand away as well as seashells and rocks can have a major impact on the environment and may lead to the disappearance of our beloved beaches. Tom promises to better inform himself next time to be sure not to endanger the ecosystem. Back home, he decides to have a closer look at the souvenirs he bought on earlier trips. There is this beautiful vase he brought home from Tunisia. Looking at the label on the bottom, he notices the inscription Made in Bangladesh for the first time. If I want to help the local economy, I really have to pay attention to the origin of the products, he thinks. In a box in his garage, he finds a bunch of hugely souvenirs he wanted to get rid of a long time ago. There is this bowl-shaped plastic toy from Mallorca and a whistle with a US flag on it. He says, I should only buy souvenirs that I will still enjoy many years later. Back in his living room, he notices the painting he bought in Ethiopia eight years ago. That's the perfect souvenir, Tom realizes. I paid a fair price for this piece of art. Made entirely with regional products, it helps sustain a local artist and I still enjoy looking at it today. From now on, Tom will always try to be aware of the material of the product, its origin and its usefulness when choosing a souvenir. How about you?