Eco-Friendly Travel
No matter if it’s vacation or at home, all actions have an effect on the environment; eco-friendly travel aims to reduce this impact as much as possible.
Reducing plastic pollution requires selecting hotels and tour operators who prioritize sustainability, as well as packing reusable tote bags, water bottles and cutlery sets to reduce plastic pollution.
Reduce Your Carbon Footprint
Travel is a carbon intensive activity. Air travel in particular produces more CO2 than any other mode. If air travel is your only means of reaching your destination, choose an airline that prioritizes sustainability and offers carbon offset programs as these hidden fees actually do good work. When possible, fly direct without layovers – any stops or starts use more fuel!
Travel light and only pack what is necessary – your luggage weight has an effect on fuel use. Consider investing in eco-friendly travel products, like reusable cotton tote bags and refillable coffee mugs, for your trip. Look for hotels that promote green practices such as encouraging guests to reuse towels; some hotels even run on renewable energy, use water reduction methods, or source local products.
Avoid Flights
Travel is one of the greatest pleasures, yet its environmental impacts cannot be denied. Luckily, there are simple strategies available to offset your environmental footprint while traveling abroad.
Selecting eco-friendly tour companies or carrying a reusable coffee mug are choices that can have a big impact. By spending tourism dollars with environmentally conscious businesses, your choices can set an example and support their conservation efforts.
If you must fly, consider choosing direct routes in order to reduce air pollution. Furthermore, choosing economy over business or first class flights may be more environmentally friendly, since those sitting up front contribute more towards flight emissions. As another alternative you could purchase carbon offsets through programs that help offset CO2 emissions such as reforestation projects or offset programs that offset emissions with projects designed to offset them such as carbon offsets.
Preserve Wildlife
An integral aspect of sustainable travel involves protecting and preserving local wildlife. You should always maintain a safe distance from animals (particularly wild ones), never touch or feed them, and never alter their natural habitats.
Search for travel companies with a clear responsible travel policy that covers animal welfare. Many tours and hotels also provide opportunities for short-term volunteering projects focused on environmental conservation efforts.
One hotel in New York City partners with Bette Midler’s Green Team to give guests a chance to help beautify Central Park, while others arrange trips for helping monitor feral animals or conduct wombat surveys – activities which provide more hands-on experiences of local wildlife than simply viewing from a distance.
Support Local Businesses
Travel is a global industry and, while you may practice eco-friendliness at home, many don’t recognize the impact their choices can have when traveling.
Travelers can make small steps toward eco-friendly travel that can have a big impact. Some examples are packing reusable tote bags and coffee mugs, booking hotel rooms that prioritize environmental issues, supporting local businesses while traveling and using public transit instead.
One way of doing this is to visit a venue’s sustainability page on their website and read their transparent language about measuring environmental and social impacts. Another solution would be an app like Support Local that connects you to local businesses who support charitable and nonprofit causes in their area.
Stay Off the Road
Although it may not be possible to completely avoid air travel, you can still make an impactful statement by purchasing carbon offsets for flights. Doing so contributes financially towards projects like reforestation that help mitigate CO2 emissions. Both The Nature Conservancy and Carbon Footprint calculator provide easy-to-use tools that let you calculate how much of CO2 can be neutralized with donations made on behalf of flights taken in any one trip.
Traveling more sustainably means booking tours through local companies. Local providers usually have better knowledge about their destinations, stronger relationships with suppliers and can offer unique experiences you won’t be able to discover on your own.
Sustainability-minded travelers may also take part in WWOOF or Workaway programs to swap time for accommodation with hosts in all corners of the globe, making their trip more meaningful while helping reduce local economy stress.