Everyone loves a holiday. But with the self-indulgence that comes with travelling, it can be easy
to forget how to behave sustainably.
Image credit: Unsplash
Travellers have a responsibility to be respectful of the environment and local communities. The climate crisis has only made this need more urgent. Many popular tourist areas along the Equator suffer the brunt of climate change, despite contributing the fewest emissions.
By travelling more consciously, you can minimise the risk of environmental harm to the places you visit. Eco-tourism even provides an opportunity to contribute to sustainable development projects in damaged areas. Read on to discover how to act more sustainably on your travels at every step.
Booking
As with any holiday preparation, sustainable travel requires meticulous research. In response to the climate crisis, there is a growing number of hotels and travel operators around the world who actively support environmental protection. But be warned, you need to exercise a bit of judgement when selecting where to stay and what to do.
Many companies are guilty of what environmentalist Jay Westerveld termed ‘greenwashing’ — making a show of being eco-friendly without actually being committed to conservation. He used the example of the hotel industry promoting a one-towel policy, which was really done to save on laundry. There are many other similar examples of this today.
Consequently, you have to dig a bit deeper to gauge the true character of these companies. Accreditations are a good seal of approval. With hotels, look for certifications from groups like EarthCheck which judges sustainability based on energy efficiency, water consumption and waste management.
As for tour operators, a ‘B Corp’ accreditation certifies their commitment to social and environmental enrichment. Partnerships with charities further underline a company’s commitment to community building. Having done your research and settled on accommodation, you can sleep well knowing that your money is not being misspent. The next step is your individual actions.
Transportation
Depending on where you are travelling, ask yourself if your destination is reachable by land. Opting out of flights does wonders for reducing your carbon footprint, and it also enables you to properly experience every moment of your journey.
Check to see if your route allows for rail travel. Intertail has become a really popular way for backpackers to travel across Europe on the cheap, all whilst reducing their ecological impact. Buses might not be as alluring, but they represent another widely accessible and environmentally conscious mode of transport.
If you’re set on making your own way on your travels, consider hiring an electric car rather than an internal combustion engine vehicle. Or, alternatively, you could consider renting a campervan — if you do, ensure that you don’t overcrowd your living space, and use electric brakes or a brake controller as they’re a lot safer to travel with.
More tour operators are promoting land-based, eco-friendly transport, meaning it has never been easier to travel cleanly. Transportation is where you’ll make up most of your emissions, so it’s important to go green where possible when hopping from place to place.
Sightseeing
Being on your travels is no excuse to throw all the eco-friendly habits you’ve heard before out of the window. Treat your surroundings with care and respect, and take steps to limit consumption.
One useful principle is to treat your hotel as if it was your home. Try to avoid the temptation of warm baths filled to the brim, reuse towels and turn off the TV, lights and air con when going out. Properly dispose of your waste, making use of the onsite recycling facilities.
When out and about, look for local food and drink. Seek out restaurants that source their ingredients from nearby suppliers. Visit bars that sell local brews. This ensures that the journey your meal took to get to your table, and all of the emissions that come with it, is kept to a minimum.
Finally, help to preserve biodiversity by sticking to public footpaths, leaving local wildlife undisturbed and never littering. It is all too easy for holidaymakers to neglect the responsibility of travelling sustainably; once they return home, they are far detached from the consequences of their actions.
A more sustainable approach to tourism with these simple tips can help to preserve the environment for communities and wildlife which depend on them year-round.