Sustainable Travel Can be eco-friendly
If you’re a nature lover and frequent traveler, you’ve probably thought about sustainable travel tips. However, you, like many others, may have been concerned about the additional costs. For a long time, sustainable tourism has been inextricably linked with opulent experiences or regarded as requiring a sacrifice of personal comfort. However, this is largely a misunderstanding. Sustainable practices don’t always necessitate higher costs, and sacrificing comfort is a personal choice.
Sustainable tourism is resource-conscious, focusing on maximum utilization and, as a result, zero waste.
Another golden rule of sustainable travel is to stay away from places that are overrun with tourists during peak season. This is not only practical, as a large influx of tourists causes shortages and infrastructure failures, but it is also less expensive. Sustainable travel, with its emphasis on reducing waste and maximising efficiency, can thus be accomplished on a shoestring budget.
How to Travel Sustainably in 2022 and Beyond
You don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone, they say. And there’s nothing like a global pandemic to make you think about and appreciate the value of all the things you hold dear. Three months ago, the world came to a halt, countries closed their borders, and life as we knew it was forever changed.
But, as we begin to emerge slowly and cautiously from the chaos and challenges of 2020, we, as a species, have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reassess, reset, and restart; and what better place to begin than with travel?
In 2019, the tourism and travel industry contributed 10.4% of global GDP (US$9.258 billion), but it also accounted for nearly 10% of greenhouse gas emissions. Post-pandemic travel, like so many other aspects of life as we knew it, must change and that change must be sustainable.
Why is Sustainable Tourism Important?
On almost every level, the opportunity to re-imagine tourism in order to make it more sustainable would be beneficial. Travelers can take advantage of travel’s full transformative powers by experiencing the authentic culture and making a positive impact while exploring the world.
The income generated by visitors stays in the host community, assisting in the development of infrastructure and living standards, as well as the preservation of cultural values and traditions.
For the planet, a more environmentally friendly mode of transportation will actively contribute to the preservation and protection of mother nature’s treasures for future generations.
It’s a win-win situation for everyone involved, and it’s something that can be accomplished with these environmentally friendly and sustainable travel tips.
How to travel sustainably?
Essential Sustainable Travel Tips
So, what if you could change the world simply by altering your travel habits? You certainly can! Here’s how to do it:
1- Book Your Trip With A Sustainable Tour Operator
One of the best sustainable travel tips is to make sure you’re investing your money in a company that has sustainability at its core, not just surface-level tactics like offering eco-friendly hotel options, whether you’re studying, volunteering, adventuring, or anything else.
When it comes to sustainable tourism, G Adventures really sets the bar high. The tour operator established the Planeterra Foundation to empower communities and give back to the places where their clients travel.
With the help of travelers, the foundation hopes to break the cycle of poverty by providing access to education and economic opportunities.
2- Take the Bus or Train Wherever Possible
If you absolutely must fly, carbon offset your trip with a reputable company. You can even use bus and train routes to offset your carbon emissions!
There are numerous organisations that offer carbon offset programs for travelers. You should, however, investigate which specific projects are supported and whether or not they are actually sustainable. It’s pointless to plant a tree only to have it cut down a few years later.
Atmosfair and myclimate are two ethical and certified carbon offsetting companies that calculate CO2 emissions very precisely.
3- Try to Fly With an Airline That is Investing in Biofuels
Avoiding flying is one of the most important eco-friendly travel tips, but this isn’t always possible. Instead, look into airlines like KLM, Lufthansa, and American Airlines, all of which are investing heavily in clean biofuel technology.
KLM became the first airline in the world to carry passengers on a commercial biofuel flight from Amsterdam to Paris in 2019. Lufthansa has operated over 1,000 biofuel flights between Hamburg and Frankfurt to date.
Plant oils, agricultural waste, and wood chips are used to make biofuels. When renewable biofuels are used instead of fossil fuels, carbon emissions can be reduced by up to 80%.
4- Research and Be Respectful of the Local Culture
Sustainable travel also entails resisting the urge to impose your own culture or viewpoints on the country and society you’re visiting; for example, dress modestly if that’s the norm.
While we’re on the subject of respect, ask locals if you can photograph them before taking a picture of them. This not only relaxes them and increases your chances of getting a smile from the subject of your photograph, but it also demonstrates that you value and respect the person in front of the camera.
5- Bring Your Own Water Bottle
It’s time to say goodbye to plastic waste, which can be easily reduced. One of our favorite eco-friendly travel tips is to invest in a reusable water bottle to avoid contributing to even more plastic waste.
Plastic waste may not be a problem in developed countries such as Germany and Switzerland, but developing countries such as Cambodia and Vietnam are grappling with uncontrollable plastic waste in oceans, waterways, and on beaches.
Show younger students how it’s done, and if someone asks, explain why it’s important to reuse, reduce, and recycle.
6- Buy Souvenirs At Small Local Stores
One of the most straightforward sustainable travel suggestions? When buying gifts for family and friends, support the local economy by shopping at small local businesses. The same is true when dining out. Check to see if the restaurants you’re eating at are owned and operated by locals!
Buying locally not only provides economic opportunities for people but also reduces a product’s negative environmental impact. Shipping products outside of the country of manufacture pollutes the air and water, so support local businesses and buy handmade goods whenever possible.
7- Respect Wildlife
If you’re going somewhere where you’ve never seen wildlife before, be respectful by not getting too close, not feeding wild animals, and speaking quietly around them. One of the most important sustainable travel tips is to treat others with respect.
The importance of wildlife to our planet cannot be overstated. Each species has a specific role to play in the ecosystem, which helps us maintain a healthy ecological balance. However, because more and more animals are becoming endangered, please respect wildlife and learn about what else you can do while traveling about this topic.
8- Leave as Little Trace as Possible
Hiking? Make sure you stay on the right track. Need to use the restroom while out exploring? To avoid contamination, stay as far away from any water source as possible; in general, stay at least 50 meters away from a river or lake. Isn’t it simple enough?
9- Reflect On Your Experience
Travels that shape you and inspire you to make a positive difference in the world are the most sustainable.
The University of Edinburgh has put together an excellent resource with a variety of reflection tools from which to choose for this process. While this resource is designed for use in the classroom, it can also be used for learning outside of the classroom.
The four F’s of active reviewing are our personal favorite toolkit. To ensure a meaningful travel experience, consider facts, feelings, findings, and the future.
10- Learn A Few Language Basics To Interact With the Locals
Are you planning a trip to Colombia? To review the basics, download a language app like Duolingo. Goodbye, Goodbye, Goodbye, Goodbye, Goodbye How are you doing, thank you for your time.
Learning the local language of the destination you are visiting not only demonstrates respect for the culture, but it will also make it much easier for you to navigate and communicate with locals.
You might even make a couple of new friends! Another great benefit of learning a foreign language is that it improves your listening and memory skills.
Eco-Friendly Travel Tips Make for A Guilt-Free
To use these eco-friendly travel tips, you don’t have to be an environmentalist or a climate crisis activist. Simply look for tour operators that think globally but act locally, such as CAS Trips, and collaborate with local NGOs, charities, and social enterprises.
Also, by participating in positive local impact projects and challenges, you can learn more about the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs).
You can harness all of the incredible excitement and power of travel by following these sustainable travel tips. So, what do you have to lose? It’s that simple to change your travel habits and support sustainable tourism.
CAS Trips creates unique educational travel experiences. Students are inspired to become global-minded, conscientious young adults by exploring and engaging with real global issues in real-life situations through local creativity, activity, and service projects from Bhutan to Berlin.
CAS Trips is dedicated to long-term economic, social, and environmental viability. The carbon footprint of every CAS Trip participant is calculated and offset to ensure a carbon-neutral travel experience.
