What is Sustainable Travel?
Sustainable travel is a very broad term, so it’s not surprising that individuals interpret it in many ways. There is no universal term, and it depends on how you interpret it. Essentially sustainable travel is a way of balancing long-term tourism without harming cultural or natural environments. It’s important to ask yourself, “How can I be more sustainable when travelling?” It’s very much a balancing act. How can you act more responsibly to minimize the negative impacts of tourism and be beneficial to the destination you are exploring. It’s definitely possible. We’ll go into some further detail about that as you scroll down.
What is the Most Sustainable Way to Travel?
Is sustainable tourism possible?
Some might argue that sustainable travel is a hard concept, especially given that global tourism is on an upward trajectory. The risk is that we create over-tourism in popular places and impact the general environment as a result. How many times have you travelled to a ‘must-see’ destination, only to find yourself surrounded by hundreds of others with their cameras looking to capture the same view?
It’s fair to argue that tourism will never be completely sustainable. That being said, there are ways in which we can behave as we travel to create a balance between the impact we make and ensuring sustainable approaches to travel. We’ve got some guidelines on how to be a more responsible traveller below.
How can travel be sustainable?
We’ve already seen many of the problems brought by the growth of global tourism. The covid pandemic certainly showed how a sudden stand-still on travel allowed the environment to thrive. The water in the canals of Venice had never been so crystal blue, and dolphins finally returned to the Tagus river in Lisbon. For travel to be sustainable, we need to balance the needs of people, the planet, and prosperity. Finding the balance can, in fact, enable you to travel more responsibly. But how do we find that balance?
What is the most sustainable way to travel?
It actually starts from before you’ve even left the ground. It requires forward-thinking and in-depth research before you travel, considerate measures whilst you’re away, and careful reflection post journey so that you can continue to travel with more sustainable practices later down the line. For example, can you travel to a destination off-season to avoid overcrowding and support local economies when they are experiencing low seasons? It just takes being considerate and little adjustments like these to really impact how you travel.
Sustainable Travel Ideas and practices
There are many ways in which you can be a responsible traveller. You can check out some of our top recommendations to be more conscious as you travel on the ground.
Be considerate of the communities and environment you visit.
- Do not litter and carry your own trash bag around with you in case you’re in an area where you are unable to dispose of litter straight away.
- Educate yourself about a place before you visit, remember you are a guest visiting others homes and communities.
- Always ask before you take photographs of people. Whilst it’s important to capture memories to treasure for a lifetime, if someone says no then you must respect their wishes.
- Go local, support small businesses and buy local souvenirs or treats as you are travelling. It’s good to keep traditional trades alive and this is a great way of doing it!
Avoid the plane and take the train
- How we travel to places is what makes the biggest impact on our carbon footprint as we explore. We’re not saying that you shouldn’t fly to destinations you’re eager to discover. But if it is the case that you have to fly somewhere, once you’re there try to be more sustainable in your approach in exploring the country. Traveling by a train not only enables you to discover a deeper sense of place, it’s more sustainable. There are some great train routes in Southeast Asia, India and Europe.
Cut out the plastic
- We’ve already seen the impact of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch which will take hundreds of years to break down and is already having an impact on marine ecosystems. When we travel, plastic waste is even more of a problem. You can avoid this by traveling with a reusable water bottle and buying purifiers to drink the local water instead. If you’re somewhere tropical try picking up a fresh coconut instead of a plastic bottle of water- it’s even more refreshing, delicious, and will probably cost much less also!
- Travel with reusable tote bags. That way, when you’re exploring the local markets and want to pick something up, you’ve already got a bag handy to store your goods in.
How does sustainable travel work
There are many ways to ensure that you are travelling sustainably before you leave your home. Don’t be afraid to be inquisitive to your tour providers about their sustainable travel practices. Ask what their policies are regarding environmental and responsible tourism. It’s great to support those who are also supporting responsible tourism. We’ve got some great suggestions already for you below.
It would help if you always asked your accommodation provider about their sustainable practices too before you travel. Are they recycling? Or how are they reducing their food waste? More than half of the food produced in hotels is being wasted and many establishments are beginning to make a conscious effort to turn this around. Find hotels partnered with local organizations that are assisting in managing these issues. For example, Omni Hotels donate leftover food to families in all their resorts. To date, they’ve provided over 18 million meals to families in need. Ensuring you are travelling.
Sustainable Travel Companies
When it comes to sourcing sustainable travel companies, it’s okay to be inquisitive with an agency to ensure your responsible travel ethics are aligned. Instead of working with big travel agencies with operations across the globe, opt for smaller, locally-based agencies. Not only will they have a better handle on the country, but it’s also likely that they’ll employ affable locals, so you’ll be doing your bit to support the local economy.
There are some great platforms for keeping in the loop of companies that are actively being more sustainable. Kynder is a great option if you prefer to arrange travel plans yourself but want to connect to local hospitality companies on the ground engaging with sustainable practices. They have a strict set of guidelines hospitality companies must pass to feature, so you can be sure they’ve been vetted in advance regarding their sustainable practices.
If you’re looking to combine sustainable travel with volunteering, Ecocompanion is a great platform for connecting with these sorts of projects. They combine all the best tours, conservation projects, and eco-stays to curate your own itinerary based on your personal needs. From local stays assisting with beach cleans, to getting totally off-the-grid in mountain retreats in Costa Rica, you’ll definitely find something here!
Want to connect with an on-the-ground expert? Epic Travel is a smaller travel agency based in Morocco and Portugal. They work with local guides and offer programs that assist in Mountain Guide training and qualifications for their staff on the ground. They also donate a percentage of their profits towards NGOs within the two destinations they operate. It’s important to connect with agencies that ensure their work is giving back towards helping drive the local economy.
Sustainable Travel Products
We’ve already highlighted the importance of a good reusable water bottle and tote bags as you travel. But there are many eco-friendly travel products you can pack in your suitcase to make your travels as sustainable as possible. We’ve highlighted a few of our favourites below:
Reusable Water Bottle
There are lots of reusable sunscreens on the market and it’s a great travel companion! One of our favourites is LifeStraw. The bottle has a filter in the straw which means you can enjoy drinking safe water even in places where the drinking water might not be so safe. It’s great for intrepid hiking outdoors.
Eco Friendly Insect Repellent
If you’re travelling to a tropical destination, it’s also important to protect your skin from mosquitoes, but we appreciate that a toxic-free repellent is hard to come by! Murphys Natural offers a great zero waste repellent and soothing balm.
Eco-friendly Shampoo and Conditioner
Most shampoo and conditioners come in plastic containers which not only take up space in your bag but contribute to unnecessary plastic waste once you’re finished with the container. Shampoo and conditioner bars are not only plastic-free but some such as Ethique go further to be completely zero waste, vegan and toxic-free. Their container is compostable so you won’t have to worry about disposing of it when you’ve finished the pack!
So now you’ve got a broad idea of sustainable travel, it’s time to get planning! Talking about sustainable travel and your experiences is a great way to be an advocate of the movement. The more we can inspire others to travel in the same responsible way, the closer we can get toward making travel sustainable. It’s a big mountain to climb, but every individual footstep helps!
We have put together a few lists of local organizations offering travel opportunities in Africa, Asia, South America, and Central America. Check them out and maybe you’ll find an organization to work with on your next travel adventure focusing on sustainability.
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