SUSTAINABLE TRAVEL
By Joanne Saab, Curated Travel
April 22, 2021
Happy Earth Day! Earth Day is a day we can all take a moment to reflect on our impact on the world we live in, and how to protect our environment for generations to come. To honour Earth Day this year, I have compiled a list of changes (both small and large) that we can each make to travel more sustainably and reduce our impact on the earth. No matter what your preferred travel style is, from backpacking to luxury travel experiences, there are a myriad of ways to decrease our carbon footprint and make small improvements to try and travel with more intention towards reducing our environmental impact.
Transportation Options
While flying isn’t the most eco-friendly mode of transportation available, it isn’t always feasible to avoid flying altogether. When you do fly, there are ways to reduce the carbon emissions on your flight including choosing a newer airplane when possible (newer planes are designed to be more fuel efficient). Try packing less to reduce your weight while traveling to help offset the overall carbon emission caused by that flight. When possible take a direct flight without a layover as takeoff and landings consume more fuel.
Increase your step count! When in destination, walk or bike from your hotel to see the sights as much as possible. Can’t walk? Stick to public transportation like the subway or bus or train over choosing a taxi and uber whenever possible. Taking the local mode of public transportation is one of my favourite ways to explore a new city and immerse myself in a new destination by experiencing the city like the locals do!
When renting a car, consider renting a hybrid or electric vehicle when feasible.
Hotel Options
Look for sustainability certifications at hotels accommodations. The Global Sustainable Tourism Council GSTC provides a set of minimum requirements that hotels must provide to be approved. Take the time to ask questions and read the fine print when reviewing hotels to ensure the hotel you are considering is following through with practices intended to protect the environment. This could mean anything from using solar power or low flow toilets to recycling rainwater and having positive impact on the local economy.
Book eco-conscious accommodations that consider how your stay affects the environment. There are CO2 neutral hotels in many destinations including Europe such as Hotel Leitlhof in Italy , or the Fivelements Retreat in Bali, or consider The Brando Tahiti or Tswalu Kalahari Reserve in South Africa which has a focus on conservation of both the land and the animals.
Hotel Tips
1.Limit your energy and conserve water. Things like hanging your towels and reusing linens in hotel rooms can make a big difference.
2.Pack a quick-dry travel towel (or two). One for the beach and one for the bathroom. Quick dry towels are compact and can fit into a carry-on or suitcase. They save on water and electricity while traveling. A must for any sustainable travel packing list.
3.Skip the daily housekeeping in your hotel room to decrease the washing of linens, as well as use of cleaning chemicals and the need for daily vacuuming.
4.When you leave your hotel room, don’t forget to turn off the lights, the TV and the heat/AC. It seems like such as small thing, but multiplied by millions of hotel visitors every day, it can contribute on a large scale.
5.Take your own refillable toiletries such as shampoo, conditioner and body wash to decrease the use of the mini hotel bottles. If you do use the little bottles provided by the hotel, make sure to take the half-used bottles with you at the end of your stay, to prevent them from ending up in the land fill.
Travel Slow
The concept of Slow Travel began in the 1980s but has gained popularity in recent years. It quite literally means slowing down the pace of travel to provide a more quality experience in a destination. It is an approach to travel that emphasizes building connections to local people, cultures, cuisines and experiences. It is an intentional and immersive way of traveling to engage with the people and places you visit.
There has been a recent trend for tourists to see as many bucket list destinations as possible in a short amount of time, however, the pandemic has caused a reset and encouraged travelers to slow down and enjoy a destination rather than quickly seeing multiple spots from the back of a tour bus. Slow travel is a movement to get away from check-list driven travel to a more thoughtful immersion in a destination, reducing your impact on the environment by walking, biking or taking the train during your travels. These experiences can save you money, are more eco-friendly and can elicit a more authentic connection in the destination you are exploring.
Support Responsible Wildlife Tourism
When you travel to observe animals in new and exotic destinations, ensure that you are observing wildlife in the wild. As a general rule, avoid tours that promise hands-on experiences with wild animals. This means not posing for pictures with wild animals such as monkeys or sloths, opting to forgo the elephant ride in Asia, and skipping the swimming with the dolphin experiences in the Caribbean. I am ashamed to think about how many times in my life I have inadvertently done something without realizing that I was supporting an industry that illegally captures and contains millions of animals every year. There are so many incredible tour operators offering responsible wildlife experiences, just do some reading and research before you travel!
Support the Local Economy
Sustainable travel is also about considering the impact that tourism has on local communities. Consider choosing a tour operator that focuses on employing local workers and has an interest in keeping tourism money in the destination. Often, many of the dollars spent on tourism do not stay in the country in which you are visiting but end up benefiting global, corporate tourism operators. Canadian-based G-Adventures is one example of a tour company that has focus on building relationships with local communities to directly benefit the people and places they base their tours in. They rank all of their tours with a Ripple Score to let clients know what percentage of that tour actually remains in destination to benefit the local economy.
Shop and Eat Local
In addition to traveling slow – eat slow and local! Stop and eat your meals in restaurants when possible using real plates and cutlery rather than disposable dishware. This includes sitting and drinking your coffee in the local café. It is a common custom in many countries to sit down and enjoy your coffee or cappuccino (rather than getting it to go), so take the time to enjoy your coffee and don’t forget to make it Instagram worthy while you’re at it! You will also have the added benefit of decreasing the amount of trash you are producing.
Other ways you can help benefit local communities include
Reduce Single-Use Plastics
Did you know that tourists can produce up to twice the amount of waste as a local resident in some locations? An easy no-brainer is to ensure you are packing a refillable water bottle or coffee cup, but it can go beyond that. Say “no” to single-use plastics including straws and disposable cutlery. Consider packing reusable bamboo cutlery like this set from Canadian Boho&Hobo. Choose hotel chains such as EDITION hotels that have a focus and goal to reduce the amount of single use plastics in the hospitality industry.
Use Reef-Friendly Sunscreen
Don’t forget to purchase and pack reef-friendly sunscreen. These are sunscreens that do not contain specific chemicals that are harmful to the reef and the oceans. Hawaii was the first state to ban the sale of sunscreens that contain oxybenzone and octinoxate, two ingredients that likely contribute to coral bleaching. These two ingredients are not the only ingredients however that may be damaging to marine life. Choosing the right sunscreen brand will help protect your skin and also help preserve our oceans and marine life. It’s also a good idea to skip the spray and choose a lotion whenever possible.
Sustainable travel packing list
Want more information – check out Sustainable Travel International for more ideas on how we can travel more responsibly and reduce tourism’s impact on the environment.
Curated Travel
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