GREEN TRAVEL TIPS (THE ULTIMATE GUIDE FOR SUSTAINABLE TRAINING)
Take a poll and ask people if they prefer to travel responsibly or irresponsibly. Most would choose the first option.
What does “Green Travel” even mean? How do you do it? You must sleep in a camp tent and use a solar-powered stove for cooking to be eco-friendly.
How can you tell if a company offering “Green Travel” is just greenwashing in reality?
Ecotourism is a simple way to reduce your negative impact on a destination. Ecotourism is about making small choices to reduce your negative impact.
Each decision, taken individually, makes a minimal difference to the overall picture. Collectively, however, being more aware of these small things can have an enormous cumulative impact.
Here’s a detailed look at Green Travel, its importance, and why it’s essential. We also provide many simple tips to help you travel responsibly and sustainably.
What is Ecotourism? History & Principles of Responsible Travel
What is green travel?
In 2010, when we launched Green Global Travel, ecotourism was still largely unknown to the average traveler. The term ecotourism was not the popular buzzword that it is now. It was used mainly by those involved in responsible travel or conservation.
Green Travel Tips: The Ultimate Guide to Sustainable Travel Play Video
Stay Connected!
Green Energy, a renewable energy derived from natural sources like the sun, wind, tides, and geothermal energy, was becoming a popular movement, thanks to leaders such as Al Gore. Green living, the lifestyle that strives to protect and conserve the Earth’s habitats, biodiversity, and natural resources, is gaining popularity.
Green travel is a term that encompasses ecotourism, responsible travel, and other practices that aim to improve the environment as well as the economic and social well-being of locals.
Green travel, when done right, is the antithesis of mass tourism. Green travel is all about making more intelligent decisions to reduce our negative impact on the environment when we travel.
We can’t control the carbon dioxide emissions from the planes we fly on, the chemicals used in hotels where we stay, or the plastics in souvenirs in the places we visit. We can, however, choose eco-friendly transport, hotels, tour companies, and shopping tactics to benefit locals and reduce environmental damage.
According to a TripAdvisor study, two-thirds (or more) of travelers are increasingly interested in making environmentally friendly choices and traveling green. How can we tell green travel from greenwashing?
GREENWASHING VS. GREEN TRAVEL
Greenwashing, a play on “whitewashing,” is “disinformation spread by an organization to present an image of an environmentally responsible company.” It is a marketing strategy used to trick customers into thinking that products, policies, or activities are eco-friendly when they are not.
The green movement slowly began to gain traction, and many companies were willing to greenwash to get the most desired money: green. As claims such as “all-natural,” “organic,” or “post-consumer recyclable content” are rarely verified by third parties, they lose their meaning.
Travel was no exception. Even tour operators who claimed to be eco-friendly offered irresponsible tours and activities, such as elephant rides, walking with lions, or visits to Thailand’s Tiger Temple. How can travelers tell if a company’s greenwashing is real?
Truly responsible travel businesses will always put the needs and interests of locals before their own. They strive to have a positive effect on the environment.
* If voluntourism is involved, responsible travel companies will work directly and closely with local NGOs to ensure that the program fits the local community’s needs. It’s not only about “feel-good” experiences. The primary goal is to have a long-term, positive impact.
Truly responsible travel companies may be affiliated with international organizations such as World Wildlife Fund or the Nature Conservancy. Some may have received certifications from organizations like the Global Sustainable Tourism Council and the Center for Responsible Travel that prove they’ve met sustainability standards.
Transparency and openness are hallmarks of a responsible travel agency. Most websites will display information about their corporate social responsibility and sustainability initiatives. Any “green” business should happily answer your questions about its ambitions.
Travel Green with These 40 Tips
Below are 40 tips EVERY traveler should use to make their adventure more environmentally friendly and to be kind to people and animals.
The majority of these are straightforward. For example, you can use a reusable water bottle or put a “Do Not Disturb” sign on the door to your hotel room. You can also buy locally produced products instead of imports.
If all 90,000+ monthly unique visitors began to incorporate these Green Travel tips gradually into their trips, the collective impact would be incredible!
Renting a Toyota Prius for the Great Smoky Mountains National Park Road Trip
Green Transport Tips
Book non-stop flights as often as possible: Takeoffs and landings are the leading cause of carbon emissions.
Consider a trip when traveling with friends or family, and the destination is close by. If you’re traveling alone, flying is more environmentally friendly!
Consider flying with one of IATA’s 30+ member airlines. Carbon offset programs allow you to reduce your carbon footprint by investing in carbon reduction initiatives.
Traveling by bus, train, or ship is generally less harmful to the environment than flying.
TIPS TO CHOOSE GREEN HOTELS
Check if the hotel you are staying at has a LEED Certification. Green Building Council. This program evaluates hotels based on their sustainable site development, water efficiency, energy efficiency, and material selection.
Look for certification seals from other programs when traveling abroad, including EarthCheck (Australia), Green Globe (Latin America and the Caribbean), Rainforest Alliance, Green Tourism Business Scheme (UK), etc. Costa Rica is one country with certification programs for sustainability initiatives.
Inquire if the hotel offers a recycling service. When you leave comments on the check-out card, ask them to create one if they don’t already have one.
Inquire about the hotel’s sustainability initiatives, such as solar energy, wind turbines, and rainwater harvesting. Also, ask questions regarding energy-efficient lighting or low-flow toilets.
Determine what percentage of a hotel’s resources is local. Does the hotel hire a majority of local staff? Can they get their food locally or grow it on the property? Decor is made from locally sourced materials. The companies that use indigenous resources are more sustainable because they invest in the local economy.
What is an Eco Lodge, and why should you care? The Top 10 Eco Lodges Around the World