Traveling offers the incredible opportunity to explore new places, experience diverse cultures, and create unforgettable memories. However, it’s crucial to consider the environmental and social impacts of our adventures. With increasing awareness about the importance of sustainability, more travelers are seeking ways to minimize their footprint and contribute positively to the places they visit. This guide provides practical tips and insights for eco-friendly travel, from selecting green accommodations to reducing personal waste and embracing slow travel. Whether you’re planning a solo journey, a family vacation, or a volunteer trip, these suggestions will help you travel responsibly and make a meaningful difference.
Sustainable Travel Tip
Traveling with an eco-friendly mindset takes a little more planning than just booking a plane ticket. Spending just a bit of time on how you plan on traveling can go a long way towards reducing your impact on the countries you’re visiting.
Here are a few tips for traveling sustainably anywhere in the world:
Research the Environmental & Moral Issues before Landing
What are some of the environmental issues of the areas you’re visiting? What are some of the moral issues you should be aware of?
For example, tourists often give money to kids begging or selling trinkets on the street. In many countries, however, those kids are part of a larger business that collects the actual profits. Giving money to the kids actually perpetuates child labor. Though tourists feel good about giving the money, they haven’t done the research to see what’s really going on. Make sure you know the issues of the area you’re going to before you land.
Buy from Local Vendors
In most countries you go to, you’ll find large convenience stores and smaller local stores. As a tourist, it can be very tempting to frequent the larger corporate stores. These stores are better stocked, often have more consistent products throughout their chains, and are often slightly cheaper than local merchants. However, if you really want to support the local economy rather than the shareholders of a global corporation, buy from the local merchants instead.
Have a Local Guide
If you want to have some really interesting experiences while supporting the locals outside of the tourism industry, try having a local take you to some unique and authentic local experiences. One easy way to meet locals is through CouchSurfing. Just about any country you go to will have dozens or hundreds of locals who would be happy to show you around. Having a local show you the local food, culture, festivals, and hidden gems is a great way to interact with the real culture of a country, rather than just the side they show tourists.
Choose Low Impact Activities
Make sure you consider the impact you make through the activities you choose. Going elephant riding might sound like a lot of fun, but if the trainers are actually hurting the elephants, it might not be an activity you want to support. Research the activities you want to partake in to make sure that they’re industries and people you want to support.
Traveling sustainably does require more thought and research beforehand. That said, the more people who travel in this manner, the better it would be both for the country you’re traveling in and the world at large. If you can get other travelers to adopt a similar mindset, this kind of environmental consciousness can spread.
Eco-Friendly Tour Companies
Working with eco-friendly tour companies is one of the easiest ways to stay sustainable without overloading yourself with planning. These companies will find you the best eco-friendly activities, lodgings, and destinations without you having to do too much of the work.
How do you pick and evaluate an eco-tour company?
What Kind of Lodging Do They Book?
- Where will you be staying?
- What are the sustainability practices of the hotel?
- Do they have energy-conserving light bulbs or light switches that turn off automatically?
- Do they take steps to conserve toilet paper, soap, and other disposables?
Ask the tour company about the place(s) they chose for the tour and why. Try to get a sense of how much homework the tour companies do and how committed they really are to being sustainable.
Do They Buy from Local Communities?
- Does the tour company buy in bulk from Tesco or Wal-Mart, or do they work with local merchants to bring you the best deal while supporting the local economy?
Try to work with a tour company that benefits the community by being there. The best eco-tour companies are willing to sacrifice a bit of profit if it allows them to have a better impact on the country.
What’s Their Reputation in the Eco-Travel World?
- If a tour company has been around for a while, they may have written articles for eco magazines or have a well-known spokesperson.
Google the name of the tour company and see what comes up. Are you able to find any articles written by them? What about reviews? If you find articles, read through them and see what you think of their philosophy and general outlook.
Where to Find Eco-Travel Tour Companies
The best way to find eco-friendly tour companies is to use Google. Make sure you try Googling both your departure location and your destination location. For example, if you’re leaving from London to Laos, try Googling both “London Eco-Friendly Tour Company” and “Laos Eco-Friendly Tour Company”. Each will get you different results. Some companies work from your destination to find the best places, while others are based where you’re leaving from and organize eco-tours remotely.
Another great place to find eco-friendly tour companies is internet forums like Travelfish or Lonely Planet. These sites are where travelers go to compare notes on tour companies. You can get a great sense of what’s really going on without any marketing talk.
If you want to travel sustainably and don’t want to do all the research and bookings yourself, the fastest and easiest way is to book through an eco-travel tour company.
How to Find a “Green Hotel”
Green hotels are perhaps the best way to help the sustainable travel industry. Instead of just supporting sustainability ideologically, you’re supporting it with your wallet as well.
What Are Green Hotels?
Green hotels go out of their way to use the most environmentally friendly materials, equipment, processes, and policies they can. This means using energy-saving light bulbs, water-conserving shower heads, good insulation, low flush toilets, heat/cool conserving windows, and Energy Star appliances. They often use environmentally friendly products instead of mass-produced products. For example, you might find green soaps and shampoos in your bathroom instead of the cheapest possible shampoo the hotel could buy. Often times, green hotels will serve organic, raw, or vegan foods in their kitchens.
By supporting green hotels, you’re not just supporting the hotel—you’re supporting all their vendors as well. All the money you spend will go towards helping the environment in one way or another.
How Do You Find a Green Hotel?
There are a few different ways you can look for green hotels:
- Green Hotels Association Website: This website is where green hotel owners register their hotels. The site independently verifies that each hotel has truly taken steps to reduce its environmental impact.
- Online Forums and Communities: Forums like Environmentally Friendly Hotels are good places to start any search for a sustainable hotel.
- Travel Website Reviews: Read reviews on any travel website to find people who have commented on a hotel’s greenness.
Instead of looking for hotels that market themselves as green, you can find quite a few hotels that really are green but don’t necessarily market themselves this way. Just call up the reception and ask about what green procedures the hotel has taken. Sometimes hotels prefer to target a mainstream audience but still implement green procedures anyway.
Instead of a Hotel…
In some cities, finding a good green hotel can be quite challenging. Instead of looking for a hotel, it’s often easier to go for a bed and breakfast that’s environmentally conscious. There are a few ways to find them. The easiest way is Google. Just type in the city’s name and “bed and breakfast” in Google. For example, “Bristol Bed and Breakfast” or “Krakow Bed and Breakfast”. You can also find a lot of bed and breakfast establishments on Airbnb.
Finding green hotels takes slightly more research than just booking a room at the nearest Hilton or Holiday Inn. By staying at green hotels, however, you’re supporting a growing industry that’s actively trying to make a difference in the world.
Sustainable and Eco-Friendly Family Travel
Ready to take a vacation with the whole family, but want to do it sustainably? You can! In the past, going green in your travels often meant expensive hotels and lower quality products, but that’s no longer the case.
Numerous studies show that travelers prefer sustainable options when given the choice, whether for hotels or plane rides. This high demand has fueled the growth of the sustainable travel industry, making eco-friendly hotels available across all price ranges, including family-friendly guesthouses and hotels.
Planning for Eco-Friendly Travel
Traveling with the whole family requires more planning than traveling solo. When you’re on your own, you can easily plan one city at a time, just finding an eco-friendly hotel in the next location. However, with a big family, planning the entire trip before you leave is essential to ensure sustainable accommodations and activities throughout.
Teaching Your Kids about Sustainability
Eco-friendly travel offers the perfect experiential opportunity to teach your kids about sustainability. At home, eco-friendliness can be an abstract concept, but while traveling, kids can see different cultures and the impact of unsustainability firsthand. This can be a great time to educate them about helping the planet and being sustainable.
Planning Eco-Friendly Activities for the Whole Family
Involving your kids in planning eco-friendly activities is key. Instead of deciding for them, ask what they’d like to do: ride elephants, learn to scuba dive or snorkel, see monkeys, or go on a safari? Their input ensures the activities are enjoyable and not intimidating.
If you’ve never taken your kids hiking or camping before, this could be the perfect opportunity.
An eco-friendly family trip can be a time to bond, educate your kids on sustainability, and have great fun together.
Slow Travel – What Is It?
A growing trend in travel is to travel slow instead of fast. This kind of travel allows you to deeply understand a culture, soak in the vibe of a city, learn a new language, and befriend locals. In some cases, it can even save you money.
Slow Travel: An Overview
Traditionally, most travelers move quickly. You might spend three days in Paris, seeing all the museums and the Eiffel Tower. Then hop over to Venice, explore the canals and coffee shops for a couple of days, then move on to the next city. Most people who are backpacking, sightseeing, or on family vacations don’t spend more than a couple of days in any one city. They blitz through tourist attractions and move on.
Slow travel is the opposite. Instead of spending a few days in one place, you spend a week or more in each location.
The Slow Travel Mindset
The difference between fast travel and slow travel is in the mindset. The fast travel mindset goes something like this: “Our vacation is limited in time and we need to see everything there is to see as quickly as possible.”
The slow travel mindset is more like this: “I’m going to really get to know this city and this culture. I’m going to take the time to soak it all in.”
Instead of seeking out attractions and tourist destinations, slow travelers are often happy to just wander around a new country and see what happens. It’s more about letting the country in than seeking out the next popular attraction.
Why Travel Slow?
There are many reasons to travel slow instead of fast:
- Less Stressful: Bouncing from city to city every few days, booking accommodations and transportation, and planning action-packed days can be incredibly stressful.
- Deeper Learning: How much can you really learn by being in a city for three days? You’ll grow more as a person if you spend two weeks there, getting to know a different way of seeing the world.
- Cost Savings: Booking buses costs money, as do visas between countries and booking fees on hotel sites. Booking hotels or hostels by the week instead of by the day is often significantly cheaper.
- More Enjoyable: Bouncing from city to city can be fun in a surface-level way. Being in one place for longer allows you to build deeper connections and truly explore a culture.
Is slow travel for you? It depends on who you are and your travel style. If you have the time and the inclination, traveling slow can be an incredibly rich new way to experience travel. If you’ve only traveled fast before, now might be the time to try this unique approach.
Sustainable Travel Destinations
If we’re not careful, we can cause a lot of environmental damage through traveling. All the gas burned by planes, cars, boats, motorbikes, and trains affects the environment of the countries we visit. Instead of visiting countries where our presence could cause a large negative environmental impact, here are a few travel destinations where we can have a minimal or possibly even a positive impact.
Trekking in Nepal
Nepal is one of the world’s greatest hidden gems. Sure, electricity may only be on for a few hours a day and internet access is sporadic, but when it comes to eco-travel, there are few more exciting destinations. Almost all the tourist attractions in this country involve the outdoors. There’s little to no negative environmental impact from people enjoying a thrilling hike through nature.
Cooking Tours in Croatia
Croatia’s world-famous cooking tours are another phenomenal way to experience the world sustainably. Enjoy exotic foods cooked with locally grown ingredients. Learn how to cook the local flavors and bring the knowledge back home with you. While in Croatia, enjoy the beach, hiking, and sunshine that this wonderful country has to offer.
Laos
Laos is a small country tucked between Cambodia and China. Devastated by the Vietnam War, this small country’s economy is still recovering decades later. Tourist dollars spent here don’t damage the environment; instead, they help rebuild the economy and put food on the table for families. There are many amazing attractions in Laos, including elephant riding, kayaking, and the world-famous “tubing parties.”
Botswana
Botswana tops many people’s lists when it comes to sustainable travel destinations. Unlike the high-traffic safari volume of Kenya, Botswana’s style is much more low-key. Small groups of people venture into the Kalahari Desert or the Chobe Forests to see all kinds of exotic animals. On top of safaris, you have boating, camping, and various survival activities.
Belize
Belize earns its keep as a prime sustainable travel destination. It has one of the longest barrier reefs on the planet, second only to the Great Barrier Reef. The country has almost 90 different groups of ecosystems and all kinds of eco-friendly activities. A large number of the lodges and guesthouses in this country are designed to be environmentally friendly and low impact.
These are just a few of the many environmentally friendly places you can go. The best way to choose a destination is to first pick the general vicinity you want to go to, then research specific countries, destinations, and cities in the areas you want to visit. Don’t be afraid to go off the beaten path and explore some relatively unknown spots.
Reducing Personal Waste While Traveling
Reducing your personal waste while traveling helps minimize your environmental footprint, shows respect for other countries, and often inspires other travelers and locals to be more environmentally conscious.
Most non-first-world countries are not very conscious of waste management. For example, in Thailand, even if you buy a single water bottle to drink from right away, they’ll give you a plastic bag. Often, reducing your personal waste requires you to take the initiative. Here are a few tips for doing this:
Cut Out the Water Bottles
Water bottles are perhaps the traveler’s most common waste item. Since tap water isn’t drinkable in many countries, it’s common to constantly buy bottled water. Unfortunately, this results in one to four discarded water bottles every day. In a month of traveling, that’s up to 120 discarded water bottles! Start reducing your footprint by not using disposable bottles whenever possible.
- In countries where water is more or less drinkable (e.g., Poland), use a portable filter. These cost under $30 and can easily pay for themselves in a week of travel with saved water costs.
- In countries where the water is clearly not drinkable (e.g., Cambodia), try to use water refilling stations rather than buying water bottles.
Learn to Say “No Bag, Thank You”
In many countries, it’s almost traditional to pack purchases in a plastic bag, adding up to a lot of environmental waste. Learn to say “No bag, thank you” in the local language, and bring your own bag to reduce the amount of waste you produce.
Bring Your Own Forks, Spoons & Chopsticks
Disposable forks, spoons, and chopsticks are another big source of waste for travelers. Travelers often eat on the go. For example, on a trek to a waterfall, a local merchant might sell you a small box of noodles and give you a plastic fork and a pair of wooden chopsticks. While you can’t do much about the noodle’s packaging, bringing your own fork or chopsticks can save a lot of cutlery waste over the course of your travels.
Learn the Public Transportation Systems
As a tourist, it’s often easier to take cabs, but learning the public transportation system is one of the best ways to reduce your footprint. Instead of burning gas for a cab to drive you around, you use resources the city would expend anyway.
Go Paperless
Whenever possible, go paperless. Book your flights online and avoid having tickets mailed to you. Cancel your credit card statements. Book with hotels that don’t require a printed reservation. Be conscious of your paper usage and reduce paper waste whenever possible.
These are just a few ways you can reduce your personal waste. Generating less trash in a foreign country is a great way to help move the world towards a more sustainable mindset.
Top Tips for Traveling Responsibly on a Budget
Traveling responsibly on a budget can be a challenge. Not only do you want to save money, but you also want to do so in a way that respects the local country. Here are a few tips to help you achieve this:
Start with Setting a Weekly Budget
Setting daily budgets while traveling is rather unrealistic because expenses can fluctuate drastically. For example, crossing the border from Laos to Cambodia might cost you $50, plus $40 for the visa. Instead of using daily expenses, use weekly expenses. If you have high expenses one day, compensate by lowering your expenses on another day. Track your expenses while you travel by writing down everything you spend when you spend it.
Eat at Small, Local Shops
Eating at small local shops is a great way to save money and support the local economy. In most major tourist destinations, you’ll find KFCs, McDonald’s, and other major chains, as well as upper-class restaurants and Western food establishments. However, these restaurants are generally more expensive than local foods and are often owned by foreigners or global corporations.
Beware of Waste
You can save money and travel responsibly by reducing the amount of waste you produce. Try to buy as few water bottles as possible and refill wherever you can find clean water. Trade books with other travelers instead of buying new ones, and avoid printing anything unless absolutely necessary. Get maps from hostels or hotels instead of printing them yourself.
Get to Know Locals
Getting to know locals is not only fun—it can also save you a lot of money. Locals don’t eat at the same places that tourists do; they eat at little-known spots that taste great and cost half the price. Guidebooks often list overpriced places, attracting people just trying to sell to tourists. Instead, have a local show you all the amazing, undiscovered spots, giving you an authentic experience of the city.
These are just a few ways you can stick to a reasonable budget while interacting responsibly with the culture and people.
Tips for Respectfully Interacting with Local Cultures
One of the best ways to have a stellar experience while traveling is to learn how to interact respectfully with the local culture. Doing so will not only get you friendlier service and local friends, but also helps preserve the local culture. Here are a few tips for interacting with local cultures:
Learn the Taboos
Different cultures have various “no-noes.” For example, in many Buddhist cultures, it’s considered rude to touch a child on the head or point your feet at a person. A foreigner who ruffles a kid’s head in a friendly manner is actually doing something extremely rude in their culture. Learn these taboos before you land in the country.
Don’t Expect Them to Speak English
A lot of people come to a foreign country with an expectant attitude towards English. If the locals don’t speak English, they feel almost offended. This attitude will not only alienate the locals, but you’ll miss out on a lot of rich potential interactions. Just because someone doesn’t speak the same language doesn’t mean they can’t communicate with you. Even with language barriers, you can have incredible experiences with the locals. Don’t distance yourself just because you don’t speak the same language.
Learn the Basic Words
There are just a few words you need to know in any language to get by: “Please,” “Thank You,” “Hello,” “Where is X,” “This one,” and numbers. With just these few words, you’ll be able to make most basic requests. You can point at objects and say “one of this one please.” You can ask for directions and get around the country. While you won’t be able to have real conversations, a basic vocabulary shows that you care enough to learn and interact, making it easier to navigate the area.
Learn One or Two Things Unique to the Culture
When visiting a Hindi area of India, consider learning a thing or two about the religion. What does it mean when someone worships Shiva? When in Bali, learn about shadow puppetry. Why do they love it so much? Learning a few things unique to the culture before setting foot in the country gives you common ground with the locals and things to explore during your visit.
Though you don’t have to learn about the local culture when you travel, most people find they get a lot more from their experience when they do. You’ll have an easier time making friends, finding interesting experiences, and get more of an exotic experience in general.
Sustainable Volunteering Explained
Being a volunteer overseas can be a phenomenal way to make an impact. You’ll be able to contribute to worthwhile causes and help people who really need the help. However, before you jump in with both feet, it’s important to do some research.
Beware of Volunteer Profiteers
Unfortunately, many volunteer opportunities are more about making money from tourists than actually helping the locals. This is especially prevalent in extremely impoverished countries. For example, an orphanage might bring in kids from neighboring villages just for show. They lure in tourists, who pay large sums of money to volunteer there, but the money goes to the organizers rather than the children. The most important thing to look out for when considering volunteering is the reputation of the organization. If many people have volunteered there and it seems legitimate, go ahead. However, beware of fly-by-night volunteer opportunities.
Never Pay to Volunteer
There are many companies that set you up with volunteer opportunities in exchange for a fee, which can sometimes be several thousand dollars. In reality, if you’re working with a real non-profit organization whose goal is to make a difference, there’s no reason for them to ask for that kind of money. A real non-profit would be glad for any help they can get and would be happy to have your English skills, an extra pair of hands, or any knowledge you can pass on. It’s common for volunteers to be asked to pay for their own room and board and possibly a small administrative fee. However, if a volunteer opportunity is asking for a large amount of money, red flags should go up.
Helping without Organizations
If you’ve never set foot in a country, it can be tempting to have an organization handle the booking process for you. However, often the best way to make a difference is to do it yourself. Instead of having an organization figure out where you can volunteer, fly to the country and figure out what the most prevalent issues are. Is it reconstruction after a disaster? Homelessness? Child prostitution? Or, if you’re after something more light-spirited, teaching English or sustainable farming? Whatever the case, it’s often better to figure it out once you’re in the country rather than online. You’ll get a sense of what’s really going on. Once you find an issue you’re passionate about, ask around for the various organizations in the country, then pick a couple and approach them directly.
The desire to volunteer is an incredibly pure and honest desire to give back. Before you commit, spend a little bit of time to ensure that what you’re doing is truly contributing to a cause that will make a difference.
Conclusion
Embarking on a sustainable travel journey not only enhances your travel experience but also supports the preservation of our planet and its diverse cultures. By choosing eco-friendly options, reducing waste, and respecting local traditions, you can make a positive impact on the environments and communities you visit. Remember, every small step counts towards a more sustainable future. As more travelers adopt these practices, the collective effort will lead to significant changes, fostering a travel industry that prioritizes environmental consciousness and cultural respect. So pack your bags, embrace the adventure, and travel green—your eco-friendly adventures await!
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