3 Ways to Travel More Sustainably
Taking steps to preserve and respect the environment as you travel can be a fun and fulfilling way to vacation! Here are a few ideas to help you travel more sustainably…
The summer travel season has arrived, but as you enjoy experiencing different parts of the world, don’t forget about your impact on the wonderful planet that provides us with so many beautiful places to see and enjoy!
There are many different ways to not only respect the various cultures and environments that you explore as you travel, but also help to sustain them and preserve them for future travelers as well as residents. By respecting and protecting local environments as you travel, you can not only help the residents of these areas maintain a healthy and vibrant lifestyle, but can also help preserve the unique qualities of each place for future visitors.
Here are a few tips from TheTravelWord.com for traveling in both an environmentally and socially respectful and sustainable way that helps you build greater connections with the world as a whole:
1.) Take a Sustainable Working Holiday
If you’re looking to get your hands dirty, a sustainable working holiday gives you the opportunity to live like a local in a foreign village or town, and the satisfaction of helping locals on important projects, such as building, farming and occasionally teaching.
These types of holidays aren’t necessarily for the faint of heart, but they do let you experience something more than just a resort vacation. By learning local trades and living skills, you also make a significant difference in support of local development and sustainability.
2.) Reduce Your Carbon Footprint
Travel is a major source of pollution. As a consequence of travel, things like fuel consumption for transport (especially planes), water use for washing at hotels, and waste as a result of a general throwaway culture tend to increase drastically.
There is, however, a growing number of travel companies and vacation options designed specifically to offset the carbon footprint left by travelers. Although the majority of these companies doesn’t completely offset the carbon footprint, travelers who can make personal commitments to full offset by donating to agencies (such as carbondfund.org) involved in preservation and environmental growth. This is often but not exclusively done through the planting of trees.
3.) Choose An Eco-Friendly Destination
Fortunately today, a growing number of destinations feature sustainable holiday options, including luxury resorts, such as Sharm El Sheikh, located near the famous Sinai Mountains of Egypt, or the Riviera Maya of Mexico, where visitors can work to preserve the natural world — sea turtles, rainforests etc.— as well as local cultures and villages that have been affected by natural disasters.
Look for resorts that use the Earthcheck system, which offers significant reductions in energy and water use, work with one of the available organizations that plan sustainable holidays, or research charities that have volunteer options for visiting tourists.
By keeping an eye on your resource usage, choosing environmentally-conscious travel options, and making an effort to respect and preserve the local communities you visit, you can travel more sustainably and enjoy a wonderful summer vacation that is also ethically, culturally and environmentally friendly!
