Ways to be a sustainable traveler
Ways to be a sustainable traveler : Being a sustainable traveler means leaving as little of an impact on the environment as possible and helping local communities touched by tourism to grow in an ethical way. That means doing everything from using less plastic and choosing greener ways to get around to eating at locally owned places and booking accommodations that are good for the environment. The goal of sustainable travel is to meet the needs of the tourism business without hurting the natural and cultural environments. If tourism isn’t handled well, it can cause a lot of bad things to happen, like the loss of a place’s cultural identity, the use up of natural resources, pollution, and the breakdown of ecosystems. Tourism can be a great way to help support towns and give back to nature in many situations.
Make Smarter Flight Choices.
20% of a tourist’s carbon footprint is made up of pollution from air travel. If you have to fly, try to book a nonstop trip and only bring the things you need. Compared to flights with stops, non-stop flights cut carbon emissions by 100 kg per person, on average.1 Not only do flights with connections generally take longer, but planes also use more fuel when they taxi, take off, and land.
Switch to reusable.
Bring a reusable water bottle with you on your safari so you don’t have to buy plastic water bottles. If you’re going somewhere where the water quality might not be great, you might want to look into a water purification system or tablets. Bring reusable tools, tote bags, containers, and straws with you to the store or restaurant so you can avoid using single-use plastics.
Skip travel size toiletries.
Single-use travel-size toiletry bottles are a big source of plastic pollution related to tourists. They help add to the nearly 11 million metric tonnes of plastic pollution that are dumped into the oceans every year.3 Switch to refillable and reusable bottles made of glass, silicone, or even recycled plastic, and fill them with products from your bigger bottles at home. Even big chains like Marriott have started to phase out single-use travel toiletries because their hotels send 500 million mini plastic bottles to landfills every year.
Be Mindful of Local Resources.
Pay attention to how much water you use while on Kenya holiday. Instead of taking baths, take short showers and turn off the water while you brush your teeth or shave. Fill your refillable and reusable travel containers with soap and shampoo that is good for the environment and biodegrades, especially if you are going camping.
Local resources can also include things like hospital beds and emergency services. Before going hiking or taking a road trip, you should always check the weather and the terrain. This will help you avoid getting lost or hurt and having to be saved, which can use up important public resources and tax dollars.
Do Your Research.
Look for places to stay, places to visit, goods, and tour companies that a legitimate certifying body has said are sustainable. In the world of sustainable tourism, this means groups like The Rainforest Alliance, Earth Check, and the Global Sustainable Tourism Council.
Travellers who care about sustainability should also be on the lookout for greenwashing in the travel business. Any business can call itself “green” or “sustainable” to try to attract customers who care about the environment. It’s important to do research ahead of time to find out what specific actions they’re taking to be green. If a business has put in the time and effort to create policies for responsible tourism that take into account environmental and social impacts, the information will be on their website. If not, don’t be shy about asking.
Respect Natural Places.
Keep in mind that marked hiking paths are there for a reason, usually to help protect the environment and keep native plants from getting hurt. Don’t leave trash behind and take out what you brought in. Keep a safe distance from wild animals and never feed or touch them, both for your own safety and the animals’.
In beach areas, use reef-safe sunscreen without harmful ingredients like oxybenzone and octinoxate, and never step on coral or stir up sediment, which can also hurt the environment.
Support Locals Directly.
The best way to learn about a new culture is to do things like stay in a local home or hire a local guide. This also makes sure that your money goes directly to the local economy. Buying souvenirs and works of art made by indigenous artists can help keep their culture alive and give them work. Food that is grown locally and companies that are owned and run by local families often taste better and cost less. This helps keep money in the local economy and keeps money in the hands of local families.
Go Low Impact.
Choose trips like camping or even glamping that use less resources and have less of an effect on the earth. If you want to take a more traditional vacation, choose low-impact activities like kayaking or hiking that won’t hurt the earth or will hurt it very little.
Be an Ambassador for Peace.
Read the International Institute of Peace Through Tourism’s Credo of the Peaceful Traveler and promise to follow it before you leave home.
Keep wilderness trails litter free.
Make a difference positive by signing up for initiatives such as 10 Pieces, a litter collection initiative that harnesses the collective power of travelers to keep wilderness trails free of litter.
Choose sustainable accommodation.
Choose places to stay that take care of and protect the local environment. For example, you should stay away from tea house hotels in Nepal that add to the problem of trees being cut down.
Consider the welfare of animals.
All animals, whether they are wild or kept as pets, have the right to the Five Freedoms, which are widely accepted animal welfare principles:
Freedom from hunger or thirst.
Freedom from discomfort.
Freedom from pain, injury or disease.
Freedom to express (most) normal behaviors.
Freedom from fear and distress.
Read our Animal Welfare Code of Conduct for a better idea of how you can ensure that your travels do not negatively impact all the beautiful creatures of the world.
Do your Research.
A traveler who knows more will make decisions that are better for the world. We push you to learn about the environmental problems in the place you’re going and make a promise to do as little as possible to add to them.
Take a direct flight.
Book the flight that gets you to your destination as quickly as possible to reduce the amount of carbon you create. After all, sometimes the money you save on cheaper indirect flights isn’t worth it when you factor in the cost of a hotel, airport lounges, or expensive airport food. Even better, the next time you fly, buy carbon offsets to help fund clean energy projects in the South Pole.
Choose your trip carefully.
Again, the answer is to do your homework. Look for a strong commitment to responsible travel, as well as real policies and programs that help the local people and environment. Make sure that anyone you travel with has a track record of caring about the earth and travelling in a responsible way.
