Traveling is incredibly rewarding and allows you to see the world and all of its beauty. It is the key to knowledge as you encounter cultures other than your own and meet people from all walks of life. However, it can also have a negative impact on our planet, which is why it is so important to travel as eco-friendly as possible.
Thankfully, more eco-friendly traveling is a lot easier than one would think, as even small actions can make your adventures around the globe more sustainable. Hereby, I am not referring to programs where you pay to offset the carbon footprint of your flights, but small things you can actively do while you are traveling.
These 10 tips will help you make eco-friendly decisions when you travel.
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1. Consider the Environmental Impact of your Transportation Choices
As a travel writer, I travel a lot and my trips result in a higher-than-average amount of flights per year, so I will definitely not be telling you that you should not fly at all. And if I am honest, I do not believe it would be practicable to avoid flying altogether unless you have unlimited holidays.
However, you should contemplate whether or not it is necessary to book a flight for your trip or if there are viable options that have a lower carbon footprint, such as trains or buses. After all, there is no better way to archive more eco-friendly traveling.
However, your schedule and the prices have to allow you to do it. I know that flights are often the much cheaper option when getting around in Europe, and if you do not have the money for the often more expensive options, you should not be forced to stay at home.
The transportation situation is often the hardest element when you are planning eco-friendly traveling, and ultimately, all you can do is give it your best shot. Try to limit the number of flights you take as much as possible and check if there are better options.
2. Choose Eco-Friendly Accommodations
When staying in hotels, choose one that is certified green and uses sustainable practices such as energy-efficient lighting, water conservation measures, and recycling initiatives.
Additionally, if you are looking for a more immersive experience, consider staying at an eco-lodge that uses sustainable practices such as solar and wind power, recycling programs, and locally-sourced food.
Ultimately, staying at an eco-friendly accommodation is one of the best ways to make your vacation more sustainable and oftentimes, it also helps support the local economy instead of filling the pockets of international cooperations.
Many of my favorite accommodations throughout the years were eco-lodges and I can only encourage you to stay in one. Here are some of my favorite eco-lodges:
The Blue Eco Lodge in Yalcón near Valladolid
3. Reduce your Electric Consumption in Hotels & Vacation Rentals
When staying at a hotel, make sure to turn off all the lights and air conditioners when you leave, as it helps to reduce overall electric consumption. I know hotels are already taking measures again it, but thanks to the ‘just use the do not disturb sign’ hack, all efforts from the accommodation’s side are often rendered useless.
While in the room, you should furthermore consider just using the fan on the ceiling instead of turning on the air conditioner at full blast. Doing so is really not necessary and is a massive waste of energy. And if you are renting an apartment as you are staying longer, doing so also helps you save money.
While living in Playa del Carmen, I turned the AC off and only used the fan. And let me tell you that the indoor temperature was pleasant.
4. Use Public Transport to Get Around
Utilize public transportation or carpooling whenever possible to get around at your destination. Many destinations ranging from European cities like Munich and Rome, but also the Yucatan Peninsula have great public transport systems, and it is no effort at all to use them. And some cities like Perth even have free public transport within the city center.
In fact, doing so can even elevate your experience, as you get to explore the city the way a local would. Doing so helps reduce your carbon footprint and therefore makes for a more eco-friendly traveling experience. It also saves you money on fuel costs or taxi rides.
Obviously, you should only do so, if it is safe. Do your research on the location, and opt for the taxi if you are traveling alone and want to get around at night. After all, trying to be more sustainable should never endanger your life.
5. Avoid Single-Use Items & Reduce Plastic Waste
Plastic waste is one of the biggest environmental issues of our time, so we should do what we can to reduce plastic waste while traveling in order to facilitate more eco-friendly adventures. There are several things you can do, and one of the easiest ones is to avoid single-use toiletries and plastic straws or cutlery.
Buy natural and sustainable plastic-free products when shopping for toothbrushes and shampoo, and look for products that are not sold in unnecessary plastic packaging.
Instead of buying single-use travel-sized toiletries separately when traveling, you can also stock up on refillable containers that you can refill at home before you travel.
If your hotel offers complimentary toiletries and has not yet switched to refillable bottles that are attached to the wall, it is more eco-friendly to avoid using them if they are in tiny plastic bottles.
6. Avoid Unethical Animal Encounters
Our world is full of fascinating animals and of course, there is a desire to see them up close. The easiest ways to do so, are, however, not the best ones as they tend to exploit the animals and have a devastating impact on their health.
Therefore, it is crucial to make an informed decision when choosing animal encounters. After all, eco-friendly traveling includes protecting animals and not doing anything that harms them.
If you love animals, activities such as elephant rides, swimming with dolphins, and visiting sanctuaries where you can cuddle with wild animals are things you should avoid at all costs.
Be sure to read reviews of companies and places that offer any kind of animal encounter, as doing so is the best way to select ethical ones. It is usually best to be wary of those that promote a 100% guarantee that you will see a specific animal in the wild.
Aside from being morally wrong, these unethical activities are also lackluster when compared to animal encounters in the wild.
In my experience, it is so much more amazing to see hundreds of elephants in Minneriya National Park in Sri Lanka than to bathe one, and being surrounded by a pod of whales while whale watching is so much better than seeing one perform in an aquarium.
Believe me when I say that it is encounters in nature and those at real animal sanctuaries that help animals before releasing them that are the most rewarding.
7. Plan Longer Trips
Another way to reduce your carbon footprint while traveling is to plan longer trips. Doing so is particularly recommended if you have to travel a long distance to get to a destination. Instead of flying to a location, packing your days full of activities, and then flying home again soon afterward, try combining two or three destinations in one trip or staying longer in one location.
If you slow travel and increase the time spent at your destination, you will be able to see more you have the time to explore each destination properly. That way, you will get a much better feeling for the local culture and the places you visit.
I took to planning longer trips after planning a road trip that was way too rushed. I felt like I had not really seen all that much, and there were still so many places I would have loved to see.
And of course, there was also no time to just sit down and enjoy an amazing view for a few hours or to return to a spot that would have been an incredible sunrise or sunset location.
8. Avoid Places suffering from Overtourism
Popular places are popular for a reason, but that does not mean that they are the only places worth a visit. In fact, there are amazing hidden gems all around the popular tourist destinations that suffering from overtourism, so consider exploring them instead.
These hidden gems are less crowded and, therefore, not just more relaxed but also easier to explore without having a negative impact on the local environment.
A lot of my favorite places are actually hidden gems, and at this point, I by far prefer adventures off the beaten track. There are so many places out there that few travelers know about, and I love exploring them. And if I believe that the places can handle more visitors, they might just end up in a blog post about exploring secret spots in a sustainable way.
While in Gran Canaria and in Mexico, I spend a good amount of time away from the tourist hotspots, and it was the best. I visited stunning natural spots in Gran Canaria that only locals know and in Mexico, I ventured 60 km into the jungle to explore the ruins of Calakmul, where I saw a wild jaguar.
9. Support Local Businesses
If you want to travel eco-friendly, you should also try to support local businesses. Whether it is by booking tours run by locals, eating at local restaurants, or shopping for handmade souvenirs made of sustainable materials.
This way, your money actually helps the local community and therefore often also leads to more sustainable business practices. When it comes to food and souvenirs, supporting local businesses furthermore has the benefit that long transport routes are avoided, which means there are fewer carbon dioxide emissions.
10. Leave No Trace
Another thing you should keep in mind while traveling eco-friendly is the leave no trace principle. It is a staple of protecting the natural environments we encounter and gives those that visit a place the chance to visit a pristine environment too.
It means you do not leave any trash behind and that you pick up trash you see so you can recycle it or dispose of it in a trash can. It also means that you do not leave designated trails where it would damage the flora and fauna, or geological features.
Scuba divers like to describe this way of exploring nature as ‘take only pictures, leave only bubbles‘, and I firmly believe that it is the right approach to all outdoor adventures.
Roundup: Eco-Friendly Traveling
Eco-friendly travel is a great way to reduce your carbon footprint. By using sustainable transportation, accommodation, and tour options, you can help protect the environment and create a positive impact on local communities.
In addition, eco-friendly travel often comes with added benefits as you often get much more authentic experiences, and deeper connections with nature and the people around you.
This makes it the perfect combination as it is beneficial to you and the planet. It does not take that much effort in the grand scheme of things, so have fun planning your eco-friendly vacation.
More Travel Tips
If you are interested in sustainable and ethical traveling, you might also be interested in these posts:
Solo Hiking Tips
Destinations for Adventure Lovers
Do you know any other things to keep in mind when Traveling Eco-Friendly?
Let me know in the comments down below!
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