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How to Travel More Sustainably

Don’t skimp on doing your own research, and be aware that ‘green’ certificates aren’t always all they’re cracked up to be.

Credit... Gabriel Alcala

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By Paige McClanahan

• April 22, 2021

So you’re vaccinated and eager to — finally — plan a real summer vacation after a rough year, but you don’t want to add to the problems you might have read about: overcrowding, climate change, unfair working conditions in the tourism industry. What’s a thoughtful traveler to do?

For those who want to travel responsibly, it comes down to this: You, the traveler, have to do your homework.

Looking for a hotel or tour operator that has earned a sustainability label might seem like a good place to start, but the reality isn’t so simple. There are around 180 certification labels floating around in the tourism industry, each purporting to certify the green credentials of a hotel, restaurant, tour operator or even a destination. And while some of those labels are well enforced, others might better be described as greenwashing — when a company portrays itself as an environmental steward, but its actions don’t match the hype.

“The range is enormous — from rigorous, impartial and excellent to, frankly, poor,” said Randy Durband, the chief executive of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council , a nonprofit organization that establishes and manages global standards for sustainable travel. “We strongly believe in the value of third-party certification, when it’s done right,” Mr. Durband added. “But the way the word ‘certification’ is used in tourism is out of control.”

Still, while the labels might be all over the map, many businesses are waking up to the importance of improving their environmental and social performance, said Andrea Nicholas, the chief executive of Green Tourism , an Edinburgh-based certification body with more than 2,500 members. The pandemic has brought the concept of sustainable tourism forward by five to 10 years, she said. Before, she added, many businesses saw sustainability as an “add-on.”

“What we’re seeing now, from the interest we’re getting, is that it’s a must-have,” she said.

There are some promising signs that consumers, too, are waking up to the consequences of their vacations. More than two-thirds of respondents to a recent seven-country global survey for American Express Travel said that they “are trying to be more aware of sustainability-friendly travel brands to support.” Another poll, this one for the digital travel company Booking.com, found that 69 percent of the more than 20,000 respondents “expect the travel industry to offer more sustainable travel options.”

What does “sustainable travel” mean, anyway?

Given the diversity of destinations and contexts that a traveler might encounter, there’s no universal answer to what sustainable travel means. A hotel’s water efficiency is a lot more important along Spain’s dry Mediterranean coastline than in rain-soaked western Scotland, for instance.

But experts say that the concept is about a lot more than just reusing the towels in your hotel room or buying a carbon offset for your flight, although those are good places to start.

Sustainability is also about the wages and working conditions of the people who are waiting tables on your cruise ship or schlepping your bag up a trail; it’s about the additional pressure you might be putting on an already-crowded city , heritage site or natural area ; it’s about whether your hotel buys its produce from a farm down the road or from a supplier on the other side of the world, or whether the money you spend goes into the community you’re visiting — or into the distant account of a multinational.

“What you need to do is marry the corporate social responsibility with an informed tourist consumer who knows what they’re asking for, and then demands it,” said Freya Higgins-Desbiolles, an adjunct senior lecturer in tourism at the University of South Australia. She listed some questions that travelers should ask themselves before they take their next trip: How can I travel in an off-peak time? How can I go to places that aren’t overcrowded? How can I ensure that the money I spend ends up in the local economy?

Johannah Christensen, a nonprofit executive and longtime concerned traveler, says that she always looks for some sort of reliable certification when she books a block of hotel rooms for an annual professional event. The Green Key label — a certification program that is headquartered in Copenhagen, where Ms. Christensen lives — is one that she has used in the past, but she is always sure to do some digging on her own. (This 2016 guide to some of the major tourism certifications can be a good starting point.)

“You can look for those green check marks, but understand what’s implied in them,” she said. “What does the hotel actually have to do to earn it? Don’t be afraid to ask questions.”

How to do your homework

Asking questions — both while you’re traveling and, more important, before you book — is one of the most powerful things that travelers can do, said Gregory Miller, the executive director of the Washington, D.C.-based Center for Responsible Travel . He recommends people start by looking closely at the websites of the tour operators, hotels and destinations that they’re considering. If they don’t find any language about sustainability, “that should be a flag,” he said.

Beyond that, he suggests that travelers check his organization’s list of responsible travel tips , which include recommendations like hiring local guides, asking permission before taking photos of people, staying on designated trails in natural areas and thinking twice about handing out money to children. While they’re traveling, Dr. Miller said, people shouldn’t be afraid to ask difficult questions of their service providers, or to call out waste or abuse when they see it — whether directly to a manager or in an online review.

“Certification can be a tool in the toolbox, but don’t be limited by that,” Dr. Miller said. “It’s about choices, and travelers do have the choice.”

Susanne Etti, the environmental impact specialist at Intrepid Travel , a global tour operator based in Australia, had other tips for travelers. She said they could start by checking the list of the more than 230 travel organizations that have joined the Tourism Declares initiative, members of which have pledged to publish a climate action plan and cut their carbon emissions.

Another reliable indicator, she said, is whether a company has been classified as a “B Corporation” — a rigorous sustainability standard that’s not limited to the tourism industry. Her company, Intrepid, has achieved the distinction, as have the apparel company Patagonia and ice cream maker Ben & Jerry’s. The B Corporation website lists some three dozen companies in the “travel and leisure” sector — from a paddle sports company in Hawaii to an Ecuadorean tour bus operator. A number of other tourism businesses are listed under “hospitality,” including Taos Ski Valley and Orlando-based Legacy Vacation Resorts.

Dr. Etti also shared some of the advice that she follows in her own travels. “When you fly, make it count,” she said, adding that, before the pandemic, when she would travel from her current home in Australia to her native Germany, she would do the long-haul flight, but then choose trains or other less-polluting ways to get around Europe, even when cheap short-haul flights were readily available.

Dr. Etti also recommended that travelers learn to slow down. “Stay in one location longer,” she said, “to really understand how life works in that community.”

Rethinking what travel means

Many travelers also need a shift in mind-set, said Dominique Callimanopulos, the head of Elevate Destinations , an international tour operator based in Massachusetts that has won a number of awards for its commitment to sustainability. People should learn to see their travels as an opportunity for exchange with a host community rather than a simple consumer transaction. Ms. Callimanopulos said that even her sustainability-inclined clientele rarely do their homework: She has received more questions about the availability of hair dryers than about the company’s environmental or social practices.

“People can make a shift from thinking just about what their personal experience is going to be to looking at the impact of their experience on the ground, on the destination and on the community,” she said.

Lindblad Expeditions , which operates adventure cruises in destinations like Alaska, the Antarctic and the South Pacific, has also won awards for its approach to sustainability and for giving back to the communities it visits. Sven-Olof Lindblad, the company’s chief executive, said that he continues to see people spending up to $40,000 on an Antarctic cruise without doing any research on the practices of the company offering the trip.

“You wouldn’t just buy a car from an ad without understanding what it was and how it compared,” he said. “I’m absolutely amazed at how little diligence people sometimes do in relationship to travel.”

Mr. Lindblad recommended that, in addition to doing their own research, travelers could speak to a travel adviser or travel agent who can help them dig for answers that might not be readily available on a company’s website.

“When people choose to travel, they should really understand what they’re getting into,” he said, “because there’s a lot of smoke and mirrors in this business.”

Follow New York Times Travel on Instagram , Twitter and Facebook . And sign up for our weekly Travel Dispatch newsletter to receive expert tips on traveling smarter and inspiration for your next vacation. Dreaming up a future getaway or just armchair traveling? Check out our 52 Places list for 2021 .

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Green Global Travel

World's largest independently owned Ecotourism / Green Travel / Sustainable Travel / Animal & Wildlife Conservation site. We share transformative Responsible Travel, Sustainable Living & Going Green Tips that make a positive impact.

40 Green Travel Tips (The Ultimate Guide to Sustainable Travel)

Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links. All hosted affiliate links follow our editorial policies .

[Updated 12/16/2019]   If you took a poll asking people whether they’d prefer to be responsible or irresponsible travelers, most would likely choose the former over the latter.

But what does “Green Travel”   even mean? How do you do it? Do you have to sleep in a tent and cook on a solar-powered camp stove in order to be considered eco-friendly?

And how do you recognize it when a company that offers “Green Travel” experiences is, in fact, just greenwashing? 

The truth is that sustainable travel (a.k.a. ecotourism) is all about making simple choices in order to lessen your negative impact on a given destination.

Individually, each one of these choices makes only a small difference in the big picture. But collectively, becoming more conscious about these little things can have a huge cumulative impact.

So here’s an in-depth look at what Green Travel is, why it matters, and an extensive array of easy tips designed to help you travel more responsibly and sustainably.

READ MORE: What Is Ecotourism? (History & Principles of Responsible Travel)

WHAT IS GREEN TRAVEL?

When we started Green Global Travel back in 2010, the field of ecotourism was largely unknown to average travelers. It had not yet become the buzzword it is today, and was primarily a term used by insiders in the fields of responsible travel and conservation.

But green energy – renewable energy harnessed from sustainable natural sources such as sun, wind, tides, and geothermal heat– was gaining steam as a movement thanks to thought leaders such as Al Gore . Green living– the lifestyle that aspires to conserve and protect the Earth’s natural resources, habitats, and biodiversity– was beginning to grow in popularity.

“Green” became synonymous with “eco-friendly” or “environmentally conscious.” So green travel came into vogue as a broad term used to encompass ecotourism and responsible travel practices, which generally strive to benefit the environment and the social and economic well-being of the local people.

When done well, green travel is the antithesis of mass tourism. It’s all about trying to make smarter choices that help to mitigate the negative impacts we create when we travel.

We cannot control the carbon emissions of the planes we fly in, the chemicals used by the hotels in which we stay, or the plastics used in the souvenirs sold in the destinations we visit. But we can choose more eco-friendly transportation, hotels, tour operators, and shopping tactics that do less damage to the environment, and create more benefits for local people.

According to a recent TripAdvisor survey, nearly two-thirds of all travelers are increasingly inclined to make more environmentally sound choices and travel green. The problem is, how do we tell the difference between green travel and greenwashing?

READ MORE: How Mass Tourism is Destroying Destinations Travelers Love

GREEN TRAVEL VS. GREENWASHING

A play on the term “whitewashing,” greenwashing is defined as “disinformation disseminated by an organization so as to present an environmentally responsible public image.” In other words, greenwashing is about using marketing strategies in an effort to deceive customers into believing that a company’s products, activities, or policies are genuinely eco-friendly when they really aren’t.

As the green movement gradually began to enter the mainstream, countless companies proved willing to greenwash if it brought them the green they wanted most: Money. Adjectives such as “all natural,” “organic,” and “post-consumer recycled content” were rendered meaningless, as claims were rarely substantiated or verified by impartial third parties.

The travel industry was no different. Tour operators who promoted themselves as being eco-friendly still offered irresponsible activities such as walking with lions tours, elephant rides, and visits to Thailand’s Tiger Temple. So how are travelers to know whether a company is truly green, or just greenwashing?

• Truly responsible travel businesses will put the needs of the local people and environment before the needs of travelers, always striving to make a positive impact.

• If there is a voluntourism element involved, truly responsible travel businesses will work directly with local NGOs to ensure the program meets the needs of the community and are not just “feel good” experiences for travelers. Again, the primary goal should be long-term positive impact.

• Truly responsible travel businesses may be affiliated with international organizations such as World Wildlife Fund, the  Nature Conservancy , Rainforest Alliance, etc. They may also have certification from organizations such as the Global Sustainable Tourism Council or the Center for Responsible Travel, which prove that they have met certain recognized standards for sustainability.

• Truly responsible travel businesses pride themselves on openness and transparency. Most will have details on their sustainability and corporate social responsibility initiatives clearly placed on their website. And any “green” company should be more than happy to answer any questions you may have about these initiatives.

READ MORE: Why Responsible Travel Matters (and Why It Doesn’t)

40 GREEN TRAVEL TIPS

What we’ve assembled below are 40 tips that EVERY traveler can use to make their adventures more friendly to the environment and the people and animals who inhabit it.

Most of them are ridiculously simple, such as using a refillable water bottle, putting a “Do Not Disturb” sign on your hotel room door, and buying locally made products rather than imports.

But if every one of our 90,000+ unique monthly visitors gradually began incorporating these Green Travel tips into their trips , our collective impact could be amazing!

GREEN TRANSPORTATION TIPS

1.  Try to book non-stop flights whenever you can: It’s the takeoffs and landings that create most of an airplane’s carbon emissions.

2. If you’re traveling with family or friends and the destination is within driving distance, perhaps you should consider taking a road trip . But if you’re traveling by yourself, it’s actually much more eco-friendly to fly!

3. If you do fly, consider doing so with one of the 30+ IATA (International Air Transport Association) member airlines who offer carbon offset programs to neutralize the aircraft’s carbon emissions by investing in carbon reduction projects.

4. If you decide to drive to your destination and your car isn’t eco-friendly, consider renting a hybrid or electric vehicle, which use less fuel and produce less carbon emissions than gas-guzzlers.

5. If you have the time, traveling via bus, train, or ship generally has less negative environmental impact than traveling by plane.

READ MORE: List of National Parks By State (Epic Guide to “America’s Best Idea”)

  TIPS FOR CHOOSING GREEN HOTELS

6. When traveling in the U.S., check to see if the hotel has LEED Certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.  The program judges hotels on sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, material selection, indoor environmental quality, and innovation in design.

7.  When traveling overseas, look for seals of approval from other certification programs, such as EarthCheck (Australia), Green Globe , Rainforest Alliance (Latin America, Caribbean), and Green Tourism Business Scheme (UK). Some countries, including Costa Rica, have their own certification programs to rate sustainability initiatives.

8. Ask if the hotel has a recycling program. If not, encourage them to start one when you leave suggestions on comments cards at check-out.

9. Ask questions about the hotel’s sustainability initiatives, such as solar power, wind turbines, rainwater harvesting, energy-efficient lighting, and low-flow toilets.

10. Find out what percentage of the hotel’s resources are local. Do they hire mostly local staff? Do they get most of their foods locally, or even grow them on the property? Do they use locally sourced materials in the décor? Companies that utilize indigenous resources tend to be more sustainable, as they’re investing in the local economy.

READ MORE: What is an Eco Lodge? (The Top 10 Eco Lodges in the World)

  WATER-SAVING TRAVEL TIPS

11. Take a BPA-free water bottle you can refill over and over again. Many international airports have free water dispensers, which saves you money and wasting plastic bottles.

12. Take showers, not baths. Showers use just 10-25 gallons of water, while baths use up to 70 gallons. Feeling frisky? Shower with a friend and save even more water!

13. Try to take shorter showers, turning the water off while you lather up, shampoo, shave, and/or brush your teeth.

14. Never use the hotel laundry, as they typically wash every guest’s clothes separately (even when there are only a few items). We usually wash our clothes as we shower, then hang them up overnight so they’re dry the next day.

15. Hang up your towels after each use, which is the universal sign that you’d like to use them again. You don’t wash your towels every day at home, so why do it when you travel?

READ MORE: How To Save Water (15 Conservation Tips)

ENERGY-SAVING TRAVEL TIPS

16. When you leave your room, always turn off all lights, heat/AC, and television. Closing the curtains and blinds can help keep out the heat of the sun in summer .

17. Leave the “Do Not Disturb” sign on the door of your room for the duration of your stay. This cuts down on chemical cleansing agents, electricity used in vacuuming, and the washing of bed linens.

18. Walk, bike, or use public transportation to get around whenever possible, which cuts down on gas usage and saves you money.

19. Return maps, brochures, and other tourist info once you’re finished with them so that they may be reused by future travelers.

20. Take any leftover soap, shampoo, or toothpaste with you. Unused portions are often thrown away, and you can reuse the plastic bottles in the future.

READ MORE:   Ted Turner on Saving the World With Alternative Energy

  GREEN HIKING TIPS  

21. Marked hiking trails are there for a reason. Stick to the path to avoid harming native flora and avoid any creepy-crawlies that may be lurking in the underbrush.

22. Bring along a small bag and pick up any trash you spot along your hike. Have a friendly competition to see who can clean up the most unsightly waste!

23. Never feed or touch wildlife, for any reason. Feeding animals makes them habituated to and reliant on humans, and often leads to attacks. If you get bit, the animal will most likely be killed.

24. Research weather conditions and terrain before you go hiking. You don’t want to be that guy (or girl) who got lost and required a ranger rescue, which drains public resources.

25. Keep a respectful distance from wildlife. Yes, we understand that you want to Instagram your encounter with a grizzly bear. But if you’re close enough to attract an animal’s attention, you’re too damn close!

READ MORE: 10 Best Hikes in the World (World Travel Bucket List)

  GREEN SHOPPING TIPS

26. Buy locally made (preferably handmade) products, rather than those that have been imported. Items that are flown or shipped in have a much larger carbon footprint, and who wants a cheap, cookie-cutter souvenir made on an Asian assembly line?

27. Don’t buy anything made from endangered plants/animals, unsustainable hardwoods, or ancient artifacts. Not only is it wrong, but you probably won’t be able to get them back through customs.

28. Take your own reusable bag when you go shopping. Plastic bags are SO 20 th century…

29 . Seek out indigenous artisans when you can. When you buy directly from an artist, you’re not only helping them feed their family, but in many cases you’re helping to preserve their culture. We’ve also heard some pretty amazing stories by chatting these artisans up.

30. Do not buy souvenir photos from anyone exploiting wildlife, such as the famous performing elephants of Thailand .

READ MORE: 50 Fascinating Facts About Elephants (For World Elephant Day)

ECO-FRIENDLY TOUR TIPS

31. Travel with small group tour operators, which tend to have less of an environmental impact. Membership in an organization like the Global Sustainable Tourism Council  is a good sign that the tour operator tries to conduct itself in a responsible, sustainable manner.

32. When snorkeling or Scuba diving , don’t touch/step on the coral or stir up sediment, as it can damage the reef’s fragile ecosystem.

33. Ask your snorkel or scuba diving tour operators if they chum the water to attract marine life. Doing so can change the behavior of marine species, or possibly make them sick.

34. Find out how the tour operator gives back to the local community. Do they lease the land from locals? Do they hire local guides? Do they take a leading role in preserving the area’s natural resources? Community-based tourism   is the most sustainable.

35. Don’t take any tour that promises hands-on encounters with wild animals, such as riding elephants or walking with lions . If you do, you’re supporting an industry that illegally captures, transports, and abuses millions of animals each year.

  READ MORE: 7 Harmful Traditional Practices that Tourists Should Never Support

  TIPS FOR BEING A GREEN TRAVELER

36. Honor local customs. Do a little research before you travel to learn about the destination’s local cultural traditions, so that you can speak and behave appropriately.

37. Ask for permission before taking a photo of someone. In some cultures, taking a person’s picture is like stealing their soul. and in general it’s just common courtesy.

38. Learn the language, or at least a few important words. You don’t have to do a full Rosetta Stone course. But you’d be amazed by how knowing simple phrases such as “Thank you,” “My name is,” and “Please help me” will impact the way locals will treat you.

39. Give back. Whether you sign up for a full-on voluntourism vacation or work with a non-profit like Pack For A Purpose to provide much-needed supplies to local schools, it doesn’t take a lot of extra effort to make a huge difference in the local community when you travel.

40. Immerse yourself in the local culture. Be a participant, not just an observer. Half the fun of traveling is getting an opportunity to step outside your comfort zone and try different foods, listen to different music, and explore different cultures. So, seriously, don’t be that guy who goes to India and insists on ordering a hamburger!   – Bret Love; photos by Bret Love & Mary Gabbett

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About the Author

Green Global Travel is the world's #1 independently owned ecotourism website encouraging others to embrace sustainable travel, wildlife conservation, cultural preservation, and going green tips for more sustainable living.

We've been spotlighted in major media outlets such as the BBC, Chicago Tribune, Forbes, The Guardian, Lonely Planet, National Geographic, Travel Channel, Washington Post and others.

Owned by Bret Love (a veteran journalist/photographer) and Mary Gabbett (business manager/videographer), USA Today named us one of the world's Top 5 Travel Blogging Couples. We were also featured in the 2017 National Geographic book, Ultimate Journeys for Two, for which we contributed a chapter on our adventures in Rwanda. Other awards we've won include Best Feature from both the Caribbean Tourism Organization and the Magazine Association of the Southeast.

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All About Sustainable Travel, Top Green Destinations, and Smart Tips

Sustainable travel is needed now more than ever. But what is it and how can you do it? Let’s first take a look at why it’s important.

The global tourism industry is responsible for a whopping 8% of all greenhouse gas emissions, and that number keeps climbing, according to a report published by Nature Climate Change.

Of that, the Environmental and Energy Study Institute attributes 2.4% of all emissions as a direct result of aviation. To put this into perspective, experts say you’d need to plant a whole acre (4,047 m 2 ) of forest to recoup the carbon output of a single long-haul flight!

On top of all that, people are just waking up to the fact that travel sustainability isn’t only about cutting the carbon dioxide (CO2) we emit. There’s much more to it. It’s also about witnessing nature responsibly, eating ethically while on the move, and engaging and helping local communities.

We’re on that journey here at The Explorer’s Passage , just like everyone else. As an industry award-winning premier adventure travel company, traveling better is a priority of ours. That’s why we want to loop you in on sustainable travel and we’re glad you found this blog.

Ever wonder what sustainability looks like in travel? Curious how industry players are making trips more eco-friendly? Interested in how you can globetrot more responsibly? Want some perfect destination ideas for greener travel? Keep reading to find out!

Inside this Guide

What is sustainable travel, the three pillars of sustainability, sustainable travel initiatives around the world, choosing a responsible travel provider, 10 ways to travel more sustainably, 3 top green destinations for sustainable tourism.

Nailing down a concise definition for sustainable travel is tough. It’s possible to apply the same logic that’s used with renewable energy, in which case sustainable travel is all about ensuring there’s no permanent damage done to the natural world. However, most green travelers also recognize that there’s a need to include communities and cultures in a vision of sustainability and ecotourism.

Meanwhile, some organizations, like The Travel Foundation, paint the picture in more utilitarian terms: “The aim of sustainable tourism is to increase the benefits and to reduce the negative impacts caused by tourism for destinations.”

Generally speaking, you’ll see a few key themes run throughout:

• Safeguarding nature and natural habitats – The idea that travel can only be sustainable if it doesn’t do any permanent harm to the natural world.
• Combating climate change – This includes everything from carbon offsetting flights to traveling overland whenever there’s an option.
• Supporting and empowering local communities – A focus on keeping things local allows communities to benefit from the tourism that happens where they call home.

The Explorer’s Passage prefers to go a step further and say that sustainable travel is not just about mitigating negative impacts, but also about having a positive impact on the destinations we go to. AKA: Not simply leaving only footprints, but also leaving the place where you made those footprints better off than it was before – that’s regenerative travel.

Sound like the way you want to travel? Check out our most popular adventure tour packages !

People, planet, profits – these are the central tenets of sustainability in the modern age. Otherwise known as the social pillar, the environmental pillar, and the economic pillar. Together, they form the backbone of sustainability across sectors from banking to business.

When it comes to travel, a lot of the focus is on the environment, but it’s actually important to focus on all three of these principles. Here’s a look at how:

• Social – The concept here is that every business should have the “support and approval of its employees.” When applied to the world of travel, you could say that every traveler should have the support and approval of the destinations where they go.

That means locals need to be a-okay with travelers or city breakers visiting, and they should have key stakeholder positions to determine who can travel where and when. Also, giving back to these communities ensures the sustainability of future tourism.

• Environment – This is probably the most talked-about aspect of the Three Pillars of Sustainability when it comes to green travel. It’s about protecting the natural world around us by doing all sorts, including cutting carbon footprints right down to using recyclable packaging.
• Economic – The buck shifts to the travel companies here, who need to do their bit to remain profitable while staying true to the two other principles of environmental and social sustainability. This is also about where we put our money. Will we fund local tour companies or global ones without a connection to the place that’s being explored?

Whether its restrictions on how many trekkers can trek a historical trail each day, carbon-negative hotels in lush rainforests, simple CO2 reductions on flights, or travel-funded conservation programs, there are all sorts of sustainability initiatives on the go right now. Here’s a closer look at these few examples:

• Offsetting carbon emissions on flights and other bookings – The goal of carbon offsetting your travel is to mitigate CO2 emissions by funding an unrelated carbon-negative activity. That could be anything from tree planting to supporting renewable energy projects.

The specific carbon offsetting method is usually chosen by the airline or travel company. If your environment-friendly service provider offers such sustainable options, you can simply opt in to participate when you book. We cover more tips for greener travel later on, so keep reading!

• Activity restrictions – To promote eco-friendly travel and better preserve popular locations, there are now limits placed on the number of trekking permits for certain trails. For example, in Alaska, only 50 hikers per day are permitted to enter the famed Chilkoot Trail . And, in Peru, only 200 trekkers per day are permitted to hike the Classic Inca Trail to Machu Picchu .
• Trail maintenance programs – On the Inca Trail, in order to help preserve their sacred sites from overuse, the government of Peru closes the route for the whole of February. Similar protective actions are also common on the Great Walks of New Zealand, the Appalachian Trail, and in oodles of other places around the globe.
• Ban on single-use plastics – The simple act of switching out a disposable plastic bottle for a refillable one can go a long way. This can be done at a company level (we encourage all guests to use sustainable equipment on our treks and trips) or at a personal level (companies like Trash Hero World have been helping backpackers in Southeast Asia go green for some years now).

• Eco-friendly hotels – Many environmentally conscious hotels across the globe are increasing their use of renewable energy. An example would be a hotel that relies on solar panels for their power generation. And don’t be surprised to also see more hotels adopting recycling programs, laundering linen-and-towel-reuse programs, and composting practices.

Other hotels are giving back to the environment by setting aside land for rewilding (also known as land restoration) or running awareness-raising programs in local ecology. Costa Rica is very much leading the way here!

Eco conscious? Us too. We love exploring as much as anybody else, but also realize the environmental and social impact of travel. Evolving the way we all travel is imperative to not only sustaining the natural playgrounds in which we visit, but also to bettering the vibrant communities that live there.

We’re so pleased that sustainable travel is gaining traction. When planning your holiday vacation trips, choose a company that does their part to lessen the impacts of traditional travel.

We, at The Explorer’s Passage, have been in the game for a while now and we do our best to, well, do our best. Our commitment to sustainability is real. Many other travel operators are also doing great things, but here are some of the ways we personally help you travel better when you choose us:

• Carbon footprint offsetting We offer guests the chance to fly carbon neutral. As a proud partner in the Planet Care Program, our green travelers who book through Exito Travel (our air travel partner) can fully offset the CO2 emissions of their flights. This is achieved through Sustainable Travel International’s diverse portfolio of offsetting projects, at no additional cost to guests.

What’s more, The Explorer’s Passage goes beyond carbon neutrality. We actually removed more CO2 from the atmosphere than we put in and committed to offsetting 125% of the carbon footprint from our past Antarctic and Arctic charter trips.

In fact, we co-launched the Polar Carbon Negative Initiative (PCNI) in 2018, which called for all ship operators in the Arctic to also offset 1.25x of their CO2 emissions. We have since expanded this protocol to our other destinations across the globe and have provided tools to our travelers to assist with the offsetting of flights for even more carbon neutrality.

Our CO2 offset reduction program is conducted through participation in a number of renewable energy and environmental projects globally. These include but are not limited to wind farms, hydroelectric projects, solar panel fields, and reforestation efforts. We have set the standard for sustainable travel companies to take responsibility to offset carbon emissions in creative and thoughtful ways.

• Following the strongest guide standards The Explorer’s Passage maintains some of the strongest guide standards and due diligence procedures in the global travel industry. We go through an exhaustive process when launching a new tour destination to ensure our sustainable travel programs are conducted in the right way.

We encourage all tour companies around the world to follow such guidelines, which help us determine everything from the guides we employ to the eco-friendly hotels our patrons stay at, as well as the vehicles we utilize to the very places we conduct our sustainable tours.

• Partnerships with sustainable travel organizations We are a member of a spectacular global organization called Leave No Trace International . Their mission is to educate people to respect nature and to leave it as it was upon arrival. We proudly follow the Seven Principles of Leave No Trace which are:
• Plan ahead and prepare
• Travel and camp on durable surfaces
• Dispose of waste properly
• Leave what you find
• Minimize campfire impacts
• Respect wildlife
• Be considerate of other visitors

Not only do they provide us with training in environment-friendly travel practices, but they also support a number of green initiatives around the globe, advise policymakers on sustainable governance, and help to develop local sustainability certification programs.

• Giving back locally The Explorer’s Passage aims to effect positive change globally. We’re passionate about reinvesting a portion of our profits to help the environment and local communities.

In fact, we currently have multiple exciting new ecotourism and social impact projects in the works. On the social side, we’re researching ways to provide indigenous groups access to essential needs or tools to improve their current situation and prospects.

On the environmental front, we’re interested in contributing to the restoration of coral reef ecosystems. In the process, we aim to educate others about the importance of preserving and restoring such ecosystems, which leads us to our next point.

• Raising awareness & education We never shy away from talking about the bad side of climate change on our adventures, but we also focus on the good. That could mean hiking out to see a retreating glacier in Patagonia or paying a visit to a tree planting farm in Costa Rica. The whole aim is to raise awareness about what’s going on in the world as the atmosphere warms up, all while encouraging audiences to advocate for potential ways to turn it around.

Each year, we provide a number of eco-friendly tours and experiences across the globe that are centered around sustainability and education. Through the use of workshops, world-class speakers, networking, and deeply immersive environmental education programs, participants return home transformed and ready to make a difference.

In 2022, we safely ran an Antarctic expedition cruise for 160+ participants from 35 nations who experienced the sobering effects of climate change at the edge of the world. Since the expedition, the group has collectively spread awareness globally through presentations to thousands at schools, corporations, and governments. They’ve also begun local initiatives and started green nonprofits, as well as implemented sustainable practices in their own lives through lifestyle changes.

Read more about our mission in articles by Newsweek, National Geographic, and other notable media outlets .

Have you ever asked yourself, “how can I travel more responsibly?” There are so many ways to make your moves more sustainable when taking a trip. Here are 10 to start with:

That goes for vessels too. If you traveled with The Explorer’s Passage on our most recent expedition to Antarctica, then you sailed on a more sustainable modern ship that consumes 60% less energy than other ships of comparable size. Plus, it had the lowest carbon emissions per passenger in the entire industry – now that’s something to feel good about.

So, if you can’t reduce the carbon of your trip another way (by traveling overland, for example), then a simple way to mitigate the environmental damage is usually just the tick of a box when you book flights.

Also, consider participating in offsetting activities such as tree planting – just make sure the trees are native species to the area they’re going.

Also, more and more hotels are running sustainable initiatives so choose places with related certifications whenever possible.

• Reduce, reuse, recycle – Conserve water by taking shorter showers. Use less electricity by turning off lights and electronics when not in use. Limit laundering services by reusing linens and towels. And when it comes to food, only order what you’ll eat and compost if possible. If available at the destinations you visit and accommodations you stay, be sure to participate in recycling programs.

If you have the chance to do so safely, a local clean-up can also be an impactful activity during your sustainable tour. We proudly ran a trip where our travelers assisted in a beach clean-up that removed 1,102 pounds (500 kilograms) of waste from the Patagonian shoreline. This is just the type of regenerative tourism that is critical to the future of travel.

• Choose tour companies with local guides – It’s not always easy to be sure that you’re picking local guides for your destination trip, but it is important if the aim here is to keep tourism money in the hands of the community. That’s why we’d always recommend choosing a tour operator like The Explorer’s Passage – our team of guides is only made up of expert locals which also ensures you a wonderfully authentic experience.

Travel with us and you can be sure that the chow on every adventure will always be sourced and cooked with an eye on sustainability. Cue menus of Nepali dal bhat (a staple rice and lentil dish) in Khumbu teahouses or hearty Peruvian fare on the Inca Trail made by backcountry chefs.

A few years earlier, we partnered with the legendary British conservationist and anthropologist Dr. Jane Goodall and a team of eco champion volunteers to plant over 2,000 trees at the base of Mount Kilimanjaro . The aim? Rewild this incredible part of Africa while also helping green travelers to appreciate the precarious ecological state of the place they’re visiting.

• Choose only responsible wildlife tourism – There’s been a profound change in the way people view wildlife tourism in the last 10 years or so. The days that so-called “elephant sanctuaries” and the like could attract thousands of visitors are ending, as responsible travelers take on a more ethical outlook on the natural world. You can help speed this trend by joining their ranks. Only participate in responsible nature and wildlife ecotourism that’s committed to sustainable practices. If in doubt, don’t do it!

In all our years of adventuring, we’ve seen first-hand and all too often the negative impacts that travel can have. But we firmly believe that it doesn’t have to be that way.

This impressive planet of ours never fails to inspire us with its colossal glaciers, sawtooth peaks, lonely valleys, and primeval jungles. It’s easy to see that, right now, it needs help more than ever. That’s why The Explorer’s Passage takes green travel very seriously, putting sustainability and ecology at the front and center of our curated trips .

For some trip inspiration, we’ve compiled a list of a few perfect destinations for the eco-conscious traveler. Here are some of our favorite tours that you can feel good about taking and a glimpse at how we help lower our footprint:

Costa Rica is right there at the forefront of ecotourism. A whopping 28% of the country as a whole is now protected as either a national park or a nature reserve. Whenever visiting this land of smoke-belching volcanoes and chirping quetzals, it’s super important that we help, not hinder, those national efforts towards environmental preservation. We do that by:

• Choosing sustainable hotels and local service providers who we evaluate on their eco-friendly credentials every year
• Educating green travelers on the history of Costa Rican wildlife, environmental protection, and ways to remain sustainable
• Participating in small, rural impact initiatives
• Participating in Wanna Help! – a campaign that promotes sustainable tourism with a focus on sharing the economic benefits of travel with local communities
• Promoting regional gastronomy – you will eat local on our eco-friendly trips!
• Providing refillable water bottles to all guests
• Offering regular training in sustainable travel practices to our tour guides

Learn more about this wild adventure and book our Costa Rica tour .

The W Trek in Chilean Patagonia

We’ve said it before, but we’ll say it again – the W Trek is one of the most eye-wateringly wonderful hiking adventure destinations on the planet. It just so happens to take you through a region that’s on the very frontline against climate change.

Glaciers and icefields here are thought to be at particular risk of rising temperatures. That’s why it’s more important than ever for us to get it right on our vacation tours. We’re dedicated to sustainable tourism best practices to ensure the W Trek can be enjoyed by future generations. As such, our local teams and service providers employ a number of environmental and economic initiatives, including:

• Partnership with AMA Torres del Paine, a non-profit that funds conservation projects throughout the national park
• Educational initiatives to teach green travelers about the traditional baqueano way of life of the Patagonian highlands
• Partnership with those who fund environmental and restoration projects within the communities and reserves of the Torres del Paine
• Dedication to the principles of Leave No Trace on all our treks, reducing the impact of our camping stays

Learn more about this Chilean adventure and book our W Trek tour .

The Inca Trail in Peru

Due to the high trekking numbers on the Inca Trail, the Peruvian government keeps tight restrictions on the iconic route. This has made it all the more important that our trips to this amazing corner of South America have as little impact on the environment as possible.

That’s why we emphasize the concepts of sustainability and responsible trekking on our Peru journeys. How? Here’s just a few ways we run our treks here as sustainably as possible:

• Minimize single-use plastics and ensure all trekkers have refillable water bottles or vessels
• Charge all electrical equipment using portable solar panels
• Strictly ban the collection of plants, rocks, or other ecological material to protect native habitats
• Use only authorized paths so that our treks don’t contribute to the erosion of the ancient trails
• Source sustainable local food ingredients and compost all organic waste
• Pack every piece of litter we accumulate each day
• Focus on minimizing all disruption to local communities within the Sacred Valley, including through proper noise moderation

Learn more about this Peruvian adventure and book our Inca Trail to Machu Picchu tour .

So there it is – your guide to sustainable travel that sheds light on what we can all do to manage our impact and help the world we call home.

From the very date of The Explorer’s Passage’s foundation, we’ve given our best efforts to do right by sustainability practices. We’re always learning and adapting, ready to develop our tours in a positive way – and we hope you’ll join us! Come be a part of more responsible travel and contact us to plan your next unforgettable adventure!

Why travel with The Explorer’s Passage?

We pride ourselves on delivering extraordinary tours based on travelers’ needs and are humbled by our guests’ testimonials . In fact, our dedication has earned us a 5-star rating on Tripadvisor , and awards by Travel+Leisure Magazine and Newsweek. Check us out and discover why so many green travelers worldwide choose us . We hope to see you soon!

Cheers, Jeff

Jeff Bonaldi Founder & CEO The Explorer’s Passage

About Jeff Bonaldi

Jeff Bonaldi is the Founder and CEO of The Explorer’s Passage, a premier adventure travel company. His mission is to provide travelers with the opportunity to transform their lives and the planet through the power of adventure.

Learn more about Jeff’s story and his company HERE .

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Sustainable travel: 6 simple tips to make a positive impact on your next trip

Apr 6, 2022 • 6 min read

Bring reusable bags for shopping © Imgorthand / Getty Images

Sustainable travel is about making smarter choices in every aspect of the trip. It starts at the beginning, when booking transport and accommodation, and comes into play when seeking out local experiences and being conscious of where you're investing your tourist dollars.

But that doesn't mean you need to totally overhaul your vacation. We've put together a list of practical tips that will help you along the way, even if you're just getting started on your sustainable travel journey. 

1. Travel off-peak or off-beat

In recent years, the global phenomenon of overtourism has begun straining infrastructure and ecosystems, and pricing locals out of communities. For a time it appeared that this trend wasn't slowing down, but then the  pandemic hit and holiday hotspots suddenly went from overtourism to no tourism.

As travel rebounds, many people are rethinking how they explore. Taking the road less traveled and visiting under-the-radar spots to avoid crowds is one way to be responsible.

But if you can't resist the lure of the big tourist districts, Justin Francis, CEO of activist travel company Responsible Travel , says you should travel off-peak . "If you really want to see the canals of Venice , or La Sagrada Familia of Barcelona , then consider traveling outside of summer or school holiday," he advises. "There will be far fewer people around, and the money you spend will help businesses that can struggle outside peak season."

The Points Guy:  Carbon offsetting: How to calculate your carbon footprint when you travel

2. Go by road or rail

Trains, planes and automobiles. Which one is best? Air travel is the natural enemy of sustainable travel because it wreaks havoc on the environment. The Swedes have even coined a new phrase, ' flygskam’ or ‘flight shame,’ to refer to the feeling of environmental guilt travelers have over flying. Unfortunately though, sometimes flying is non-negotiable. If you live in New York and need to visit Shanghai , you're not going to take the slow boat to China . So the best solution is to fly less.

9 best sleeper train journeys to take in Europe in 2022

"Instead of taking three or four short city breaks by air each year, aim to take one, longer trip by plane and a few ‘staycations’ or trips where you go by road or rail," recommends Francis. He notes that travelers should always choose economy class (as first class can have a much higher carbon footprint ) and fly direct where possible. "You can also look into which airlines have the lowest emissions per passenger mile . And wherever you can, travel overland in a destination instead of taking domestic flights."

I'm a Lonely Planet writer and I gave up flying. Here's what happened

3. Opt for eco-conscious accommodation

Eco-conscious accommodation has come on leaps and bounds in recent years, thanks to changing attitudes among consumers. Now the industry knows what's good for the planet is good for profit and hotels are starting to rack up serious eco-credentials. There are CO2-neutral stays on offer in places like The Brando in Tahiti, the Olakira Camp in the Serengeti , Vienna's Boutiquehotel Stadthalle and Hotel Kong Arthur in Copenhagen , part of Arthur Hotels, which was the world's first carbon-neutral hotel group. You can even try Zero Island, a tourist-friendly island in Sweden that managed to go carbon neutral in one year.

When it comes to plastic waste, the Angama Mara in Kenya follows a strict plastic-free policy and EDITION Hotels launched the "Stay Plastic Free" campaign to remove single-use plastics from the hospitality industry. Companies are also giving back, like AccorHotels who are financing smart-tree planting schemes for local farms. In 2016, the international hotel group planted nearly 17,000 trees in the UK as part of its global Plant for the Planet program, financed by the £233,000 saved by guests reusing towels rather than sending them to the laundry.

16 stunning eco-hotels for the environmentally conscious traveler

4. Pack reusable items

The best way to reduce your waste output is to produce less. Vicky Ellmore from Reusable Nation says pack light and purposeful. "Stick to the basics and take reusables like a water bottle, coffee cup, steel or bamboo straw, food container (collapsible ones are great for traveling) and bamboo cutlery or a spork so you can avoid single-use plastics," she advises. "Take a reusable shopping bag and produce bags so you can shop plastic-free, and take zero waste toiletries, such as shampoo bars, deodorant paste and tooth tablets. You'll create a lot less waste and you won't have to worry about liquids and aerosols."

Bea Johnson, the author of Zero Waste Home recommends repurposing everyday items you use at home for vacation use. "I bring my own earbuds and a peshtemal, which I use as a towel at the beach, a picnic blanket in a park or a scarf when it gets cold, but also a blanket on the plane, so I don't have to use those provided by the airlines which are wrapped in plastic."

Innovative sustainable tourism attractions around the world

5. Spend your money locally

If you choose locally-owned accommodation, eat at independent restaurants, buy locally made products and choose local experiences you can make a positive impact. Travel social enterprises such as I Like Local use tourist dollars to create sustainable incomes for local guides and hosts in 19 countries across Asia and Africa . Founder Sanne Meijboom tells Lonely Planet, "As many local people in Asia and Africa are not benefiting from tourism in their country and more travelers are looking for authentic travel experiences, we connect the dots. A traveler like you can join local life and the local person earns 100% of the money he asks for the experience."

Colombian tour company Impulse also has a social enterprise mission and harnesses the power of tourism to generate a market-driven peace movement. "We do this by creating experiences travelers love and which actively involve local communities thriving for peace in the business. This generates economic and cultural empowerment that supports social transformation and helps break material and psychological poverty cycles within the communities," says Impulse's Nikola Kelch. "Our passion is to help communities get back on their feet, one tour at a time."

6. Choose your animal experiences carefully

Even 'harmless' selfies can be threatening to wildlife. According to the charity World Animal Protection (WPA), animals in the Amazon “are being torn from the wild so tourists can take selfies for Instagram and other social media”.

How to be a responsible wildlife tourist

Animals shouldn't be used for human entertainment and they need to live as free from human interference as possible. If you are keen to see wild animals in their natural habitat, choose places that offer ethical and sustainable animal interactions such as elephant sanctuaries and marine conservation volunteer projects. Elephant rides should always be given a miss and avoid all experiences where animals are behaving unnaturally.

The best way to travel sustainably is to be more mindful. As Responsible Travel's Justin Francis sums it up, "There is just one key point to keep in mind: respect the fact that you’re holidaying in someone else’s home, and think about how you can make a positive impact while you’re there."

7 easy tips for eco-friendly travel on a budget

You might also like: 'Why travelers need to rethink their attitude to travel' Into the green: eight destinations for an eco-friendly escape You can be a part of worldwide coral regeneration schemes – here's how

This article was first published Jun 21, 2019 and updated Apr 6, 2022.

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I tried 7 things to be a more responsible traveler. 6 worked great, but there's one I'll skip next time.

• To be a more responsible traveler, I tried seven things to reduce my carbon footprint.
• I followed experts' advice to take trains, stay in eco-friendly lodging, and book longer trips.
• Most worked well, but I'll never again travel in a shared sleeper cabin on an overnight train. 
• This article is part of " Green Getaway ," a series exploring how people can make more eco-conscious choices while traveling. For more climate-action news, visit Insider's One Planet  hub. 

Over the past year and a half, I traveled more than I ever had in my life.

When I was growing up, vacation always meant visiting my cousins in other states.

I didn't travel for myself until college, when I spent all the money I made working in a photo lab on camping road trips that I took around the Southwest with my buddies. That was the first time I felt like my travels were about the place I was visiting, and I grew more curious about exploring other states and countries.

That curiosity led me to my current job — a travel reporter at Insider.

Over the past year and a half in this role, I've spent more than 100 hours on trains across six countries, sailed on the largest cruise ship in the world , and learned about all the decision-making that comes with planning a spectacular trip.

But traveling frequently has also motivated me to think about how to get around the world sustainably. So I tried seven ways to lower my carbon footprint.

I love to travel, but I know it can be harmful to the environment. Justin Francis, a cofounder and the CEO of Responsible Travel , a UK travel company that evaluates trips and vacation providers, previously told Insider that travel could be helpful or harmful to the environment; it all depends on how you do it.

"Tourism creates local jobs and can improve lives," Francis said. "On the flip side, overtourism reduces local quality of life and affordable housing. It contributes enormously to crucial conservation work — but irresponsible development risks decimating nature."

Francis said he believed it's possible to travel "in a way that not only reduces harm but actively maximizes the benefits, for both planet and people."

Similarly, Paloma Zapata, the CEO of Sustainable Travel International, told Insider that traveling sustainably was all about making intentional choices to serve your destination and planet well.

With this guidance in mind, I took seven actions to lower my negative effect on the environment while traveling that were recommended by six sustainable-travel experts who previously spoke with Insider . 

Here's a closer look at everything I tried, most of which I'd do again.

Based on experts' advice, for my latest trip, I chose a destination that embraced sustainability and the outdoors — the Great Smoky Mountains in Tennessee. I'd gladly do it again.

When it comes to deciding where to travel, Jessica Blotter, the CEO and a cofounder of the public-benefit corporation Kind Traveler , told Insider she looked for destinations with tourism boards that have a dedicated sustainable-travel section on their website. She avoids places "where access to nature and the outdoors is limited," she added.

In April, I followed this advice when I wanted to plan a trip and landed on the Great Smoky Mountains, a mountain range in a national park split between Tennessee and North Carolina. 

I selected this destination not only because of its vast access to more than 800 miles of the Southern Appalachian Mountains, according to the National Park Service , but also because I saw that the Great Smoky Mountains were part of the Climate Friendly Parks program .

The program is "a network of parks nationwide that are putting climate-friendly behavior at the forefront of sustainability planning," says the Great Smoky Mountains action plan by the NPS that details the park's sustainability practices.

The plan also says the park aims to teach visitors about sustainability practices by including information about the climate crisis and mitigation in brochures, public facilities around the park — which I spotted during my trip — and park-led activities like guided hikes.

Compared with other national parks I've visited, I was surprised by how clean Great Smoky Mountains National Park was. I didn't see litter, which made me think that the park's emphasis on sustainability education was working.

Hiking without a candy wrapper in sight also made me feel like I was truly getting away from my urban lifestyle. And that takeaway made the trip worth it for me. Ultimately, I felt closer to nature, which is rare since I live in New York City, and I felt good visiting a place that I knew was actively working to preserve the surrounding environment.

Moving forward, I'll be sure to continue looking out for sustainable destinations to visit.

During the same trip, I committed to spending all five days in one area. Experts say this is more sustainable than hopping from one destination to another. I also thought it helped me get to know the place I was visiting more deeply.

In the past, I've packed in as many destinations as possible in a single trip, from a two-week adventure to four European countries to a weeklong tour of four Canadian cities . During these trips, I moved every day or so and felt I didn't have enough time in each place to get a good feel for it.

But according to Francis , it's more sustainable to visit fewer destinations for a longer period of time to decrease carbon emissions that come from flying.

"Fewer but longer trips mean fewer air miles, more money in local hands, and you'll have a more relaxing trip, too," Francis said. "If you can, keep shorter trips close to home or travel by land or sea."

He added that these modes of travel could be adventures themselves and allow you to "see so much more of a destination."

Additionally, aviation made up more than 2% of global energy-related carbon emissions in 2021, according to the International Energy Agency . And 80% of a trip's carbon footprint typically comes from the flights, National Geographic reported.

So when I planned my five-day trip to Tennessee, I decided to stay near the national park for the entire time, rather than add on nearby destinations such as Nashville.

I not only was glad to help support the environment in a beautiful place like a national park but also thought spending all my time in one area helped me get to know it much better than when I planned multiple one-night stays in Canada and Europe.

By the end of the trip, I was glad I didn't go to Nashville. I left Tennessee feeling like I got a full experience at the Great Smoky Mountains. Plus, following the same advice, I knew I could always plan another trip just for Nashville and would get a better sense of the city than if I spent one day there during this trip.

Experts recommend packing as lightly as possible to lighten the load on your transportation vessel. I packed for my past few trips with just a backpack and found it also made it easier to keep track of my belongings.

When preparing for a trip, packing lighter is more sustainable, experts agreed.

"The more weight an aircraft carries, the more fuel it burns; the lighter the load, the less polluting," Francis previously told Insider. "So pack as light as you reasonably can. If you avoid the hassle of checking a bag, that's a bonus."

For example, according to FiveThirtyEight , Southwest's fuel costs increase by more than $1 million a year if every passenger carries a cellphone and $21 million if everyone carries a laptop.

I've taken this to heart, and for my past three trips, I traveled with just a backpack . I've found that the sustainable practice is more efficient not only for the environment but also for me personally. The load on my back is lighter on me than a full suitcase would be, and it's also lighter on every flight I take, reducing the amount of fuel needed to get to my destination.

Louise Miller, an executive director of the international nonprofit  Center for Responsible Travel , added that by packing fewer items and using a carry-on, you'd get through security faster and avoid the hassle of checking a bag , which I think is also a major incentive to leave behind what you don't need.

When it comes to transportation, experts told me that traveling by train was more sustainable than flying. I also think it's often a better experience.

How you get to your destination is another important consideration when trying to travel sustainably, experts told me . 

In the US, Amtrak has reported that taking trains over flights reduces a traveler's carbon emissions by 73%. In Europe, Eurail has reported that traveling by train contributes between 66% and 75% less carbon than driving or flying.

Besides biking and walking, trains are typically one of the most sustainable ways to travel, Zapata of Sustainable Travel International said. If your destination is accessible by train, consider that.

Since learning this, I've been making an active effort to follow this advice and focus on train travel . I've spent more than 100 hours and 3,000 miles traveling by train in six countries , from 30-hour rides on Amtrak sleeper trains up and down the East Coast and 12-hour overnight rides across Germany and Austria  to long day trips around Italy and Canada.

In addition to being a sustainable mode of transportation, traveling by train has given me unparalleled views of the world , with landscapes changing every second. And being stuck on a train for long periods of time forces me to sit back and do nothing, which is something I don't often prioritize in my daily life.

Overall, I've found that taking trains makes my trip feel more like the journey is part of the destination. 

So I know I'll keep traveling by train whenever possible, especially since it lowers my carbon footprint.

When traveling by train isn't an option, I always book nonstop flights in economy, which is more sustainable than premium cabins or flights with layovers, experts say.

As noted by National Geographic , flying will likely be the most unsustainable aspect of your trip. But some flight bookings are more sustainable than others.

The Independent reported takeoff and landing made up more than 25% of a flight's carbon emissions, which means trips with connecting flights are more taxing on the environment. 

"When booking long-distance plane travel, always choose a direct flight with no layovers," Blotter of Kind Traveler said .

"Direct flights use less carbon dioxide than connecting flights," she said. Flying economy, she added, maximizes the number of people one flight can carry because the seats take up less space.

"The average business-class seat can be replaced by three economy seats, which weigh much less," Francis said.

Before I even thought about making sustainable travel a priority, I still always tried to book nonstop flights whenever possible since layovers added more variables to my travel.

I've also always flown economy because it's the most affordable option for air travel. So learning that these flight bookings are more sustainable than alternatives didn't change the way I traveled, but I do feel more motivated to search for these flights moving forward when train travel is not possible.

Experts recommend finding accommodations that embrace sustainability. While they can be hard to find, I think it's worth it.

Plenty of hotels have eco-friendly branding, so experts agree finding accommodations that truly contribute to a destination's sustainability can be tricky, but I've found it's worthwhile.

When researching accommodations, look for specifics beyond "eco-friendly" and no plastic straws, Miller of the Center for Responsible Travel previously told Insider. 

"Hotels that are truly eco-friendly should have a sustainability statement and clearly stated initiatives visible on their website," Blotter said. "Choosing a destination that embraces sustainable and regenerative travel creates an opportunity to vote with your dollars and support destinations committed to this path."

Likewise, Zapata recommended looking for specific initiatives regarding sustainability on hotel websites. And if you end up booking with them, look for evidence that their accommodation is following the claims it makes.

I did just that ahead of my trip to the Great Smoky Mountains. Before booking Under Canvas — a glamping resort with a community feel — I found that the resort's website had a section dedicated to sustainability .

From there, I learned that Under Canvas partnered with The Nature Conservancy , a global environmental nonprofit that works to conserve land and water, helps to fund conservation, and raises awareness through education, volunteer efforts, and donation programs.

I felt good seeing these efforts and booked a one-night stay.

During my stay, I noticed several of these practices in place to reduce energy consumption, from pull-chain showers that saved water by running only while the chain was down to wood-fired ovens that campers lit themselves to warm their tents instead of electricity. I also noticed dim lighting, which is meant to decrease light pollution, according to the company's website .

While I selected Under Canvas because of its sustainability efforts, I found I enjoyed the eco-friendly practices of the resort. Making my own fire to heat my tent made me feel more connected to nature, and I'd definitely stay in a place like this again. 

While following experts' tips on sustainable travel worked for me in most cases, there was one thing I tried that I wouldn't repeat. I won't ever again travel in a shared space on an overnight sleeper train.

"Along the same logic of how flying economy has a lower carbon footprint than first class, traveling in shared cabins on sleeper trains is more sustainable than booking a private cabin because it maximizes the number of passengers each train can carry, optimizing the efficiency of the train," Blotter said.

With Blotter's advice in mind, when I planned my train trip through Europe, I decided to book only shared spaces instead of private cabins, as I had in the past on Amtrak.

I spent two nights on OBB Nightjet sleeper trains. For my first ride, from Berlin to Vienna, I booked a regular seat in an enclosed space with six seats facing each other. It was called a seating carriage. For my second ride, from Vienna to Venice, Italy, I booked a bunk in a shared cabin. 

I thought both rides were too cramped and uncomfortable to get a good night's rest and lacked any privacy. I was exhausted when I arrived at my destinations for long days of exploring.

While I'm glad I did something positive to support the environment, I'd have to pass on making the choice again. Fortunately, Blotter said she encouraged travelers booking private cabins for comfort or security reasons to do so over plane travel because traveling by train is still more sustainable than flying.

So in the future, I'll still travel by overnight train to reduce my carbon footprint, but I'll opt for a private cabin instead of a shared space.

Ultimately, I was surprised by how much I enjoyed making my travel more sustainable.

Spending five days in the mountains of Tennessee gave me enough time to immerse myself in nature, while traveling by train gave me a chance to slow my pace.

More importantly, I know that the choices I made while planning, booking, and experiencing my trips helped me decrease my harmful influence on the planet. 

In my future travels, you'll catch me spending more time in my destinations, booking private sleeper trains, packing light, and choosing the most sustainable accommodations I can find.

I think it not only makes for more memorable experiences but also ensures I'm being a more responsible traveler — plus, you can't beat that railroad view.

In case you missed it,  watch a replay of Insider's One Planet virtual event with the activist and artist Elijah McKenzie-Jackson.

• Main content

How to travel more sustainably

In the US, the transportation of goods and people is the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions. It's essential that we continue striving to make better choices while recognizing that the climate crisis requires systemic solutions beyond individual change. With that in mind, a good way to reduce individual greenhouse gas emissions is to consider ways to travel more sustainably.

As an environmental non-profit dedicated to science and conservation, Earthwatch understands the importance of combating the climate crisis. Earthwatch mobilizes thousands of volunteers each year to participate in local and international research and conservation projects.

We recognize that our programming, which often involves travel, contributes to greenhouse gas emissions. In recent years, we have reexamined our operations and set new goals to expand virtual and community-based programs. This has reduced our reliance on air travel and allowed us to engage more people in environmental science. You can learn more about Earthwatch's commitment to sustainability here.

Nonetheless, many of our expeditions require travel. As a result, we encourage Earthwatch staff and participants to adopt more sustainable travel practices. Here are a few practices you can implement.

Is carbon offsetting the most effective strategy to pursue more sustainable travel?

Let's start by demystifying carbon offsetting and its role in sustainable travel practices. Carbon offsetting involves compensating for unavoidable emissions by supporting projects that reduce or remove an equivalent amount of emissions elsewhere. Offset projects include a variety of initiatives that conserve carbon-storing forests, wetlands, and grasslands or reduce emissions from sources like landfills, farms, and coal mines. When considering carbon offsets, it is critical to support those that are carefully designed and implemented. However, it's important to note that carbon offsetting is just one tool for reducing our personal contributions to climate change. Earthwatch scientists agree, citing biodiversity loss as a concern that deserves just as much, if not more, attention as carbon offsets. For a more significant impact, we should practice direct emissions reduction and conservation alongside offsetting efforts. Here’s what scientists leading our “ Wildlife and Reforestation in Brazil ” expedition had to say.

Carbon offset is only a fraction of the larger picture. Prioritizing carbon markets without increasing or maintaining high levels of biodiversity is akin to greenwashing. Biodiversity is the true essence of forest health. Real restoration comes with high biodiversity. The environmental challenges we face are a collective issue, not isolated to one party or another, making collective efforts toward planting and reforestation crucial.

— Dr. Manoel Muanis,  Principal Investigator

Fly greener : Many airlines offer carbon offset programs to passengers when they book their flights. These programs typically support renewable energy, reforestation, and other initiatives to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Also, consider a direct flight, which is more fuel-efficient than flights with multiple stops.

Use eco-friendly credit cards : Some credit card companies provide cards that contribute to carbon offset projects with each use. Look for green credit cards and consider using one for your travel expenses.

Respect local ecosystems: Adhere to guidelines for interacting with wildlife and their habitats, be responsible for waste disposal, and respect established trails.

Consider your transportation and accommodation : Use public transportation or carpool whenever possible. Consider traveling by train rather than plane when possible. Look for lodgings that are committed to sustainable water and energy use, as well as responsible waste management.

Support local conservation: Consider how to support local environmental efforts at your destination. As part of an Earthwatch expedition, you can join local research projects contributing to critical environmental research and conservation efforts. You may also make contributions virtually from your travel location by joining community science projects through platforms such as iNaturalist .

While carbon offsetting has merits, its impact is limited without addressing underlying design challenges. The true heritage and value aren't solely in carbon sequestration but significantly in preserving biodiversity. Without a diverse ecosystem, including microbes and insects, even the best restoration efforts may not have long-lasting impacts.

— Dr. Julian Willmer

Is carbon neutral travel achievable?

While our social and economic landscape makes carbon neutrality during travel virtually impossible, it is a worthwhile pursuit. Perfection is not the goal. While we can't realistically expect individuals to achieve zero emissions, everyone should make a conscious effort to counteract emissions. We all travel for various reasons and integrating sustainable practices in travel and our daily lives plays a pivotal role in diminishing environmental footprints.

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Top 10 Tips for Sustainable Travel

Tourism is at a crossroads, facing the challenge of balancing growth with sustainability. Over the past two decades, the number of international tourist arrivals more than doubled, surpassing  1.4 billion  in 2019. While this tourism boom promoted economic growth and personal fulfillment, it often came at the expense of the environment and local communities. As tourism surged, it came hand in hand with gentrification, crowded streets, pollution, and habitat loss.

In recent years, destinations began implementing measures to combat the burdens of unsustainable tourism: Hawaii banned the sale of reef-toxic sunscreens, Dubrovnik limited the number of cruise ships that can dock each day, Palau protected 80% of its waters, and Barcelona cracked down on illegal vacation rentals. While these are certainly steps in the right direction, there’s still much more to be done.

According to research by Booking.com, 76% of travelers say they want to travel more sustainably. While this shifting mindset is a promising sign many travelers don’t know where to begin.

You can be part of the solution by adopting more responsible travel habits and supporting companies that are taking action. In this blog post, we offer guidance on what sustainable travel looks like in practice. By rethinking the way we travel, we can realize a future where tourism protects and respects our planet and its cultures. Read on to discover our top tips for eco-friendly and socially conscious travel.

Free Resource: Download our Sustainable Travel Tips List and keep it handy when planning trips to engage in more responsible travel. 

What is sustainable tourism?

Before we go any further, it’s important to clarify what we mean by sustainable travel.

While people often think of sustainability as minimizing our environmental footprint, it is much broader and all-encompassing than this. Sustainable tourism is all about achieving a balance between economic growth, human well-being, and environmental health. It focuses on reducing tourism’s negative impacts  and on  maximizing its positive benefits  for communities, cultures, ecosystems, and the planet. Sustainable tourism accounts for both the immediate impacts felt today as well as those longer-term impacts that will be experienced by future generations.

You’ve probably seen other buzzwords such as “ecotourism,” “regenerative travel,” “community-based tourism,” “ethical travel,” or “nature-tourism” and wondered how they differ from “sustainable tourism.” Without getting into the nuances of each, these terms tend to be narrower in scope and focus on specific applications or aspects of sustainable tourism. For instance, ecotourism specifically focuses on responsible travel to natural areas, while regenerative travel focuses more on leaving places better than they were before and repairing damage that has already been done.

How to start traveling more sustainably

While it’s one thing to understand what sustainable travel means, it’s another to actually put it into practice. That’s why we’ve rounded up our top ten tips for sustainable travel to help you be a more eco-friendly and socially conscious traveler .  As you read, think about which practices you can adopt when you travel.

1. Get off the beaten path

Prior to the pandemic, many destinations were literally being loved to death as they became victims of their own popularity. Historic cities, beaches, and other tourist hotspots were being overrun by hordes of visitors, a phenomenon that is now known as “overtourism.”

As a traveler, you can help prevent a resurgence of overtourism by skipping tourist traps and getting off the beaten path. While it may be tempting to go to the same bucket list destinations that everyone is Instagramming, it can be even more rewarding to explore less traversed places. The reality is that many tourist hotspots don’t live up to their expectations – you may have to spend hours standing in line, only to discover that the destination doesn’t look the same in person as it did online.

Getting off the beaten path allows travelers to have a more unique and authentic experience while avoiding the crowds. This doesn’t mean you have to pitch a tent in the middle of nowhere, but it does require that you do some extra research. Look beyond the “Top 10” destinations and attractions lists, explore Google Maps, or ask locals or other travelers for recommendations. Instead of staying in major tourist centers, visit smaller cities or head to a more rural area. Doing so will reduce the burden on over-visited destinations, while spreading tourism benefits to other local communities. If you travel by cruise, opt for a small ship cruise line. Because these boats carry less passengers and are able to visit smaller ports, they alleviate pressure on common cruise destinations. If you are dying to go to a popular destination, consider scheduling your trip during the off-season. Check out  this website  which helps predict the best times to avoid the crowds.

2. Slow down and stay awhile

It can be easy to get caught up trying to cram as much as possible into a trip. After all, this may be the only time you visit the destination. Though a packed itinerary may seem ideal on paper, you’ll likely spend the majority of your vacation rushing from one place to another. While you may tick off lots of bucket list sights, you’ll miss out on actually getting to know the destination. Not to mention, this fast-paced “hit and run” style of tourism is a surefire recipe for stress.

Do yourself a favor and give yourself more time to explore the destination. Instead of taking multiple shorter trips each year, opt for just one longer vacation. Once you’ve reached your destination, park yourself in one area for a while instead of hopping from one place to the next.

Slowing things down will allow you to really experience the place you are visiting. When you aren’t rushed, you can take time to immerse yourself in the culture, build deeper connections with local people, and get to know the destination’s unique charms. Take a cooking class to taste the local flavors and learn how to make traditional dishes. Spend a day walking or cycling around town and you’ll be sure to discover hidden gems like a quirky local coffeehouse. Meander through a museum and arm yourself with a mountain of fun facts.

Spending more time in a destination makes for more authentic, memorable, and meaningful travel experiences. At the same time, it reduces pressure on the cities and communities you visit while creating greater benefits for the local businesses you support. An extra bonus: slow travel is also better for the environment since it reduces the amount of carbon emissions generated by flying or driving between destinations.

3. Use efficient modes of transportation

In addition to traveling slow, there are other ways that you can reduce the carbon emissions produced by your trip. Approximately 8% of the world’s carbon emissions are caused by travel and tourism. As such, the travel industry is a significant contributor to climate change, which is one of the  gravest threats  to the future of tourism, people, and the world.

Air travel, driving, and other forms of transportation make up the largest part of  tourism’s carbon footprint.  Though all modes of transportation require energy, some are more efficient and cleaner than others. How you get to/from and around your destination makes a difference.

In general, planes and cars tend to be the least efficient modes of transportation. When vacationing to closer destinations, travel by train or coach to cut your emissions while soaking in the scenery. Once you’re in your destination, consider taking the bus, traveling by rail, or cycling around town instead of renting a car. If you do rent a car, opt for an electric, hybrid, or smaller model.

Keep in mind that there’s no one-size-fits-all guideline for which method of transportation to use since the carbon footprint also depends on the type of energy being used. The most sustainable option will vary from one destination to the next. Trains in the Netherlands are powered by wind energy, Washington D.C. has zero emissions buses, and some of Thailand’s infamous tuk tuks are going electric. Research the different transportation options in the destination you are visiting to make an informed decision.

> Discover more ways to reduce your carbon footprint.

4. Conserve water and energy

Beyond transportation, tourism also relies on energy for heating, lighting, and electricity. This along with intensive water use by tourists can put great strain on local water supplies and energy infrastructure. Tourists often consume significantly more water and energy than local residents and many destinations struggle to keep up with the demand. As global temperatures rise and the population grows, it will exacerbate this problem even further.

When you’re on vacation, do what you can to conserve local water and energy resources. Turn off the lights, TV, and any other electronics when not in use. When leaving your hotel, turn off the AC or set the thermostat a few degrees higher. Take a shower instead of a bath and keep it as short as possible. Handwash your own clothes and hang up the “Do Not Disturb Sign” to prevent unnecessary laundering.

You can also reduce your environmental footprint by staying in a low impact accommodation. This could either be a smaller, more basic accommodation or a higher-end property that utilizes renewable energy and water/energy efficient technologies.

Free Sustainable Travel Tips List

5. Offset your carbon footprint

While you should always do what you can to minimize your energy usage, some carbon emissions will remain unavoidable. You can compensate for these inevitable greenhouse gas emissions through a process known as “ carbon offsetting .”

Carbon offsetting allows you to balance out the carbon footprint of your trip, by reducing emissions somewhere else in the world. All you have to do is  calculate your carbon footprint  using an online carbon calculator, then purchase offsets equivalent to the amount of CO2 you produced. The money from your offset purchase will be invested in  projects  that reduce carbon and other greenhouse gases. For instance, one project may protect a tropical rainforest from being cut down, while another might build a wind farm or convert cow manure into energy. Carbon offset projects can also create benefits that go beyond emissions reductions, such as creating local jobs, improving sanitation, or conserving endangered species.

When offsetting your footprint, just be sure to go through a  reputable provider  to ensure you’re creating the greatest impact.

>  Get started offsetting your carbon footprint. 

6. Keep your dollars local

Many communities are hurting from the lack of tourism over the past year. You can help them bounce back by making sure your dollars stay in the local economy.

The best way to ensure host communities reap the benefits of tourism is by supporting local businesses and entrepreneurs. Consider staying in locally-owned homestays and guesthouses rather than expat-owned hotels or international chains. Dine at local restaurants and savor traditional dishes made with locally-sourced ingredients. Get out of your comfort zone and have some fun navigating the local market – buy spices grown by a local farmer or purchase jewelry made by a local artisan. Although haggling is expected in many cultures and okay to do, don’t be stingy and pay a fair price. Book excursions led by local guides or learn a new skill from a local expert by signing up for a weaving workshop or surfing lessons. If you book a packaged tour, choose an operator that prioritizes local suppliers.

While it may be tempting to give money to beggars, it’s best to avoid this practice as it often causes more harm than good. At its worst, begging can be a form of human trafficking and travelers’ well-intentioned gifts can perpetuate a system that keeps children out of school and forces them onto the streets. Even if this isn’t the case, giving money to beggars can fuel a dependence on tourist handouts. A better alternative is to make a contribution to a local charity that empowers people through skills development, education, micro-loans, or access to social services. You can help promote the equitable distribution of wealth by patroning businesses that are owned or managed by marginalized groups such as women, indigenous populations, or minorities.

7. Respect local communities

One of the incredible things about travel is that it offers a glimpse into other traditions, beliefs, and ways of life. Seize this opportunity to expand your horizons by embracing the differences and soaking up the local culture.

Begin immersing yourself in other cultures by reading up on the local history, traditions, and etiquette before visiting. Download a language app and learn a few phrases in the local language. Be aware that certain gestures, clothing, or words are considered offensive in some destinations. Be especially mindful when visiting religious or spiritual sites. Only go to sites where tourists are welcome and adhere to any protocols. At some sites, this may mean taking off your shoes, covering your shoulders, keeping your voice down, or not taking photos.

Wherever you go, remember that the destination you are visiting is someone else’s home. Obey the local laws and guidelines, from traffic rules to health and safety precautions. Do your best to leave places like you found them so that future generations of travelers and residents can enjoy them too. A little bit of respect goes a long way – be considerate of local people and treat them with dignity. This includes honoring their privacy and asking permission before you take their photo.

8. Avoid single-use plastics

Every year,  8 million  metric tons of plastic ends up in our oceans. This is equivalent to one garbage truck full of plastic being dumped into the ocean every single minute of every single day. In recent years, a growing number of consumers, companies, and governments started rejecting single-use plastics. But over the past year, single use plastics made a comeback as the pandemic led to an increased reliance on plastic gloves, takeout containers, packing bubbles, and grocery bags. As tourism recovers, many hotels and tour operators are reinstituting disposable plastics as an added hygiene precaution. But many countries lack sufficient waste management infrastructure to keep up with the amount of plastic trash that is produced by tourists and locals. As a result, plastics end up in overflowing landfills or dumped in the environment where they can remain for hundreds of years. With the increased reliance on plastics due to COVID, it’s even more important to cut down your own consumption when you travel.

One of the most common plastic items used by tourists is single-use beverage bottles. Luckily, there’s a simple solution: bring your own reusable water bottle on your trip! If you’re worried about the water quality in the destination you’re visiting, bring a water bottle with a built-in purifier. Refillable toiletry bottles are another eco-friendly item to add to your packing list.

Another easy way to reduce plastic waste is by changing your eating habits. When going to a restaurant, dine-in rather than getting takeout which typically comes with plastic bags, containers, cups, and utensils. Hit up the local street food scene, but opt for vendors that dish up their goodies in biodegradable alternatives. Some travelers also choose to bring their own reusable container and utensils. In general, it’s best to eat fresh, local foods or drinks instead of imported ones which tend to use more packaging. Even something as simple as asking the bartender to skip the straw can help trigger larger operational changes.

9. Visit parks and protected areas

National parks, marine sanctuaries, and other protected areas play an important role in protecting our planet’s natural resources and biodiversity. Many countries rely on tourism fees such as entrance fees, operator permits, or bed levies to preserve these special places and animals. Every year, more than  8 billion  people visit the world’s protected areas, generating about $850 billion in spending. These dollars help fund the conservation activities necessary to protect these areas while also providing income to local communities.

The pandemic essentially cut off this revenue stream, putting many protected areas and endangered species in jeopardy. Over the past year, there have been an alarming number of reports of increased poaching and illegal deforestation around the world. Rising poverty has only compounded the problem as local communities resort to destructive activities for income and sustenance.

As you’re planning your post-COVID travels, look up the protected areas in your destination and add one to your itinerary. When visiting any natural area, be sure to minimize your impact by acting in a responsible manner. Avoid degrading sensitive environments or disturbing wildlife, comply with all visitor guidelines, and follow the  Leave No Trace Principles . Along with paying any usage fees, be sure to support local communities by booking local accommodations and service providers.

> Learn more about how tourism benefits nature and wildlife. 

10. Choose sustainable accommodations and operators

Our final tip focuses on how you can drive businesses to change their practices and help to mainstream sustainable travel. The best way you can influence the industry is by seeking out businesses that are lessening their environmental impact and contributing to the well-being of local communities.

While many companies have embraced sustainable travel, there are still plenty of businesses that don’t see the value. Let them know that sustainability matters to you by putting your money where your mouth is. Keep in mind that just because a company markets themselves as ‘green’ or ‘sustainable’ doesn’t mean they necessarily are. Look for information about the specific practices and policies that they’ve implemented, and ask questions to show that you’re factoring sustainability into your purchase decisions. What energy and water conservation practices do they have in place? Have they eliminated single-use plastics? How do they promote diversity and inclusion? Do they hire local people for management roles? Do they prioritize local suppliers and producers? Do they promote responsible interactions with wildlife?

If you notice other practices that the business could adopt, be sure to share your feedback. You can also write online reviews or share your experience  in our  Travel Better Facebook Group  to help other travelers identify sustainable businesses.

We hope you enjoyed these tips and are feeling inspired for your next trip!  Click here to sign our Travel Better Pledge and join the sustainable travel movement.

• March 9, 2021
• Blog , Climate Change , Nature & Wildlife , People & Culture , Sustainable Travel , Waste & Pollution

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Six Ways to Travel More Sustainably

Adventurous Kate contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase through these links, I will earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks!

The following branded content post is brought to you by AIG Travel Guard . When I was asked to co-host AIG’s solo and sustainable Twitter chat and write about sustainable travel here, I was all too glad to participate. I hope to see you at the chat on Friday!

We could all stand to do better when it comes to traveling sustainably. There’s more to it than choosing a green hotel and turning off the water when you brush your teeth.

Sustainability, at its core, is about making as positive an impact in your travels as possible. That means making compassionate decisions about where to spend your money, how to protect the environment, and how to interact with locals in order to leave the destination just as good or better condition than how we found it.

How can we make the most positive impact as a traveler? Here are some tips.

Support small businesses whenever you can.

On almost every occasion, you can eschew chains in favor of choosing a small local business. When you do this, you’re ensuing that the money goes into the pockets of local entrepreneurs, not CEOs who really don’t need a fifth vacation home.

Additionally, take time to support as many small businesses as possible, particularly when it comes to dining and shopping. You might find the most amazing textile shop on your travels and want to buy something for everyone in your family — and while that’s wonderful for the people who work in the textile shop, it’s less than ideal when you could be buying things from several different shops.

Educate yourself on local sustainability issues before your trip.

If you do any amount of research before your trip, don’t just look up the cool restaurants and hipster neighborhoods — also read about local issues and how they might affect your trip.

You might not be aware that there’s a drought in your destination, for example, and that water needs to be conserved even more closely than usual. If there’s significant unemployment, that might add to an increased amount of homelessness.

One of the biggest examples of this is elephant riding in various Asian countries. Elephant rides, no matter where they are done or what kind of place it is, are a form of animal cruelty. There is no way to train an elephant to give rides without abusing them, and no place that offers elephant rides should be financially supported.

One of the best things travel bloggers have ever done is create mass awareness about the cruelty of elephant rides. Because of their efforts, hundreds if not thousands of travelers have avoided elephant rides since.

Travel sustainably when possible.

In an ideal world, nobody would fly, ever. But if that were the case, few people would travel, ever. While flying is often unavoidable, there are ways to reduce your environmental impact.

Consider taking direct flights rather than indirect flights when you can. Consider contributing to a carbon offset program, of which new ones seems to spring up on a regular basis.

And once you arrive in your destination, stick to public transportation, rent a bike, take shared taxis, or walk whenever you can. If you’re driving, choose a hybrid vehicle if possible.

Eat locally and within the seasons.

It’s funny how things change over time. Having the finest tuna flown in from Japan used to be the hallmark of fine dining — nowadays, people are more interested in the basil that grows in the restaurant’s rooftop garden.

Local and seasonal dining used to be the only way to dine — and it’s nice that this year many restaurants are taking seasonality seriously even when you can get any food at any time of year. Focus on eating things like asparagus in the spring, tomatoes in the summer, squash in the fall, and root vegetables in the winter.

Another great way? Visit a farmer’s market! This way you’ll be eating locally, staying within the seasons, and supporting local farmers.

Plan to donate a set amount of money to a local charity.

Before you arrive, consider making a donation to a local charity. You may want to donate to a local food bank, school, animal shelter, or a local NGO. Chances are you’ll come across one in your travels or hear about one from someone you meet.

If you can’t find anything during your trip, local charities are easy to find online afterward.

Donating an amount of money you can afford is a kind way to ensure that your visit has a positive impact on the local community.

Talk to people — but also listen.

The easiest way to create cross-cultural understanding is to talk to locals whenever you can. Don’t use them as window dressing or Instagram props — make conversation.

Learn a few words of the local language — “hello,” “thank you,” and “delicious” are three good words to start with. And if there’s no language barrier and it turns into a longer conversation, continue the exchange — talk about your own life as well. Don’t seek to interrogate; seek to exchange and understand.

Join me in a Solo and Sustainable Twitter Chat on Friday, June 16 at 2:00 PM EDT!

I will be co-hosting a Twitter chat on solo and sustainable travel with AIG Travel Guard and Cassie De Pecol , who recently broke the Guinness Book of World Records for the fastest person and fastest female to travel to all 196 sovereign nations.

Join us for fun travel conversation — and the chance to win prizes, including a $100 gift card and a basket of travel gear curated by Cassie.

Date: Friday, June 16 Time: 2:00-3:00 PM EDT Hashtag: #WhereNext on Twitter Prizes: $100 gift card (three winners) or basket of travel gear curated by Cassie (Grand Prize) RSVP: Please RSVP here in order to be eligible to win.

You can see the full list of rules here.

Note: you must RSVP to the chat in order to be able to win! RSVP here.

See you there on Friday, June 16, at 2:00-3:00 PM ET!

What steps do you take to be sustainable while traveling?

The Most—and Least—Ecofriendly Ways to Travel

What type of transportation should you take if you want to leave the smallest carbon footprint the answer is not that simple..

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Being a greener traveler isn’t as simple as swapping one mode of transport for another.

Photo by misign/Shutterstock

The flight shame movement has taken off on the basis that flying is terrible for the environment. But for those who want to do better by planet Earth and reduce their climate change–inducing carbon footprint, simply reducing their reliance on air travel will only address one small slice of the problem.

In the United States, the overall transportation sector is the biggest producer of greenhouse gas emissions, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) . In 2017 (the most recent year for which data is currently available), transportation accounted for 29 percent of greenhouse gas emissions, followed by electricity at 28 percent, and industry at 22 percent.

Within the transportation sector, road vehicles are actually the biggest culprit, accounting for a whopping 82 percent of those emissions, with aircraft accounting for 9 percent, and rail for 2 percent (ships, boats, and other forms of transportation account for 7 percent combined), according to the EPA.

It’s a similar story on the global front. In the European Union, road transport accounted for 72 percent of transportation-related CO 2 emissions in 2016, according to a report released by the European Parliament this year. The next largest contributor was water transport (boats and ships), at 13.6 percent, followed by air travel at 13.4 percent. Rail only contributed 0.5 percent.

When in doubt, take a train

So, why does air travel get such a bad rap? Well, that’s because when you look at the emissions attributable to an individual passenger traveling by car versus rail versus air, air travel does pretty miserably. For instance, according to the site EcoPassenger , which calculates per-passenger carbon emissions between destinations in Europe, for a person traveling from London to Paris during a popular travel time (so when trains and planes are likely to be more full and thus more efficient), the CO 2 output would be 122 kilograms if that person flew, versus 48 kilograms if he or she drove or 15 kilograms by train.

And if you’re wondering where cruise ships fall into the lineup, they don’t have a strong track record either. The International Council on Clean Transportation recently concluded that even the most efficient cruise ships emit between three and four times more CO 2 per passenger, per kilometer than an airplane.

Rail travel, however, is consistently one of the lowest emitters. It’s not surprising that the flygskam or “flight shame” movement inspired by Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg has put the emphasis on converting air travel to much less impactful rail journeys.

National rail operator Amtrak reports that one of its electric trains emits .074 kilograms of greenhouse gases (CO 2 ) per passenger mile, compared with .227 kilograms of greenhouse gases per passenger mile for short-haul flights (flights less than 300 miles), and .137 kilograms of greenhouse gases per passenger mile for longer flights (flights between 300 and 2,300 miles). That translates into 70 percent fewer emissions for a rail journey when compared to a short-haul flight and about half the emissions for a rail journey when compared to a long-haul flight.

In short, if you opt to take a train versus a plane, your carbon output for that journey will likely be quite a bit lower. But that’s definitely not as easily done in the United States, which as the fourth largest country in the world has huge expanses to cross, and where the rail system is notoriously behind in sophistication and scope compared to its international counterparts, including the high-speed rail networks of Europe.

The environmental cost of driving

So, what if you opt to drive instead of fly? Well, that’s where the issue becomes more complicated. For one, depending on the distance and the passenger load, driving may not result in a considerably lower emissions output. A recent BBC article citing U.K. government energy data noted that CO 2 emissions per passenger, per kilometer traveled were .171 kilograms for a passenger car with one person in it, versus .102 kilograms for a long-haul flight, and .133 kilograms for a shorter-haul domestic flight within the United Kingdom.

Sure enough, the more people in the road-based vehicle, the lower the per-passenger emissions, with CO 2 emissions per passenger, per kilometer traveled being .043 for a bus, and .041 for each person in a car with four people traveling in it (versus only one, cited above). The lowest emitter (once again) was high-speed rail, at .006 kilograms, according to the U.K. government data.

Additionally, if you opt out of a flight and choose to drive instead, you are joining the masses on the road to be part of what is in fact the biggest overall contributor to greenhouse gas emissions in the transportation sector. A lot more people drive in this world than fly. The aviation industry accounts for about 2 percent of global carbon emissions, according to the Natural Resources Defense Council. So that means that if everyone were to stop flying, just 2 percent of the problem would be solved.

Focus on greener vehicles

While some people might be craving a simple, impactful solution to reducing their travel carbon footprint—and sure, making a statement by not flying, for instance, is certainly significant—the reality is that for those who want to make a lasting and longer-term difference, a more thoughtful approach to transportation decisions will be needed.

According to David Reichmuth, Ph.D., a senior engineer with the Union of Concerned Scientists’ Clean Vehicles Program, for travelers looking to reduce their impact, they should be thinking about several factors.

“There’s a lot we can do to make [transportation] cleaner and have fewer emissions. So, for passenger vehicles, having both more efficient gasoline vehicles but then also switching entirely from petroleum to electricity allows for reducing both tailpipe emissions and climate-changing emissions,” said Reichmuth.

Reichmuth added that concerned travelers should be thinking about greener vehicles, whether that is their own cars (which he argues is where the biggest impact could be made within a given household) or by being more informed about how efficient their aircraft, bus, or train is. Even within rail travel, for instance, there is a wide range of emissions output depending on the types of trains—diesel trains are typically more polluting than electric trains, and some electric trains are less efficient than others. He also said travelers should think about avoiding vehicle use when possible by walking or biking and should consider taking greater advantage of public transit opportunities and carpooling.

One way to be more informed about each mode of travel is to calculate and compare the carbon emissions output of a given trip. Thankfully, there are numerous, free, online calculators that help travelers do this now. The International Civil Aviation Organization, which is part of the United Nations, has a version for air travel that is intended for use in buying carbon offsets. The site offCents , meanwhile, allows users to calculate emissions for their rail, car, or airplane travel, with the aim of recommending corresponding offset programs, which users can contribute toward to offset their journeys.

Flex those influence muscles

Ultimately, the biggest factors impacting emissions related to travel are decisions that are made at the policy level—regulations that dictate what kind of emissions standards manufacturers must abide by.

Travelers who want to see their journey truly become greener should speak up. The airline industry is beginning to take notice of growing concerns about climate change and has begun to make some serious strides when it comes to scaling back on emissions, as well as offsetting them (they are also being required to do so by national and international regulations that have been put into place).

“To the extent that you can, take an active role in advocating for these policy actions. That can be at the local level,” said Reichmuth, noting that many municipalities have their own individual climate goals and action plans that citizens can get involved in. At the state and federal level, people can also advocate for and support clean vehicle policies that could ultimately result in travelers having a larger, and ideally greener, range of vehicles and modes of transportation to choose from.

>> Next: These Are the World’s Most Environmentally Friendly Countries

How to Make Travel More Sustainable

Katherine Martinko is an expert in sustainable living. She holds a degree in English Literature and History from the University of Toronto.

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• Sustainable Fashion
• Art & Media

Talking about travel can be a fraught conversation. From an environmental perspective, it is impossible to argue with the fact that staying home is the best thing to do -- but humans aren't like that. Many of us crave the world, wanting to push boundaries, navigate foreign cities, and meet strangers who speak different languages. Humans have roamed throughout history and that urge is not going to disappear anytime soon. What we can do, though, is talk about how to reduce the impact of our travels by planning trips conscientiously and carefully.

Last month I wrote about how to make flying a bit less damaging (a hard sell, I admit, but still worth a discussion). Today I will cover two other aspects of travel -- planning a trip and being on a trip. Feel free to share thoughts and travel advice in the comments below.

1. Choose Your Destination Carefully

Where you go has a big effect on your environmental footprint. Choose a place that isn't so far, that you can perhaps reach without relying on an airplane, or that is pedestrian- or bicycle-friendly, so you don't need to use a car upon arrival. Go to a place that is not overcrowded with tourists, where the locals are not feeling overwhelmed and resentful about your presence. Avoid destinations that are being harmed by the presence of too many people (think Venice, Machu Picchu, Angkor Wat, Teotihuacan, etc.), so as not to contribute further to its degradation. Stay away from the big no-no's: cruise ships, mega resorts, and large beachfront developments.

2. Research the Accommodations

If you plan to stay in a hotel, choose a place that holds itself to high environmental standards. These should be certified by a third party, such as Rainforest Alliance or the Global Sustainable Tourism Council . Find out who owns the hotel and choose one whose owner is local, as opposed to a large foreign corporation; that way you know a greater portion of the profits will stay in the community. Consider alternative forms of accommodation, such as house swapping, couch surfing, or camping.

3. Stay in One Place

Avoid trying to cover as much territory as you can within a limited time, but instead embrace a slower pace. Stay put and get to know a single community more intimately. This can be a hard concept for many North Americans to grasp, who, for example, tend to "do Europe" and hop from city to city, as opposed to settling down in a small fishing village somewhere and getting to know its rhythm for a few weeks.

4. Act Like a Local As Best You Can

Imitating the local way of life is the most respectful way to travel. Disconnect from the online recommendations and the travel books (if people even read them anymore), and talk to people where you're at. Go to libraries , restaurants, markets, shows. Strike up conversations and get people on the ground to give you recommendations.

5. Eat Like a Local

Eat the way people around you are eating, without dragging along your preconceived notions of how a diet should be. For example, if beans and rice are the daily staple, then chow down with enthusiasm! I try to avoid meat and dairy as much as I can when traveling because it feels like a small 'offset' of sorts, if I've flown to get there. Shop the local markets, but be sure that these actually are the local markets; on a recent stay in Bologna, my Italian friend Francesca pointed out that the beautiful market stalls I was drooling over are really just for the tourists: "No locals actually shop there," she scoffed. " È solo per i turisti ."

6. Always Carry Reusables

Make it standard practice to pack a reusable water bottle (I like the collapsible ones from Hydaway because they're so amazingly convenient), a travel mug, a cloth shopping bag to transport purchases, a metal straw, utensils, and possibly a container or two for leftovers. If you have these on hand, you'll never need to use single-use disposables.

7. Learn Some Bottled Water Hacks

Avoiding bottled water can be tough in some places, but take advice from travel blogger Shivya Nath , who lives in Goa, India, during the monsoon seasons every year. India is notorious for having bad water, but Nath says it's possible to get by without bottled water. She often requests filtered water refills for her water bottle from restaurants and also advises asking for a jug of filtered water for your hotel room and using that to refill your bottle.

Some bottles come with built-in filters, or you can use a portable travel water purifier such as SteriPEN (it uses a UV light to destroy 99.9% of bacteria) or a filter system like LifeStraw . Water purifying tablets are another option.

Speaking of water, avoid traveling to places that are facing water crises, such as Cape Town; it puts even more strain on the local residents.

8. Choose Souvenirs Wisely

Avoid gimmicky, junky purchases that are likely to get tossed in the trash eventually. Check where an item is made; you want something that's truly local, not imported from afar. Invest in things of lasting value, such as art, textiles, and ceramics. For gifts, I usually opt for consumables -- unusual chocolates or candy, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, spice mixes, a locally made apéritif.

9. Pack Smart

The most important thing is to pack light. It will make your life easier on so many levels. If in doubt, remember this great quote from Oneika Raymond:

"For every hotel with a luggage cart and paved street, there's a town on a mountaintop on the Italian coast with 150 stairs. Try rolling that bag then."

Be aware of the chemicals in your personal care products , especially sunscreen, if you're planning to be in the ocean. Girls, always bring a menstrual cup; it's a total game-changer. TreeHugger has lots of packing posts. See: How to pack lightly for every trip & Build a travel capsule wardrobe with these expert tips .

10. Talk About Your Travels With Friends and Family

Share your stories with people when they ask about your trip, but not just the high points -- talk about what didn't feel right, what felt uncomfortable, what you'd do differently next time. Write honest reviews online so that future travellers will have an easier time doing research.

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12 ways to travel sustainably in the new year

The best way to make up for a year without trips? Commit to exploring responsibly—when the time is right.

A cholla cactus in Joshua Tree National Park , California. Supporting the responsible use of public lands is one way to travel better in the new year.

With COVID-19 vaccines rolling out, travelers may be tempted to rush back out into the world. But now is the time to pause and consider mass tourism’s impact on the planet. Can we travel more sustainably? Can our journeys support conservation? The answer is a resounding “yes.”

A December 2020 National Geographic and Morning Consult poll asked how people would approach travel after the coronavirus pandemic is under control. A majority of our readers (42 percent) say they will feel safer traveling to wilderness areas.

( Here’s what COVID-19 vaccines mean for travel . )

The moon glows through fall leaves in Prospect Park, Brooklyn, New York.

A fiery sunset gives way to night, as seen from a home in Villeneuve-Loubet, France.

Nat Geo’s Travel team is resolving to make mindful excursions this year and beyond. This means that we will aim to reduce our carbon footprint, step off the beaten path and linger longer wherever we go, respect cultural differences and invest in the communities we visit, reconnect with nature in a state park, and support organizations that are protecting the planet.

In the year ahead we will focus on actions travelers can take to make sustainability a part of every journey. Here are 12 ways travelers can come back stronger.

1. Explore the space above you

For most of my life I’ve been focused on Earth, but suddenly I’m drawn to the stars—and obsessed with the moon (some call it “selenophilia”). I’ve been taking stellar pictures of the moon on my iPhone through a telescope. It’s not hard   and the results are out of this world! Looking at the moon brings me peace and wonder. I feel part of something larger, in awe of the cosmos, and amazed by the scientists who are decoding the universe and the astrologers who are helping us understand our inner constellations.

How to get started:   Our Nat Geo friend Andrew Fazekas compiled a list of 10 spectacular stargazing events to watch in 2021. He shoots for the moon and includes many other heavenly delights: close planetary encounters, dazzling meteor showers, and a “blood moon” eclipse. Unfortunately, about 80 percent of Americans can’t see the Milky Way anymore and light pollution is getting worse . To see the stars, it helps to plan a trip somewhere dark—like parks and sanctuaries certified by the International Dark-Sky Association ; these are places around the world that are protecting the night sky through responsible lighting policies that counteract light pollution. —George Stone

2. Embrace diversity outdoors

I grew up in Georgia hating the outdoors. Fishing at the lake with my father? No, thank you. Camping with friends in the backwoods? Hard pass. Even the wet dog smell that clings to your skin from sitting in the sun too long makes me nauseous. But last year the pandemic pushed me (a young, black woman) to chase waterfalls , trek through deserts , and fall in love with nature’s breathtaking beauty. This year, I plan to make visiting national parks and wild, open spaces a priority rather than an afterthought. Maybe I’ll finally discover what it’s like to sleep under the stars.

How to get started:   An important goal of sustainable travel is to make the world accessible to all, so that travelers are as diverse as the destinations they visit. In an article for Nat Geo last year, James Edward Mills wrote about how people of color across the U.S. are empowering themselves and others to become outdoor enthusiasts. Even though Black Americans represent 13.4 percent of the U.S. population, a 2018 report published in The George Wright Forum indicates that we make up less than 2 percent of national park visitors.

But things are changing. Organizations such as Color Outside , Black Girls Hiking , and Outdoor Afro are helping POCs feel more seen in outdoor spaces. With 423 open to the public units—62 of which are the famous “ national parks ”—overseen by the National Park System and hundreds of other public spaces run by the Bureau of Land Management and the Fish and Wildlife Service, there is plenty of nature to explore this year. —Starlight Williams

3. Enjoy public lands—responsibly

I’ve always loved spending time outdoors. But reporting on the national parks has made me realize just how challenging it is to preserve natural spaces for their own sake—and for the people who rely on them. During the coronavirus pandemic, public lands in the U.S. have experienced a huge uptick in visitors seeking a respite from the enormous stresses of isolation. Many of these visitors are first-timers who might be unaware of best practices when it comes to sustainable use.

A Joshua tree lit by the setting sun in Joshua Tree National Park, California.

Fisher Towers is a scenic series of natural towers located outside Arches National Park , near Moab, Utah.

On my own frequent hikes in the mountains near my home, I see trails strewn with litter or showing the early signs of trail braiding, which happens when enough people take shortcuts that a new path is worn in, increasing erosion and risk of damage to the environment. As someone who turns to my favorite county park for comfort and wonder, I feel it’s my responsibility to spend more time this year learning about the history of the area and supporting its stewardship.

How to get started : Because of overtourism, off-trail hiking, land destruction, and abandoned campfires , it’s essential to minimize your impact on public lands. Learn how to be a responsible guest ( leave no trace , steer clear of wildlife, and respect your neighbors) and avoid contributing to overcrowding by visiting these 10 under-the-radar wilderness areas . —Rachel Brown

4. Volunteer for science

Before I was a travel editor, I was a science geek. I spent much of my final college semester lugging around a parabolic microphone to record the mating calls of spring peeper frogs. (This did nothing for my own romance at the time.) Then biology took a backseat to travel. But recently I’ve figured out how to do both: go on a volunteer science trip.

Pre-pandemic, I joined Earthwatch expeditions in Andorra , where we hiked gorgeous mountains and gathered data to help researchers determine the effects of climate change on biodiversity. I got to connect with people and nature in a place I’d never been—and feel like I was making a difference. In 2020 many scientists couldn’t reach their study sites and lost an entire year’s worth of data. As soon as it’s safe to travel, I plan to get back out there with my inner geek. But I’ll probably leave the microphone at home.

How to get started:   You don’t need a science background to be a volunteer scientist (also called citizen scientist), just a willingness to learn and pitch in. Nonprofits such as Earthwatch and Biosphere Expeditions connect volunteers to research projects around the world, from bee conservation in Costa Rica to plastic pollution clean-up efforts in Bali . Citizen science hub SciStarter , founded by Nat Geo Fellow Darlene Cavalier, lists more than 3,000 projects. You can contribute to some without even leaving home . It’s great preparation for a future expedition. —Brooke Sabin

5. Shop more ethically

I used to be a fashion editor, which meant I essentially shopped for a living. The habit of browsing, buying, and just looking at what people in other places are purchasing, making, and wearing fascinates me—the Sahara sky-blue scarves nomads wrap around their heads in Morocco , the beachy flip flops on surfers in Hawaii , the finely wrought carpets on every hotel floor in Turkey . When travel starts up again, I know that my magpie gathering nature will, too. Now, I want to be sure anything I purchase is actually crafted or designed in that destination and that nobody was underpaid or overworked in the process.

How to get started: One of the best ways to be sure you shop ethically is to go straight to the source and meet the artisans whipping up those Peruvian blankets, Appalachian straw baskets, or Japanese paper lanterns. It’s even more meaningful if you learn a little about artisans’ work and lives by taking a short class.

A few years ago, I spent a day weaving and dyeing silk in Luang Prabang, Laos at Ock Pop Tock , a riverside collective where village women produce beautiful, fair-trade textiles. Later this year, I hope to try traditional Indian block printing in Jaipur or sign up for a three-to-five day mini apprenticeship via Vacation with an Artist , which hooks travelers up with Japanese calligraphers, Portuguese potters, and other traditional makers. —Jennifer Barger

6. Go on a heritage trip

My dad loves nothing more than to sing his favorite pop songs from when he was a teenager growing up in South Korea . During last year’s quarantine in Los Angeles , he put his karaoke machine to good use, cranking up the volume on soul-baring love songs and American-style rock-and-roll hits. Normally, during the holidays, this would be a highlight that I’d join. But like too many people last year, I wasn’t able to travel from Washington, D.C.   to see my family.

This year, hopes are high that a vaccine will enable all of us to get together on a trip—put on hold last year—to revisit the homeland. We’re adding one new thing to the itinerary: booking a noraebang (Korean for karaoke room) in my dad’s seaside hometown, Yeosu. Who knows, maybe I can convince him to get down with BTS .

How to get started: You can dig deeper into heritage tourism with these tips for learning about your family tree. When you’re ready to go, consider booking with places that specialize in roots journeys, such as My China Roots and Spector Travel . These companies can enrich the experience by connecting you with local historians, tracking down long-lost relatives, and helping to navigate tricky situations where records are sparse and language is a barrier. —Anne Kim-Dannibale

7. Tour your own backyard

Despite having lived in Washington, D.C. for nearly a decade, I’ve hardly scratched the surface of the beautiful natural spaces that lie inside—and just outside of—the city. In the last few years, I’ve been able to check a couple District spots off my list, including Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens and the National Arboretum . Now that I have a car (and a dog!) I’d like to take advantage of some of the gems located just a stone’s throw from the nation’s capital in Maryland, Virginia, and beyond.

How to get started: I’ve primarily relied on word of mouth to learn about nearby places to visit, such as Huntley Meadows Park in Virginia and Cedarville State Forest in Maryland. Online communities like Reddit and All Trails are immensely helpful, while local guide books are full of inspiration. I was given one that covers much of the D.C. region, which I know I’ll be using for years to come. Wherever you go, be sure to follow these useful tips for staying safe on day hikes. —Nathan Strauss

8. Broaden your reading horizons

Throughout a homebound 2020, books were my passport, granting me virtual entry to places ranging from Iran (Yasmin Crowther's The Saffron Kitchen )   to Russia ’s Kamchatka Peninsula (Julia Phillips’ Disappearing Earth ). But mostly the books have been by authors writing in English. This is a bit like only eating Americanized versions of Chinese or Mexican food. In 2021, I resolve to diversify my reading menu with authors writing in their native language about the world’s wonders. Even if I can only read these stories in translation, fresh viewpoints brighten a new year.

How to get started:   Email or call the knowledgeable booksellers at your local indie bookstore for their recommendations of great travel-inspiring works in translation or in foreign languages. TripFiction matches locations with books set in that place. But don’t stop at earthly destinations: these science-fiction titles explore otherworldly realms. —Amy Alipio

9. Go virtual—and reduce your carbon footprint

Museums are windows into new places. The artifacts and works in the building represent movements and histories. But the curation and presentation speak to where those spaces are rooted. “Museums are as much a reflection of the time in which they’re built as they are of the time they represent,” one woman told me, pre-pandemic, while we stood in line to enter D.C.’s National Museum of African American History and Culture .

Margot Pepple picks flowers on the banks of Clear Lake, Indiana, on July 4, 2019. A new year offers the chance to cherish small moments with family.

A spiderweb catches the sun’s rays on a statue in Èze, France. Exploring locally can open your eyes to nature’s wonder.

Over the past few months, I’ve thought about her words often. They’ve encouraged me to continue my appreciation of the arts, even if I can’t visit a site in person. With so many institutions providing digital ways to connect with their programming, I can dip into a new place across the country or the globe after work on a Tuesday—while minimizing my carbon footprint.

How to get started:   Choose a place you’d like to spend a day in and then sign up to receive newsletters from organizations in that destination. That’s how I stay up to date on the Museum of Modern Art’s Virtual Views program and author talks at the storied Southern bookstore Square Books . You can learn about specific collections at the Google Arts & Culture partnership , which offers a closer look at museums around the world, including South Korea’s National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art . —Maura Friedman

10. Help kids become explorers

Because of the pandemic, I had to cancel several trips last year, including an annual family excursion to New York City , where we visit relatives, eat dim sum, and enjoy Central Park. The only trip we were able to take was to Sandbridge Beach, in southeastern Virginia . There, amid all the chaos and noise that was 2020, I found myself at peace. I concentrated on small moments, like finding sand crabs with my kids, watching dolphins at dawn, and surfing or standup paddleboarding in the ocean. Suddenly, these familiar activities had greater value. For me, travel in 2021 will be informed by accomplishing a similar goal.

How to get started: Evaluate what inspires you and your family to travel, then build trips around those themes. Make the most of shared experiences by booking a specialty tour, such as Equitours for horse lovers and Go Native Tours for history buffs looking for different perspectives. That way, you can focus on spending time together. —Brendan McCabe

11. Learn a new skill

Watching my mother slowly lose her hearing over the past 30 years, I’ve seen how isolating it can be to adjust to life without one of your senses. Movies, TV, and social media videos without subtitles are just pantomime. Dinner parties are reduced to an indistinguishable din. Not hearing a question or an “excuse me” in the grocery store suddenly turns you into an inconsiderate jerk.

My mother never learned American Sign Language, but her frustrations have encouraged me to learn as I, too, lose my hearing. I’m lucky to live in Washington, D.C., the home of Gallaudet University and a strong community of deaf people. I hope to take advantage of all the unique resources here not only to learn ASL, but also the rich culture and history that go along with it.

( Learn how monks helped invent sign language . )

How to get started: Follow deaf and hard of hearing people on social media. There are many Youtube channels, such as Sign Duo and Bill Vicars . On Instagram, I follow Deafies in Drag and Gallaudet’s ASL Connect , a great resource that offers free instruction videos for beginners. Those who want to learn on the go can try The ASL App, which is divided into units organized by themes, such as the alphabet, family signs, and more. Deaf-owned businesses like Streetcar 82 Brewing Company, in Hyattsville, Maryland , offer a fun way to take a spin. —Rebekah Barlas

12. Focus on family travel

As the mother to two wee kids, travel has taken on a new dynamic with all the baggage (quite literally) required. Boarding an airplane with the car seats and pack ’n plays that one child needed was an event for me and my wife. When our second child was born last March, it was almost a relief not to have to plan our first flight as a family of four. From that perspective, the smaller radius of pandemic travel has been an eye-opening experience for me.

I’ve come to appreciate and enjoy discovering all of the hidden gems within an hour’s drive or so from our home in Washington, D.C. I had visited the mountains of Shenandoah National Park and the shores of Delaware ’s beaches before, but there are so many unique hikes, towns, and cultural attractions in between. Plus, seeing the world through the eyes of a 3-year-old makes you appreciate the simple things in life, like just how many different fungi you can identify on a walk in Rock Creek Park .

How to get started: Our family is definitely embracing the friluftsliv   mentality. We’ve equipped our small backyard with a fire pit and lots of warm blankets to make spending time outdoors in colder months more comfortable. We’re also taking advantage of all the virtual offerings at museums and zoos. Who knew that watching the National Zoo’s Panda Cam is almost as entertaining as seeing the new baby giant panda in person? For the trips we do take further away, we’ve learned to book early and embrace the less-visited parts of our region. —Rosemary Wardley

Related Topics

• SUSTAINABLE TOURISM
• NATIONAL PARKS
• FAMILY TRAVEL
• CULTURAL TOURISM
• DISABLED PEOPLE

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15 Ways To Travel More Sustainably

Sustainable travel has gained significant traction over the years, transforming from somewhat of a trend to a mainstream movement that wouldn’t hurt for many of us to jump on board with. Amid the increasing awareness of environmental issues and the impacts of tourism on local communities, travelers worldwide are becoming more conscientious and looking for ways to explore the globe more responsibly. As our planet faces more environmental challenges, the importance and weight of traveling more sustainably have become more evident. Not only is it something crucial for travelers to consider, but it also allows us to make more thoughtful choices about our adventures around the world while still being able to satisfy our wanderlust. If you are wondering about how you can do your part – even if just a little – here are 15 ways to travel more sustainably: 

1 – Choose Eco-Friendly Accommodations

Select accommodations that prioritize sustainably and where they do what they can do reduce their environmental footprint. Hotels or even vacation rentals have integrated energy-efficient systems with solar panels or smart thermostats which can minimize energy consumption and reliance on fossil fuels. Properties can also have waste reduction programs that include composting and recycling and efforts to minimize single-use plastics. By choosing eco-conscious accommodations, travelers can directly support environmentally-responsible efforts while enjoying a comfortable stay.

2 – Lessen The Amount Of Housekeeping Requests

Lessening the number of housekeeping requests by reusing your towels and lessening linen changes can also significantly contribute to traveling more sustainably by minimizing the amount of water and energy associated with daily cleaning as well as cleaning chemicals needed. This simple act can help travelers lessen their environmental impact while promoting resource conservation and environmental stewardship during their stay.

3 – Conserve Water

You can do your part in conserving water by taking shorter showers, turning off the tap when brushing your teeth, reusing towels, or choosing accommodations that prioritize water conservation where they are equipped with items such as low-flow showerheads, faucets, and toilets without compromising comfort for guests. By practicing mindful water usage, you can play a role in preserving this precious resource in many countries around the world. 

4 – Embrace Slow Travel

Opting to stay longer at a destination and embracing slow travel to minimize the amount of travel that needs to be done while on your vacation is a part of sustainable travel. And as hard as it is, especially when you fly across the world and want to visit multiple locations to make it worth your while, extending the duration of your stay can help reduce your carbon footprint associated with the many short-haul flights or drives needed. Staying longer in one location allows you to explore a destination more thoroughly and to connect with the local culture more. Slow travel encourages appreciation and respect for the places we visit and helps you have a more meaningful travel experience as well. Here is  The Ultimate Guide To Slow Travel  to help you get started.

5 – Choose Responsible Tour Operators

When on vacation, choosing responsible tour operators who incorporate sustainable travel practices into their business ensures your touristic activities contribute positively to local economies and the environment. Through the effort of promoting ethical tourism practices, supporting the local people and businesses, and preserving the cultural heritage and environments, it creates a more responsible travel industry and helps you travel more sustainably too. 

6 – Opt For Sustainable Activities And Excursions

When planning your travel activities, prioritizing sustainable excursions can help minimize carbon footprints and possibly even damage to the destination you’re visiting and allows you to immerse yourself in the location responsibly. Eco-friendly activities like hiking, birdwatching, snorkeling, and biking allow you to have minimal impact on the environment. In addition, participating in beach clean-ups and conservation projects lets you give back to the destinations you visit. Volunteering to protect natural habits and wildlife directly contributes to environmental preservation as well as helps the local communities in their own conservation efforts. Even visiting conservations and protected areas to educate yourself further and donate through a nominal entrance fee is an effort to travel more sustainably. 

7 – Go Off The Beaten Path

There is such a thing as over-tourism where historical landmarks, beaches, and many other tourist hotspots are being overrun by hordes of visitors. While it’s tempting to go to the popular bucket list destinations that you can see all over social media, sometimes it’s even more rewarding to go off the beaten path and find hidden gems that less tourists know about. Although if you save all your time and money to finally be able to visit the destination of your dreams, I fully understand that you can’t not visit them – trust me, I feel the same way too because some places are still worth visiting in your lifetime! However, if it’s a must, you can also opt to visit during the low or shoulder seasons, early in the morning or near closing hours to avoid the crowds. On the other hand, don’t forget to do some extra research while you’re visiting so that you can also see other beautiful and unique places that people don’t talk about as often. You’ll find that you may enjoy the experience much more and have special memories in a place that’s less traveled.

8 – Choose An Environmentally-Friendly Form Of Transportation (aka Green Transportation)

I find that the best way to explore a destination is definitely on foot. This way, you can stop as often as you’d like and be able to visit random stores and boutiques or places that catch your attention and spend however long you’d like without worrying about parking or timing. Also, it’s super healthy for you and you can really get your steps in! When I’m traveling, I’m walking at least 20 to 30 thousand steps a day – so remember to bring good shoes! Here are the  Types Of Shoes To Bring On Vacation . 

If walking isn’t possible, you can opt for green transportation options such as biking, carpooling, taking public transportation like trains, buses, or even renting a hybrid or electric vehicle to minimize your carbon footprint, reduce emissions, and alleviate traffic congestion. 

Additionally, when it comes to taking flights, you can choose airlines that prioritize sustainability through carbon-offsetting programs or fuel-efficient aircrafts to reduce the environmental impact of taking planes to travel more sustainably.

9 – Practice Leave No Trace Principles

A major way you can also travel more sustainably is by doing the minimal work needed to minimize your environmental impact. This includes following the Leave No Trace principles, meaning, whatever you bring in, you take out. This largely applies to parks where you can go hiking and a lot of locations actually don’t provide wastebins so you’ll need to take your own waste back out. Basically, enjoy the places you visit but respect the area and act as if you were never there to help with preservation and conservation. Also, practice staying on designated trails to keep the area protected and respect the wildlife habitats you enter.

10 – Support The Locals

One of the most impactful ways to travel sustainably is by supporting local communities at your destination. By considering locally-owned homestays and guesthouses and boutique hotels, or opting for local family-owned restaurants, independent stores and purchasing handmade souvenirs, donating to them, or hiring local guides, you can contribute to the economic growth and well-being of the community you’re visiting while supporting their livelihood. Your support can help continue their traditions and cultural practices that might otherwise be threatened by tourism or international businesses.

11 – Reduce Meat Consumption

By opting for plant-based meals or choosing vegetarian or vegan-friendly restaurants during your travels, you can help mitigate the environmental impact that it takes to produce meat and promote a more sustainable food system while even improving your health. Plant-based meals are rich in antioxidants, fiber, and have plenty of nutrients that can fuel you for your travels. Reducing the environmental impact of food production and being more conscious about the choices in your food consumption can help with sustainable travel. It’s also understandable if you love meat or need the protein and can’t cut out meat completely – and some famous cultural dishes have meat in them which means you’ll definitely need to try it for the experience – but you can try to make an effort to reduce meat consumption when possible!

12 – Pack Light And Avoid Checking Your Bags

Some people are pro-packers and only travel with  carry-on luggage  no matter the duration of their trip. I’m currently using the  Béis Carry-On Roller  (here’s  $15 USD off  your first purchase) and the only time I use checked luggage is when I’m going international for more than 2 weeks and know I’ll be purchasing a lot to bring back home. An upside of packing light and only using carry-on luggage is that you don’t need to wait at baggage claim, don’t need to worry about your luggage getting damaged, all your possessions are with you at all times, and you reduce the cost of having to pay for checked luggage. Another reason to pack light and minimize your luggage weight helps reduce fuel consumption during transportation and decrease your carbon footprint. Either way, you and the environment can be winning in this case! 

13 – Bring A Reusable Travel Mug Or Tumbler

I like bringing a reusable travel mug or tumbler with me when I travel so that I can either refill my bottle or ensure that I can keep my water cold on a hot day, or even use it for a hot drink when needed. Bringing a better-quality water bottle also helps you avoid unnecessary plastics and it’s also nice to have your personal bottle to use along the way for familiarity. You can see which ones I use under Travel Hydration in  Shop My Favorites – Travel . By packing a reusable mug or tumbler, you can also minimize single-use plastics which reduces plastic waste and environmental pollution. Some establishments also encourage sustainable practices so they offer discounts or refills for customers who bring their own bottle which ends up being a perk for you!

14 – Opt For Digital Maps

Most of us probably use digital maps or navigation apps in this day and age and it’s a great way to travel more sustainably as you can reduce paper waste by avoiding paper maps. Although I will admit that they can be a great souvenir if you purchase a high quality or unique one! But I’ve noticed in many destinations, hotels, parks, and other locations provide free paper maps and a lot of other pamphlets to take with you. While some are necessary to take especially if you go on a specific hiking trail, you can easily find other maps online. When I travel, I like downloading offline maps on Google Maps so that even if I don’t have a connection to the Internet, I can still get directions when I need them. 

15 – Educate Yourself And Others

The best way to promote traveling more sustainably is through education. Learning about sustainable travel practices and sharing your knowledge with friends and family and fellow travelers can inspire positive change and promote responsible tourism worldwide. You can read books or learn more online and watch documentaries to expand your knowledge and stay informed about issues and trends in sustainable tourism. Starting the conversation with others can lead to minimizing environmental impact through the promotion of making eco-conscious choices. You can even play a vital role by putting these practices into play at home so that it becomes second nature when you’re traveling abroad.

Visit  Travel Tips  for more travel insights, hacks, and recommendations.

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This new Google update helps you find ways to travel more sustainably

Search for alternatives to flying and driving

Looking to reduce your carbon footprint while getting around? When traveling domestically, sticking to trains and buses is the more climate-friendly option—a more sustainable choice resulting in far fewer carbon emissions than flying. When commuting (or exploring a new city), public transportation and walking are better choices than driving, when practical. Fortunately, Google Maps is releasing updates to some of its features that will help you find the more sustainable option for getting from point A to point B.

Google Maps already shows options for walking and public transportation when searching routes, but updates to this feature will show these options next to driving routes when the travel times are comparable. The feature update will be available in the coming weeks in 15 cities, including Amsterdam, Barcelona, London, Montreal, Paris, Rome, and Sydney.

Updates to Google’s Search features now help you find long-distance train routes. Like flight searches, a Google search for a train route (e.g., “Boston to Philadelphia train”) will now show schedules and ticket prices along with links to purchase a ticket. The feature is now available in 38 countries, with long-distance bus routes also available in 15. A Google search will also show train alternatives when you search for flights.

Flight searches in Google already display estimated emissions for nearly every flight, which can be helpful when choosing a more climate-friendly option when flying is the only option. The new feature updates are a step towards more sustainable travel, giving you all the information you need to make the best choice for the least environmental impact.

• Gerrish Lopez Contributor, New Orleans

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12 Eco-Friendly Ways to Travel & See the World Sustainably

By Marie and Eric of BR by Mary

Sometimes your smallest actions have the biggest impact. This is very much true when trying to find ways to travel more sustainably.

Travelling is our passion and we love discovering new places, immersing ourselves in new cultures and enjoying the beauty of dreamy beaches and canyon-like landscapes. After all, we chose to be expats in Ireland !

That said, we also know that with travelling comes a lot of issues, including pollution. In this post, we are sharing 12 ways on how to be more eco-friendly when travelling. The best thing about those is that they are easy to implement and a lot of them also contribute to keeping your travels on a budget !

Table of Contents

Our 12 Eco-Friendly Ways to Travel

1. unplug your home.

We believe that eco-friendly travelling starts at home . Before stepping out and heading to the airport or on your road trip, make sure that all of your appliances and electronics are unplugged. Plugged appliances and electronics continue to consumer energy even if not in use.

Although it makes sense to keep your microwave plugged in when you are home, it is not necessary when you are gone. Unplugging appliances can look different depending on where you live. In Ireland, where we currently live as expats, we have noticed that plugs come with on/off switches. This is something neither of us had seen in Canada or France, where we are from.

We don’t need to actually unplug our electronics, turning the switches off is enough. We still unplug them to limit any risk of hazards when we are gone though.

2. Use public transportation

Using public transportation is a great way to reduce your CO2 emissions. Taking public transportation is really easy in Europe as the systems are very developed here. When we traveled to Paros in Greece, we used the bus system to go around the island and visit the best Paros beaches.In addition to being better for the environment than renting a car, it also saved us a lot of money and allowed us to relax and really take in the views!

3. Take bike or walking tours

Bike and walking tours are obviously better for the environment than bus or car tours. Almost every destination offers bike or walking tours and sometimes they can even be free! Walking tours can also make you discover parts of a city you would have never been to if you had taken a bus tour or a taxi!

4. Use a reusable water bottle

Our reusable water bottle is probably one of our best investments for our travels. We have a metal water bottle that also retains the heat if we want to bring a hot drink with us. We bring it everywhere with us. Our main use for it is mainly to avoid buying plastic bottles. Plastic these days is everywhere and it is a high contributor to pollution. So we avoid it as much as possible and bringing a reusable water bottle is one cheap and easy way to do that!

5. Pack light

So we might not be the best at this, but we definitely try our best to pack light when travelling. Whether it’s an airplane, a car or a bus, your transportation vehicle fuel consumption is linked to its weight. The heavier it is, the more fuel it consumes.

In addition to being better for the environment, in a lot of cases, packing light also allows you to save money as you won’t need to book as much luggage. We usually try to pack only carry ons or we share a hold luggage.

6. Bring your trash back from the beach

Have you ever been to a dreamy beach in the Mediterranean and found out at the beach that it is covered in plastic? Well, we have, and honestly it triggers an emotion really close to rage when we see that. Between cigarette butts and snack plastics wraps, the amount of waste that people don’t bring back with them is unbelievable.

If you plan on having a picnic at the beach, come prepared. Here are a few things we do to ensure we leave no trace:

• We bring a garbage bag so we can gather our waste in one place. If we forget, we will usually have a chips bag or a sandwich packaging that we will use as the garbage bag;
• We always watch for the wind as it could blow our garbage away;
• We bring our garbage with us instead of throwing it in the garbage cans at the beach. If you are in a hidden or hard to reach place in nature, chances are that garbage cans don’t get regularly emptied. This could result in overfilled garbage cans or waste being blown away by the wind. So bringing your waste with you and throwing it away where refuse is collected regularly is a better option.

7. Eat local food

Local food is, well, local. This means it does not travel across the world for days through trucks, ships and planes. And that’s much better for the environment!

Depending on your destination, it is possible that the local food is grown with techniques that are respectful of the environment. As opposed to big corporations, locals often want to preserve their environment, their culture and the nature around them. For example, it could mean that no GMOs are used or that the earth is given time to breathe between harvest times.

Eating local food also supports the locals. By spending money that goes directly to the locals, you are supporting communities and families that need it, instead of supporting big corporations who harm the planet with big productions. Eating local food is a way to have a positive impact on the environment and the people who take care of it.

When travelling to Milos Island, we loved eating at the local restaurants. We had delicious homemade traditional Greek food and loved the authentic and cozy ambiance!

8. Only ask for sheets to be changed if needed

When staying at a hotel, it is very common for sheets and towels to be changed every day or every other day. Every time sheets and towels are changed, energy is consumed for the washer and the dryer. However, this always seems like a waste of energy to us. When we are at home, we don’t change our sheets or towels every day. So we have adopted the same behaviour when staying at a hotel. On average, we usually ask for our sheets and towels to be changed once a week. That’s about 3 to 6 wash saved!

9. Bring a fast dry towel

Long gone are the days when we would travel with a thick beach towel or use the resort towels. Instead, we have a large fast dry towel that we bring everywhere with us. It’s the perfect beach towel that also doubles as a picnic blanket! It dries fast and therefore doesn’t need to be put in the dryer.

10. Stay at an accommodation that is self-sufficient

Eco-friendly accommodations have started to be more common and also more affordable. Eco-friendly accommodations can have different size and shapes. It can be a hotel with solar panel producing its own electricity. It can be a B&B that farms their own breakfast. It can be a tree house with solar energy and dry toilets. There is lots of choice out there!

11. Pick up garbage

Wherever you are travelling to, one action you can do to contribute to a less polluted planet is picking up plastic when you see some. When we are at the beach, we will usually spend some time just looking around and picking up plastic wraps, cigarette butts and pieces of plastic. Make sure to throw this away in a garbage can that is actually emptied regularly.

12. Research experiences before booking

Who hasn’t dreamed of spending time with wild elephants in Thailand? It’s definitely something we have on our bucket list! Although this is an experience you can have at a sanctuary, not all sanctuaries take good care of their animals .

It’s important to research the values of the centre you are visiting. And sometimes they can surprise you! For example, we often hear that zoos or aquariums are bad. However, we absolutely loved Vancouver’s aquarium. Vancouver’s aquarium has a Marine Mammal Rescue team which rescues over 150 marine animals each year and rehabilitate them to ensure they can be ready for release back in the wild. They do a fantastic job!

About the authors

Marie (French) and Eric (Canadian) are an expat couple based in Ireland and focus on budget travelling to their dream destinations. They share lots of budget travel tips for a mix of cheap, mid-range and luxurious travels to help you travel as you want without breaking the bank. You can follow their adventures on Instagram .

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The Best Destinations for Sustainable Travel

By Nicole Kliest

When it comes to sustainability, travel can feel like a double-edged sword. On one hand, exploring the world helps to cultivate empathy towards new cultures and can lead to radical change. On the other, the potential emissions from hopping on a plane and touring around a destination is at odds with a cleaner planet. This is why there’s no silver bullet solution to making travel more sustainable —it’s nuanced.

“When talking about a sustainable destination, different factors come into play,” explains Roi Ariel, the general manager at The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC), an organization that sets global standards for sustainability in travel and tourism. “The management teams at destinations considered sustainable understand that ‘sustainability’ is a journey that is never complete.” Therefore, a dynamic approach is surely the way forward, with considerations stretching from sustainable management and socioeconomic implications to cultural and environmental impacts.

“I think what makes a hotel obviously sustainable from a guest perspective is conscious communication regarding all their initiatives to make their operations more sustainable,” says Few & Far co-founder Sarah Dusek, adding that “if a hotel isn’t talking about their initiatives, chances are they don’t have any.” There are baseline considerations that should already be put in place, such as minimizing (or eliminating) single-use plastics and the implementation of eco-friendly products such as soaps and cleaning products. “Conscious connection with sourcing of food is something I also expect to see,” Dusek says, noting the more local the better. Energy efficiencies and waste management strategies are also paramount, she notes, and often incorporate alternate, innovative sources such as solar power.

More broadly speaking, we can look to entire regions as sustainable travel destinations that prioritize conscientious tourism simply by checking for accreditations, like the GSTC certification. “Türkiye for example, has taken a big step towards sustainability as a destination,” Ariel says, noting that the country has developed the first mandatory national program for accommodations based on the GSTC criteria. “From 2023 through 2030, all accommodations in Türkiye must be certified through a GSTC-Accredited Certification Body.”

Keeping these complexities in mind, scroll below to explore eight unique sustainable travel destinations destinations this year, from biodiverse Costa Rica to the remote arctic shorelines of Norway.

Bawah Reserve , Indonesia

By Lorena Meouchi

By Leah Faye Cooper

By Hannah Coates

Six islands, 13 beaches, three lagoons, and 100 hectares of lush forest comprise the remote Anambas Islands situated in the South China Sea. Bawah is the first island in Indonesia to be powered by a renewable microgrid and is also certified as a five-star resort under the Singing Blue WWF program. Guests who journey to the otherworldly reserve can witness the property’s 18 floating solar platforms (enough to service most of the island’s energy needs) and can dine at the restaurants with produce that comes from their own permaculture vegetable and herb gardens. 98 percent of Bawah Reserve’s employees come from Indonesia and each month, their so-called ‘ECOmmittee’ strategizes on initiatives ranging from turtle conservation to beach clean-ups.

Rwanda , Africa

For the ultimate bucket list adventure that slots in well with sustainability-focused travel, gorilla trekking in Rwanda ranks high on the list. The country is already well-regarded for its commitment to conservation and responsible tourism, and Dusek’s Few & Far itinerary supports rural communities in the Masai Mara in Kenya as well as rural female empowerment through female tracking, guiding, and porter teams. While on the trip, guests will also be introduced to the Mara Conservancy Canine Anti-Poaching Unit to learn about how their trip supports the company’s mission.

Peninsula Papagayo , Costa Rica

Costa Rica has long been a leader in sustainable tourism, having set goals to be the first carbon neutral country in the world and producing nearly 93 percent of its electricity from renewable resources. Peninsula Papagayo is located in the northwestern province of Guanacaste and is home to one of the largest dry tropical forests in Central America. The 1,400-acre resort community is hyper-focused on sustainability, with a committee structure made up of six different entities. While initiatives range—from opening a child care clinic to conservation of archaeological sites—their home gardens project ( huertas caseras ) is especially of note; it empowers local families to grow vegetables and legumes on their own land using drip irrigation (a necessity due to the uniquely dry climate), also supplying produce for the restaurants at properties like the Four Seasons Resort Peninsula Papagayo, Costa Rica .

Lyngen Alps , Norway

Finally check the northern lights off your list this year with a visit to the Lyngen Alps, a breathtaking destination beloved for its rugged mountain peaks and pristine wilderness. The region concentrates its sustainability efforts on employment, nature conservation, and local culture, while encouraging visitors to choose accommodation that funnels back into these initiatives. The Aurora Lodge (exclusive to luxury tour operator Black Tomato) is nestled in the heart of the Norwegian wilderness overlooking the Norwegian Sea on over 200,000 square meters of private, protected land. All native trees including birch, pine, and fir have been preserved, providing shelter for local elks and enriching the lodge’s natural surroundings.

Lake Lucerne , Switzerland

For a spa getaway that replenishes both you and the planet, head for Bürgenstock Hotels & Resort in Switzerland. This tranquil property on Lake Lucerne received the Green Globe certification, the ‘Swisstainable’ classification Level 3 from Switzerland Tourism, and was recognized as one of The Leading Hotels of the World’s Sustainability Leaders. Their primary efforts are focused on environmental protection, historic preservation, and social responsibility. (For example: the resort uses a unique energy system that uses deep, cold lake water to cool and heat the entire property.) Guests can partake in immersive experiences celebrating sustainability efforts like regenerative dining tasting menus and harvesting honey from the resident beehives.

Bhutan made headlines when it announced its ‘ High Value, Low Volume’ tourism strategy, which centers on attracting mindful, responsible visitors. (They’ve also introduced a Sustainable Development Fee for those entering.) If a country that’s over 70 percent covered by forest sounds up your alley, head for this Buddhist kingdom in the striking Himalayas on a curated journey with GeoEx . The itinerary includes breakfast with monks, wandering around monasteries, hiking through hidden valleys, and wellness treatments like a Bhutanese herbal body scrub at the Six Senses Lodge .

Tetiaroa , French Polynesia

There’s nowhere in the world quite like French Polynesia , with its turquoise-tinted waters and lush mountainous landscapes rivaled only by rich cultural traditions and local culinary scene. Set your sights on The Brando , a luxury resort anchored by Marlon Brando’s original vision for sustainable tourism to French Polynesia. It was the first resort in the world to obtain LEED Platinum certification and a few on-property initiatives include airstrip solar panels for energy and hot water heating, wastewater irrigation, and a Sea Water Air Conditioning program. While vacationing here, go on a naturalist-led tropical safar i or take a bird tour to spot local breeds like boobies, terns, and egrets.

San Pedro de Atacama , Antofagasta, Chile

Tucked away in the high northern deserts of Chile lies Tierra Atacama , a luxury escape that’s widely considered a South American leader in renewable energy and sustainability. This picturesque region is beloved for its distinct landscapes, from sand dunes and hot springs to canyons and geysers. The property’s initiatives embrace these natural surroundings through solar power, on-site water sourcing, and community engagement. It was one of the first hotels on the continent to produce solar-powered electricity and is capable of supplying 100 percent of its water needs.

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9 practices you can adopt to travel more sustainably.

Here’s how you can contribute positively when you travel, with actionable steps that’ll minimise the negative impact of your next holiday. (Image by Becca Tapert .)

As tourism surges back to pre-pandemic levels, the urgency for sustainable travel has become ever more pressing. While travel always has an impact, there are steps you can take to minimise your footprint and contribute positively to the places you visit.

Here are nine actionable ways to travel more sustainably in 2024:

1. Minimise your carbon emissions

Travel over land when possible: Avoid domestic flights if possible. Instead, explore alternative transportation options with lower carbon emissions, like trains and buses.

If flying is unavoidable, try to fly direct: Take-offs and landings contribute to the highest emissions, so try to choose direct over layovers. If you’re gung ho about taking the greenest flight possible, Google Flights estimates the emissions for all flights!

Use greener modes of transport at your destination: Walk, cycle, use public transportation, or carpool! Not only are these greener than taking a taxi, they’re also great ways to stay active, see more, meet locals, and truly soak up the environment and way of life.

Embrace slow travel: What does slow travel look like? Slowing down and spending more time in one or two regions (rather than rushing through many countries in 2 weeks) reduces your emissions. You’ll get to fully immerse in the local culture, discover hidden gems, and build more meaningful connections, all at a leisurely pace. You certainly won’t feel like you need a holiday post-holiday.

2. Pack right, pack light

Minimise luggage weight: Packing smarter and lighter reduces overall fuel consumption during your travels. This includes choosing a bag that’s lightweight and packing versatile layers that you can mix and match. The added benefit? You won’t have to struggle with a heavy bag.

Bring reusable, durable, and biodegradable items: By doing so, you’ll be minimising your use of single-use plastics, as well as minimising harm to the environment.

Here’s a list of things you can consider:

• Reusable water bottle (with built-in filtration)
• Reusable collapsible coffee cup
• Bamboo/metal straw(s)
• Reusable collapsible food container(s)
• Small cloth towels/napkins
• Reusable shopping bags
• Solar-powered devices like power banks to reduce the demand for energy generated from fossil fuels
• Compact, efficient travel adaptors
• Biodegradable, zero-waste toiletries like soap, shampoo, and conditioner bars, deodorant, and reef-safe sunscreen
• Biodegradable/compostable toothbrush, toothpaste tablets, and floss
• Reusable feminine products like a menstrual cup or disc, period panties, reusable pads, or sustainable tampons
• Eco-friendly travel gear like clothing, backpacks, and luggage made of sustainable, organic, or recycled materials

3. Choose eco-certified accommodations

Look for hotels, lodges, or homestays with eco-certifications like LEED or Green Key. Typically, establishments like these should follow certain standards, opting for:

• Combined cooling, heating and power systems
• The use of renewable energy and energy-efficient appliances
• Efficient water and energy conservation practices
• Waste reduction practices and responsible waste management
• Sustainable food practices
• Eco-friendly, locally-sourced choices in textiles, toiletries, and cleaning products
• The support of local communities and conservation efforts
• Sustainable tourism activities like wildlife tours, cultural experiences, and outdoor activities
• Sustainable construction and eco-conscious building practices

4. Practice conservation wherever you go

Conserve water and energy by:

• Turning off lights, air-conditioning, and/or heating when you don’t need them
• Taking cool, short showers
• Use towels and linens for longer before changing

5. Sightsee sustainably

• Choose eco-friendly activities and ethical tours that promote conservation and cultural preservation
• Practice responsible wildlife engagement and ‘leave no trace’ principles
• Consider volunteering for conservation projects or participating in community-based tourism initiatives

6. Support local economies

General tip when travel shopping: Local specialities and fresh, seasonal, locally-grown produce > big international chains. Artisanal, handcrafted souvenirs > mass-produced items from places like China.

Choosing small local businesses, artisans, and tour operators, means you’ll be:

• Contributing directly to the local economy and community development
• Preserving and supporting local traditions and cultures
• Reducing your carbon footprint and environmental impact

ZafigoTip: When shopping, remember to choose products with minimal to no plastic packaging to reduce waste, and put those reusable bags and food containers to good use!

7. Make mindful destination choices

Consider exploring lesser-known places: Mass tourism brings with it a whole slew of problems. By picking destinations that are ‘off-the-beaten-path’, not only will you ease pressure on locals and the environment, you’ll skip the crowds, experience authenticity, and help economies that wouldn’t normally benefit from tourism in the first place.

8. Timing is key

Visit off-peak: If you’re hell-bent on visiting popular spots, consider going off-season. You’ll be able to experience places like Venice without the human traffic. Peace. Serenity. No queues. Imagine that.

9. Leave behind a positive ‘climate shadow’

Yes, we’ve all heard about carbon footprint, but how accurate are our calculations? The climate shadow concept seems more qualitative and meaningful, and gives us all better control over how we care for the planet through our choices.

Inspire and encourage others through your words and actions: Educate yourself and share what you’ve learned about the environmental and social impacts of mass tourism. Share your experiences and encourage mindful travel behaviour. And last but not least, think not only about your carbon footprint but also about your shadow.

The best way to start the conversation, is by sharing this guide.

Bianca is a writer with a passion for surfing, an insatiable thirst for adventure, and a (very) healthy appetite. As a third culture kid, she enjoys weaving her peculiar experiences into her writing, creating vivid stories that reflect her unique perspective on the world.

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20 easy ways to make your home more sustainable

Posted: January 26, 2024 | Last updated: January 26, 2024

As fears surrounding pollution and climate change continue to rise, many people are looking for ways that they can live their lives more sustainably. Fortunately, there are tons of small swaps that anyone can implement to make their homes at least a little more eco-friendly, even if they don't have a lot of time or cash to put into the effort.

Flip through the gallery below for 20 simple and budget-friendly ways to make your home more sustainable, from forgoing plastic water bottles to creative ideas for saving water.

First, use up everything you've got

It's easy to get caught up in going eco-friendly in ways that aren't actually good for the environment. Instead of tossing all your plastic containers to make room for glass, make use of the things you have already purchased until they wear out, then replace them with more sustainable alternatives. 

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Take inventory of all the disposables you use

Most of us use more single-use items than we think, ranging from paper towels to plastic food storage bags. Take an inventory of the disposable items you use regularly, then seek out sustainable alternatives. Paper towels can be replaced with reusable rags, while washable silicone pouches can serve as a solid alternative to the classic Ziploc. 

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Save your jars

Whenever you buy something that comes in a glass jar, keep it! After a thorough washing, these jars can be used to store everything from leftovers to homemade pickles, serve as impromptu flower vases, and so much more. 

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Invest in high-quality reusable containers

Next time you need new food storage containers, skip the cheap plastic tubs at the supermarket — they'll wear out and need replacing quickly. Instead, spend just a little more on glass containers with sturdy lids that will last for years, even with daily use.  

Swap dryer balls for dryer sheets

Dryer sheets may help reduce static and make laundry smell nice, but they're packed with chemicals that can be toxic to environments once you've tossed them in the trash. Reusable wool dryer balls, on the other hand, are much more eco-friendly and can be scented with a few drops of essential oils if desired. 

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Consider a compost bin

If you've got a backyard, a small composting set-up can serve as an excellent way to transform leftovers and kitchen scraps like eggshells and vegetable peels into healthy fertilizer. 

Stop buying in bulk

Americans have a chronic over-buying problem, which results in a great deal of food waste. The best way to avoid this food waste is to stop buying too much in the first place! If you're only shopping for one or two, cut down on bulk purchases or make a plan to preserve extra veggies and meats before they go bad. 

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Ask your electric provider about renewable energy options

Many electric providers allow customers to pay a little extra to have some — or all — of their electricity come from renewable sources like wind and solar energy. Check in with your provider for specific details. 

Try your hand at gardening

There's nothing more satisfying than growing your own food, even when you've only got a tiny apartment balcony garden. Start small with an herb garden or a few buckets of tomatoes to find what works best for your space, then consider more involved set-ups like DIY vertical gardens. 

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Turn the thermostat up (or down!) a few degrees

Turning the thermostat down — or up! — just two degrees can have a major impact on how much electricity your home uses. That's especially true if you invest in a programmable thermostat, which can raise the temperature when you're not at home and cool it down just in time for getting home from work. As a bonus, relying less on air conditioning and heat will help save some cash when it's time to pay those electric and gas bills. 

Consider energy-efficient appliance upgrades

It doesn't make sense to rush out and buy new appliances if the ones you currently have are in good working order, but when that old dryer or dishwasher goes out, look for a sustainable replacement. Use the Energy Star guide for details on how to buy the most energy-efficient appliances. 

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Buy secondhand when possible

Thrift stores and reselling platforms like Craigslist are packed with items that still have plenty of life left in them. The next time you are in need of a new gaming console or patio table, consider secondhand options first. You'll be keeping a useful item out of a landfill, and aren't creating new demand for products. 

Eat more plants

Unfortunately for burger fans, there's no denying that animal agriculture has a significant impact on the environment. Even if going totally meat-free is out of the question, a few more meatless meals each week can seriously impact your carbon footprint. 

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Cut back on water waste while doing chores

Most of us have no real idea of how much water we waste, and would be shocked to learn the reality. To cut down on waste while doing chores, make sure that you only run appliances like the dishwasher and washing machine when completely full. It makes the machines work more efficiently, and may ultimately save a few bucks on your gas and electric bill. 

Recycle whenever possible

Even if you don't have access to at-home recycling pick-up, make use of a recycling bin whenever you see one. Consider keeping a bag for aluminum cans, cardboard, and other recyclables in the garage, and make a monthly (or weekly) trip to your city's recycling center. 

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Choose glass or metal containers whenever possible

It can be slightly challenging thanks to the extreme prevalence of plastic, but buying items only sold in metal or glass containers at the grocery store can definitely make your home more sustainable. That's especially true if you reuse the containers! 

Go paperless

An easy way to cut down on paper waste is to sign up for electronic billing for utilities, credit card payments, and other bills. It's also a great way to get rid of all that junk mail that's constantly cluttering your kitchen. 

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Wash clothes in cold water

Modern laundry detergent works just as efficiently in cold water as it does in hot, which means that the latter is just a waste of energy. Washing clothes on cold gets them just as clean, and may actually extend the life of your garments, especially those that are cotton. 

Cut out plastic water bottles

Even though they're endlessly convenient, individual plastic water bottles can be seriously wasteful. Consider replacing with a filtering pitcher, which can be used for years thanks to replaceable charcoal filters. 

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Skip fast fashion

As tempting as it might be to splurge on trendy new looks from fast-fashion purveyors, this industry contributes greatly to landfills everywhere. Shop secondhand or buy garments that are built to last in favor of trendy pieces that will have to be tossed after a couple of wears. 

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