The Benefits of Sustainable Tourism And How To Be An Eco-Conscious Traveler
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The Benefits of Sustainable Tourism
In this day and age, how to be an eco-conscious traveler is more important than ever. With our ever-growing interconnectedness in this global economy, our changing values of placing more importance on experiences not things, and the myriad benefits (physical, mental, emotional, socio-cultural and more) that travel can bring, means it’s definitely not going anywhere any time soon. This then begs the question of how can we keep up this wonderful gift we have whilst still be environmentally friendly and what are the benefits of sustainable tourism to the planet?
Travelling is such a rich, nourishing food for the soul, it opens our eyes and makes us more empathetic and tolerant to other cultures. But how can we do this all while being respectful to other cultures, animals and the planet itself? Read on below to find out:
How To Be An Eco-Conscious Traveler
1. Offset your flights (and walk as much as possible)
The airline industry accounts for 2.5% of global carbon emissions, according to studies. If you don’t want to offset each individual flight, you can calculate your annual carbon footprint, including your flights, and neutralise it in one go by donating to various projects for equivalent amounts (The Gold Standard makes this really easy). Obviously this is an imperfect solution, but the projects they support and initiate are extremely beneficial to the long-term sustainability of our planet, such as exchanging the types of fuels that are used in developing communities, bringing sustainable water supplies to those in need, and generating self-sufficient clean energy area. If you travel frequently it’s likely that you don’t own a car, which, as we know, is another one of the biggest contributors to greenhouse gases.
We found that despite taking on average 3 round-trip flights a year, our carbon footprint was significantly lower than both the UK average and the forecasted goal for 2021! Often, when buying your ticket, you can also select to add biofuel for a small fee, and try to get direct flights whenever possible because it’s actually the takeoff and landing that emit the most fuel (as well as cutting down on the actual number of flights in total)!
Of course it goes without saying that you should also always fly economy, also really consider whether it’s necessary to fly in the first place, can you travel by train or coach/bus instead? Once at a destination, consider again whether you really need to take that cab or can you get some exercise in and see more of the place in the best way possible- on foot! If not, public transport is still a more efficient, and authentic, way to get around.
The main thing to consider with flying though is if you really need to take that trip in the first place! The greenest flight is no flight right? Do you have to take that trip, and when considering responsible travel, it’s also worth questioning your destinations- do their values align with yours, are they suffering from over-tourism etc? Can your visit be more beneficial elsewhere?
2. Do your research when visiting “sanctuaries” or volunteering
When visiting sanctuaries or doing any kind of tours, it’s really important to delve in deep to their practices. Read ALL the reviews and scrutinise how the animals are treated- are they tied up, can they be ridden, touched, taken a photo with or in any way otherwise tampered with from their natural state of being? For example, when scuba diving with whale sharks, are they fed chum to unnaturally keep them in the same location and disrupt their true cycles of migration? You can read more about unethical animal practices on PETA’s website here. When in doubt ask questions, local people may be able to point to a more sustainable business! It’s better to take some time and support responsible tourism than do something on a whim and later find out it was a sketchy operation.
Be mindful of “voluntourism”too. Generally speaking, often volunteering causes more harm than good and is currently a very controversial subject. For example, going to work for 2 weeks in an orphanage (which in and of themselves are questionable) is detrimental to children by creating a constant cycle of change, plus - do you actually have the qualifications to work with children? If you would like to volunteer, one way to do so is think about a work exchange instead. We did two of these in our travels across South America and loved them. It’s a great way to get more involved in local communities while giving help where it’s actually requested. This encourages slow travelling too which is another great way to be more eco-conscious.
Of course it’s nice to think of how you can make a positive impact on a place, and not just what it can do for you, so donating and supporting a local charity is an awesome way of giving economic benefits and leaving a place a little better than you found it.
3. Be respectful of cultures + support the local economy
Take an active interest in the place you’re visiting, read up a bit on the history and local culture, learn a few key words (we like to learn at least “hello”, “goodbye” and “thank you”), speak to the local people and ask about their culture and traditions (always be mindful and respectful with these- for example, wearing appropriate dress) and try to stay and eat in locally-owned accommodation and restaurants. Bonus points for sourcing out eco-friendly hotels and restaurants. Homestays, Airbnb’s and guesthouses are also an easy way to get a bit more immersed in the local community. This really ensures that your money is going where it’s deserved. Really immerse yourself in the food, music and customs and you’ll have a more authentic, and respectful, experience.
Always ask if you want to take somebody’s picture, introduce yourself and ask for permission if you plan to post it online. Often, it’s customary to tip the person as a token of gratitude. If somebody says no, then it’s a no. It goes without saying that you should never photograph children but try not give money/gifts to children either so as not to encourage begging. A good rule of thumb is to always question whether you would do something in your own country. Finally, buying meaningful souvenirs is a great way of supporting local artisans (and keeping memories)!
What we know we care about. This is why we believe travel can be so incredibly uniting, by appreciating and revelling in all the ranges of beauty this wide world has to offer, we can bridge the gap and realise how ultimately we are all one and the same. By sharing the stories of your travels you can help bring a distant corner of the planet a little bit closer to home and into the hearts of those around you, likewise when you share your cultures and traditions with others whilst on the road.
4. Don’t forget to be plastic-free!
Of course, while travelling it’s important to still try and be as eco-conscious as possible in terms of the products you use and your own waste product. Think reusable water bottles, bag, straws and cutlery, and avoiding takeways as much as possible and using sustainable products such as bar shampoo. This goes hand in hand with not using single-use products, such as hotel toiletries or airline headphones, and refusing receipts. You can check out our post on Easy Ways To Be Sustainable for more information! Obviously always throw your rubbish away in the appropriate recycling bins (if any) and pick up trash as you go too. Beach cleanups are one of the most popular ways of refuse collection for good reason- you get to help the planet and meet awesome people along the way!
If you stay at a hotel, make sure to not to leave your towels on the floor- you wouldn’t change your towels daily at home so there’s no need to do it on holiday either- same goes for turning off all the lights, A/C if you choose to use it etc. when you go out, leave the “do not disturb” sign up to cut down on cleaning pollution too.
This goes along with the notion of leaving a place as you found it, so that also means be careful around artefacts and natural resources- no taking shells etc. which includes buying them or other wildlife products in shops or markets which can exacerbate animal rights violations. Don’t feed or touch any wild animals either because this can lead to them becoming too domesticated! And if anything is off-limits, such as a holy area or protected land, respect it! Contributing to tourism destruction is not worth it for the ‘gram.
5. Save on water
Finally, this liquid gold isn’t a commodity in some parts of the world, to be respectful, and because we should all minimise our water consumption as it is in general, take shorter showers (no flower baths for eco travelers!) and skip having your laundry done by the hotel or laundrettes if possible because their water wastage is significantly higher. If you need to, simply hand-wash items as you’re showering for a water and time-saving hack!
So that’s some of the benefits about sustainable tourism and how to be a more eco-conscious traveler! This is by no means an exhaustive list, we’d love to hear in the comments section below what else would you add? For more tips on how to be more environmentally friendly, check out our post on 21 Easy Ways To Live More Sustainably.
