With the world’s population projected to hit 9 billion by 2050, sustainable travel is more important than ever. It’s time to make a change and embrace sustainable travel as a way of life. Sustainable travel has been around for quite some time but as awareness of its benefits increases, it will become easier for people to see that sustainability does not have to come at the price of comfort or convenience. In fact, there are several ways in which you can go about making your next trip more eco-friendly and less harmful to our planet. The following tips provide a few simple suggestions that anyone can implement.
Volunteer
One of the best ways to contribute to sustainable travel is by volunteering your time and skills. Volunteering allows you to gain new experiences, learn local knowledge and gain a deeper understanding of the place that you’re traveling to. Not only will this benefit others (the people and community that you’re staying with), but it will also benefit you. When you travel to volunteer, your trip will definitely be more memorable than it would have been if you had only taken a vacation. So how can you find a place to volunteer?
The easiest way to find a place you’d like to work with is to look at websites of charities and non-profit organizations. You can also search volunteer abroad sites or simply search for local groups on Facebook.
If you’re staying with locals, it’s always best that you offer to help out in some way. This could mean helping out in the garden, cleaning up around the home, or even babysitting. If you’re staying with a local host family, help your host around the house if they seem to need some assistance. They will probably be excited that you offered, and it is also an excellent way to meet new people!
Stay in eco-friendly hotels
Another way to embrace sustainable travel is to become pickier about where you stay. There are several ways you can do this. First, look for hotels that have one of the many eco-friendly certification labels, which include “green” and “eco” ratings.
For example, some countries give out Green Key ratings for hotels. These ratings are based on a hotel’s level of environmental sustainability in the areas of water, energy, and waste. Several different systems rate hotels, such as Green Globe or Green Key, but they all offer some kind of eco-label to certified businesses. Staying in sustainable accommodation creates a positive impact on our planet, which benefits us all so it is essential that we take that into account as we travel.
Avoid flying
Of course, the easiest way to embrace sustainable travel is to simply not fly at all. This may seem a bit extreme, but it is possible!
Many people choose to bike or hike their way around a country rather than flying on an airplane. If you’re using your own vehicle or hiring one, make sure you get the right insurance from reputable companies like kbdinsurance.com. This is important because if you’re in an accident, you will be covered so that you can drive your way around the country without worrying about being charged for repairs!
Spend locally
If you go on a long trip, make sure you purchase some local goods. This could mean food or other things like souvenirs and trinkets. Not only will these purchases benefit the local economy of wherever you’re going, but it also helps to limit your carbon footprint because it means that you won’t have to ship items from halfway around the world.
