About SUSTAINABLE TRAVEL: 10 Ways How you can Travel without Harming our Environment
Travelling is among the crucial parts of the human lifestyle. It not just connects people from around the world but also opens boundaries to whole new experiences. But have you ever given a thought about eco traveling? Many times happen when we forget to take care of our actions, which might impact the surroundings we are in. Environmentally-friendly tourism can prevent us from hampering the cultural sites including the ecosystem we are traveling. So here we will explore about Sustainable travel.
WHAT DOES SUSTAINABLE TRAVELING MEAN?
Sustainable traveling entails the idea of finding a long-term way to preserve tourism by following simple sustainable travel tips. It encompasses the idea of responsible travel, without damaging natural and cultural environments. Environmentally conscious tourism can reduce the negative effects and, preferably, benefit the region in which it takes place.
According to the World Tourism Organization, eco traveling or sustainable tourism is described as “development that meets the needs of current tourists and host regions while preserving and enhancing future opportunities.” It is envisioned as leading to resource management that meets economic, social, and aesthetic needs while preserving cultural identity, critical ecological processes, and biodiversity.
It’s all about valuing the environment and protecting our natural resources when it comes to sustainable travel. Travelers should be more mindful of the rate of pollution caused by travel and how this impacts the atmosphere and local wildlife. They must also be mindful of the effect tourism has on residents, industries, and cultures.
IMPORTANCE OF SUSTAINABLE TRAVELING
Traveling responsibly and reducing environmental impact is what sustainable travel entails. It has never been easier to get around, giving us all the chance to see the world. As a result, tourism has exploded! However, mass tourism has the potential to damage populations, traditions, ecosystems, and the environment. So, how do we continue to fly while still preserving our planet?
Here are some pointers to get you started.
Sustainable Travel Destination
When it comes to sustainable travel, it’s all about valuing the environment and preserving our natural resources. In short, we mustn’t forget to practice eco-friendly things while traveling to destinations. Practices such as travelers should be more aware of the emissions produced by their activities and how this affects the environment and local wildlife. They must also consider the effect of tourism on residents, businesses, and cultures. The idea behind sustainable travel destinations is to especially target lookouts to those hotels and stay options that believe in the cause of eco traveling, sustainability and also contribute to it.
Make Minimal & Essential Packing
Packing is one of the crucial parts of traveling and can be hectic sometimes. Keeping it minimal, stresses the idea of sustainable development by adding only essential kits with your luggage which not only reduces your load to carry but reduces the aftereffect to the environment. For example, traveling with your pair of cutleries reduces the plastic waste while you are traveling. And, traveling your own set of toiletries, not just saves the sample toiletries for other guests but also saves the water to clean the used towel for the next guest. Anyways, while traveling post covid, it is best when you travel with your kit of essentials. Apart from that, preferring a permanent cloth bag while traveling helps you to avoid plastic bags on each purchase while traveling. One of the perfect sustainable travel tips that contributes towards less plastic wastes.
Respect Nature & Its Creatures Within
One of the most enjoyable aspects of traveling is seeing wildlife. Unfortunately, wildlife tourism harms animals in 75% of cases creating instability to environmental sustainability. As a responsible travel person, you can avoid participating in animal entertainment. What might seem innocent and simple tricks by dolphins performing tricks or riding an elephant is a serious inhumane act to prevent these creatures from their natural behavior. Also, seemingly harmless activities such as feeding wild animals might cause fatalities to these furry creatures. As they are not used to the food/ snacks you are feeding them. Just like that, it is avoided to touch highly sensitive corals since it causes coral bleaching and impacts their growth rates.
Leave Tracks NOT Trash
Being an environmentally friendly traveler, it should be your utmost thing to make sure that your one action of carelessness creates a cycle of imbalance into nature. Environmental sustainability is severely damaged by dumping wastes on and off the land. Apart from polluting the ecosystem, these not so eco-friendly things/acts impact both floras and faunas on a fatal level causing a serious change in the behavior and ultimately death of the species. Coral bleaching is one example of our not so environmentally friendly act while exploring underwater. Triggered just by touching these underwater faunas. Further, according to one report, the underwater plastic dumps are consumed by the fishes which are later consumed by us. Sounds like a payback? Or a quick reminder to follow sustainable travel tips and keep these responsible travel ideas in mind while planning your next trip.
Shop Local
Apart from being environmentally conscious, we must make sure to retain the idea of sustainable development while traveling to new places. Supporting the local economy can be a part of it, as tourism is the only source of income for these local craftsmen. By purchasing handcrafted souvenirs in one way to promote handicraft industry in India but also a noble act to create sustainable development for these local artisans. Antiquities should be avoided because they may have been stolen or are forgeries. Smaller hotels and local restaurants can benefit the local economy and heritage preservation if you invest your money there. Spending your time and money at small businesses with local workers, who sell locally grown food and goods, handicrafts, and art will help them to maintain as well as promote the true regional character you’ve come to see. Your contributions will support the region while also assisting societies in the preservation of traditions and the protection of natural resources.
Save Resources
There is a list of efforts entitled to save the resources from getting waste. But, to be an environmentally conscious traveler, you need to take a few environmentally friendly steps that can contribute to saving resources and maintain environmental sustainability to the farthest extent. Steps such as:
Electricity-
• Switch OFF when not in use: Switch off the lights and don’t leave things on standby.
• Temperature control: Turn off the air conditioning, and change the temperature of your refrigerator when leaving for traveling, as these use a lot of electricity.
• Close the curtains – This keeps the heat out and reduces the amount of energy used by your air conditioner.
Water-
• Leaving the ‘do not disturb’ sign ON: one of the best hotel hacks to prevent the housekeepers from frequent washing the fabrics. Thus, stopping the wastage of water.
• Rewear or Hand wash your clothing more than once.
• Efficient Showering: Shower for less than 2 minutes once a day or prefer showering in cold water if traveling to a warm destination.
• Select foods that don’t need a lot of water to cook: So better to avoid rice and pasta.
Reduce The CO2 Emissions
One of the most eco friendly things you can practice is by preferring walking over taking a cab/ motor ride while strolling the city locally. As a result, it minimizes your carbon footprint. Thus next time, when you are visiting a city, try taking a walk over public transportation whenever possible. One of the other advantages you’ll experience following these sustainable travel tips is that you will not get stuck in the traffic during rush hours! Avoiding airways for short trips and taking flights that use renewable biofuel are few other sustainable travel tips that can also contribute to preventing Co2 emissions and have a responsible travel experience. For starters, prefer making airways with Qantas, American Airlines, JetBlue, Lufthansa, KLM, which are some examples of the flights that run on renewable biofuels.
Respect The Culture & The Heritage
Tourism opens the doors for travelers as an invitation to know and learn about the local cultures and their heritage. Simple interest to witness and learn about their cultural heritage give a great sense of happiness to the local community they visit. Thus, a decent act of politeness to the people and their culture is one of the basic tourism ethics. Make sure not to touch or flash photography antiques or other sensitive objects, as it may severely impact the look or nature of the object. Apart from that, dress modestly, speak quietly and be considerate of those who are there to worship. Look for local festivals and celebrations; they can offer a rare insight into local culture and are a great way to meet locals, taste traditional foods, and learn about your destination’s history.
Go Green, Go Vegan
Since meat consumption has been identified as one of the leading causes of climate change, reducing meat consumption has a significant step towards environmentally conscious travel experience. Meat production results in widespread deforestation, disrupting environmental sustainability by clearing the forests for making room for crops and farming (as seen in the Amazon). Also, meat causes high levels of methane emissions and even causes water pollution from animal wastes, which is not at all environmentally friendly.
VEGANISM
The best sustainable food option you can have is to go ‘Vegan’. With rapidly gaining popularity worldwide, veganism is described as not eating any animal-derived products. Around the world, a slew of amazing plant-based cafes and restaurants are springing up, serving delectable fare that keeps people coming back for more. If you can’t give up chocolate and cheese quite yet, consider cutting down on your meat consumption. This will lead to our planet’s long-term sustainable development and encourage responsible travel trips.
OFFBeat Travel Destinations
Choosing a non-popular travel destination can be one of the eco friendly things to practice making eco traveling. With a comparatively less crowd than any other popular destinations, a trip to these unpopular destinations trails peacefully away from the visitor’s crowd and the city rush as well. Most importantly, traveling to these off-beat destinations explores the essence of discovering the new site and even opens the possibilities of tourism to that spot. Opening a doorway to sustainable development by befitting the regional community and the location itself.
Lastly, inform and educate your friends and family about eco traveling and the importance of practicing eco friendly things to ensure and promote sustainable tourism. Make them aware of the facts and the impact of practicing sustainable travel tips. We hope after reading this, you now have an idea of environmental sustainability and how it is constantly being damaged by not taking environmentally friendly measures while traveling. You don’t need to make drastic changes to your way of traveling; instead, start with small steps. Trust me, every small step counts.
So this was the complete blog of Moustache Escapes’s Sustainable travel. With this, we believe your next vacation will be environmentally conscious? Feel free to share your perspectives on sustainable travel as well as tips to have a responsible travel experience.
Until then keep reading, keep traveling!
