Travel Tribe

Travelling is the perfect way to escape reality, learn about new cultures, relax for some or deep dive into exciting adventures for others. There’s no denying the positive impact travelling has on people and the world. However, with travelling there is more to it than meets the eye. It’s important to respect, preserve, and protect the environments that we visit, because why destroy something that you love?

Sustainability is an on-going trend that’s here to stay, and people are looking for new ways to reduce their carbon footprint in every aspect of their lives. Environmentally friendly travel is becoming one of the fastest-growing movements in the travel industry as people are more conscious of the impact their travelling habits have on the environment. Obviously, we don’t want to stop travelling, so what are the steps we can take to make our travel more ‘green’?

1. Greener Transport

Choosing what kind of transport you take will get you on the road to becoming a sustainable travel. When you can, try take a bus or a train. Avoid booking a flight when it’s unnecessary such as travelling domestically or crossing inland borders. Not only does this reduce your environmental footprint, but it also can save you money! You can book bus tickets in Europe from Flixbus, Rome2rio, or Omio for as cheap as €5! BlaBlaCar is another good option if you would prefer to drive – on this app you can offer a space in your car to other travellers or book a seat in someone else’s car. If it is absolutely necessary to fly, try book direct flights if possible.

2. Choose Your Destination Wisely

Do some research before you pick where you want to go on your travels. There are places to explore in the world that have been listed as ‘sustainable destinations’ such as Slovenia, Costa Rica, and Palau. You can simply type into Google “Best Sustainable Destinations 2021” and you will get a tonne of information about eco-friendly travelling experiences.

If you can, try to avoid cities that are renowned for over-tourism such as Venice, Amsterdam, Paris, or Barcelona. By choosing to visit the bigger cities, it puts more of a strain on the local communities trying to keep up. You can also avoid crowds and higher prices by visiting local areas!

3. Support Local

No matter which type of destination you wish to choose for your travels, it’s so important to always seek opportunities to support local businesses. You have the ability to strengthen small communities around the world by eating in locally owned restaurants, buying souvenirs made locally by the people at your destination, and staying in local accommodation. Spending your money locally can also allow you to have a more authentic travelling experience!

4. Pack Reusable Items

To become a sustainable traveller it’s important to minimise your waste and pollution on the environment that your visiting. And the best way to reduce you waste is by consuming less. There are plenty of reusable items that are light-weight and won’t take up much room in your bag such as a reusable water bottle, coffee cup, a metal or a bamboo straw, and bamboo cutlery to avoid using single-use plastics. I would recommend bringing a tote bag also that can fold up easily and used as a shopping bag instead of purchasing a plastic bag each time you go to the shops. These are simple things that you can use to reduce waste and your environmental footprint.

5. Choose Animal Attractions Carefully

I know we all love meeting exotic animals that you wouldn’t usually see at home, plus get a great picture to post on Instagram, but there are some animal experiences that are actually not good for the animals. Some of these experiences mistreat the animals and keep them captive purely for human entertainment which should be avoided at all costs. The most common culprits are riding elephants, visiting captive whales, and visiting a ‘petting zoo’ for tigers (usually drugged). Animals are best viewed in their natural habitat, and if you book an animal experience with an organisation, please make sure to research the organisation first to ensure they offer ethical and sustainable animal interactions such as elephant sanctuaries. Avoid any experience where animals are behaving unnaturally.

The best way to becoming a more sustainable traveller is to be mindful and respectful of the environment that you are visiting. Do your research before booking and explore options. There is always some simple small steps you can take to minimise your environmental impact while travelling. Let me know in the comments if you have any other sustainable travelling tips!