Is Your Next Vacation Eco? 5 Pre-Travel Questions to Ask Yourself
One of life’s greatest pleasures is exploring all that our planet has to offer. Travel is an amazing vehicle for appreciating all of earth’s beauty, both natural and man-made, so it is an unfortunate paradox that travel is one of the mechanisms quite literally fueling climate change. While we are urged in our everyday lives to make greener choices via reusable shopping bags and water bottles, carpooling or driving electric vehicles, we should be stretching our efforts into every aspect of life that we can. Vacation is just that -- an opportunity to vacate reality to recharge and reconnect. However, nowadays, climate change and the state of our environment are realities we can no longer afford to turn a blind eye to, even in the most blissful of pursuits. That’s why I’ve put together a few basic questions you can ask yourself while planning future vacations to ensure your travels are sustainable.
I often emphasize on this blog that traveling sustainably doesn’t necessarily mean camping in the wilderness (although it definitely can if that’s your thing!). Really any trip you want take - be it jetting off to a luxury resort, exploring a new urban environment or roughing it in the woods - can be made more sustainable. As you begin to plan your travels for the year ahead, ask yourself these five simple questions to ensure you’re taking the necessary steps toward a more #EarthRegarded trip :)
Did I offset my air travel? Since we are aware of the havoc wreaked on our environment by our cars, it makes sense that enormous and fast planes are not exactly eco-friendly. Burning jet fuel releases greenhouse gases into the atmosphere -- the exact agent causing the earth’s temperature to rise, the climate to change and so forth. Regardless, air travel is necessary and thankfully you can purchase carbon offsets based on the distance you travel. These funds are allocated to projects that support reforestation and other efforts to draw greater amounts of carbon out of the atmosphere. For recommendations on where and why to purchase carbon offsets, check out my post here.
Am I Replacing Single-Use Plastics? Single-use plastics are nearly unavoidable in our society today, and it’s hard to imagine the plastic bag we throw away being mistaken for a jellyfish and eaten by a turtle, but unfortunately, it happens. A great way to help save turtles and scores of other marine life is to pack the Trifecta of Reusables: water bottle, coffee cup, bag. By packing reusable items, you are helping stem the massive flow of single-use plastics into our oceans. Something to keep in mind when planning your trip is to swap out your small travel clutch for a slightly bigger, stylish backpack that can comfortably carry these items day-to-day. Wondering what to pack? We created a this Earth Regarded packing guide to help with that.
Am I Spending Money Locally? One of the best ways to travel sustainably is to make purchasing decisions that support the local community. Finding local markets and small businesses gives you an authentic experience of the local culture and cuisine, while also ensuring the money is being funneled back into the local economy. This means the economic resources generated by tourism will support things like access to education for native and indigenous peoples, contribute to wildlife conservation and marine protection, and more. Check out this post for more on why supporting the local economy is an important part of sustainable travel.
Are My Accommodations Sustainable? Before you book your next hotel, take ten minutes to research whether the hotels you are interested in are making efforts to be more sustainable businesses, i.e. by reducing waste and increasing energy efficiency. Many large hotel chains and smaller boutique hotels are making changes to be more eco-friendly, so you should have no problem finding a sustainable hotel in your price range. Supporting sustainable businesses over ones that are not prioritizing the environment can expedite the evolution of the hospitality industry to one that is cleaner and greener. Check out the Earth Regarded Hotel Map to help point you in the direction of some eco-friendly hotels and resorts we love.
If visiting wildlife, is it with an organization taking steps to conserve and protect it? It’s true that there is almost nothing more special and mysterious than observing a wild animal in its natural habitat, especially in exotic or remote settings. However, treating animals in the wild as our entertainment is generally not advisable, as overtourism has unfortunate consequences for the animals and their environments. For example, huge crowds can deplete natural resources and damage the habitat, and sometimes animals, like elephants, are poached from the wild to give rides to tourists. If your heart’s desire is to get a glimpse of local wildlife in your next destination, make sure the organization you work with to do so ALWAYS puts the animals’ well-being over the demands of tourists. Usually, this will be a conservation organization whose main focus to preserve and protect local wildlife and the ecosystem on which it depends.