Sustainable travel

Have the best travel experience with the most positive impact with our tips for sustainable travel

Ecotourism, responsible travel, sustainable tourism, going green – call it what you will, these days we’re all thinking a little more carefully about how and where we travel. The headline news has largely revolved around the environmental impact of flying, but if you’re serious about greening up your travel, you need to look beyond carbon offsetting.

Of course, you don’t need to be that serious. Going green doesn’t have to mean staying grounded or enduring joyless, worthy trips. Quite the opposite, in fact: the majority of ‘responsible’ travel options promote deeper immersion into local cultures, a great understanding of wildlife, and more enthralling experiences.

Phrases such as ‘ecolodge’ and ‘ecotourism’ are bandied about so wantonly they’re almost meaningless – just because a tour visits a jungle doesn’t make it an ecotour. But in truth, in many cases you can safely ignore the labels applied by marketing types. Ensuring your travel benefit the people and places you visit – and damage the planet as little as possible – is mostly a matter of asking the right questions.

1. Is my flight really necessary? We’re not suggesting ditching flying altogether – but more often than you might imagine it’s possible to reach your destination by other means. Try taking the train to Morocco via France and Spain, for example – the expedition begins at the Eurostar terminal. Or sail to Bilbao instead of flying – spot whales across the Bay of Biscay. Or follow the route of the original Orient Express across Europe to Istanbul for a truly adventurous trail to Turkey.
2. Can I reduce the impact of my flights? If you do decide to fly, you could also consider offsetting the carbon emissions of your flights to reduce the environmental impact. Note that this isn’t the same as planting trees; most such schemes work to reduce emissions in diverse ways around the planet – for example, by introducing low-emission cooking methods in developing countries, promoting low-energy lightbulbs, or helping villages use biofuels from livestock emissions instead of firewood.
3. Is my trip harming or benefiting wildlife? If you’re sitting in one of a dozen 4WDs surrounding an animal, it’s probably not very happy – and you’re not getting the best experience. If you feel your guide isn’t acting responsibly, let them know. Many operators and lodges invest in local conservation and education projects – ask to find out what your operator does to help promote conservation.
4. Is my visit benefiting local communities? Some operators and accommodation options employ locals – indeed, in many instances (for example some lodges in Kenya’s Laikipia region, or Ecuador’s Amazon rainforest) the accommodation is owned and managed by indigenous communities. Does your accommodation use food or products from local suppliers? Check that your trip isn’t intrusive, doesn’t pollute the environment or sap limited natural resources – for example, using too much water where it’s scarce.
5. Am I using the right tour operator? If you’re booking through an operator, check their green credentials. Look for commitments to protect the environment and benefit local communities – and this means doing more than offering not to change hotel towels every day. Does your operator provide quality equipment for trekking porters? Does it work to preserve local cultures? And most importantly, is it prepared to explain exactly how it’s working to achieve these goals? Companies bonded with the Association of Independent Tour Operators (AITO) can be assessed using the organisation’s Sustainable Tourism rating system.
6. Where’s my money going? If a tour operator or hotel claims to be investing in a project, ask for details – what’s your money actually being spent on?
7. While volunteering, is my work actually going to be useful? If you’re volunteering through a placement agency, is your work actually going to benefit the local community or ecosystems – or is it basically a cash cow for the placement organisation? Try to look for projects that will benefit from specific skills you already have, and ask to speak to past volunteers. Smaller bodies with fewer partner organisations on the ground tend to have a better idea of what’s really valuable in each place.
8. Can I lighten up a little? If we become too obsessed with the issues, we can lose sight of the main point of travel: to enjoy and learn. Chatting to someone you meet can promote a sense of self-worth and be every bit as valuable as offsetting your flight.

Here’s a list of suggestions for responsible trips – and this is just the tip of a very big iceberg!

• • Volunteer with a marine conservation organisation – monitor Thailand’s reefs, for example
• • Hike in Morocco’s Rif Mountains – arrive by train and support local guides
• • Stay in an Ecuadorian ecolodge in the Amazon rainforest
• • Trek Britain’s South West Coast Path – no flights, plenty of tremendous scenery, great local food
• • Join a homestay holiday in the Indian Himalaya or Ethiopia
• • Learn Spanish – for example, in Guatemala – and volunteer as an English teacher at the same time
• • Help out with a conservation project or at a National Trust property in Britain