Earth is a wonderful place. Waterfalls, islands, beaches, and mountains are just some of the amazing beauties this amazing planet has to offer. Not only that, but it’s also rich with human-made tourist destinations due to unique architecture and a rich tapestry of cultural heritage.
Visiting these spots is the only thing that can satisfy our thirst for adventure. That’s why there are so many people who are willing to spend a fortune and commit those few free days they have each year to try and witness these wonderful natural creations.
Sadly, our desire to experience nature’s beauty comes at a cost. Not all tourists are as conscientious, and these frequent visits (counted in millions), combined with the lack of care for the target destination, can significantly erode the local beauty. The attempt to avoid this goes under the category of sustainable tourism.
According to the UNEP (United Nations Environment Program) and UNWTO (United Nations World Tourism Organization):
- “Sustainable tourism addresses the needs of both visitors and communities while taking into account current and future economic, social, and environmental impacts.”
Let’s see how we can make travel more sustainable.
How can we make travel more sustainable?
Sustainable tourism is important because it teaches us to become more responsible on our journeys. With the sustainable tourism concept, the protection of the environment and conservation of natural resources is put at the forefront. It helps minimize the negative impacts and maximize the benefits to the environment. In other words, it’s both a smart and ethical thing to do.
We travel to escape from the stress of work and their everyday lives. It allows us to meet new people, experience different cultures, explore the world, and capture wonderful moments. These moments are recorded and turned into lasting memories. When processed through the best video compressor, they don’t take up too much space and can be saved on cloud or USB drives for eternity.
These memories are something that we can take when we head back home, but we need to be just as worried about what we’re leaving behind. Here’s how to minimize this negative impact and earn the honor of considering yourself a sustainable traveler.
Crucial 9 tips for sustainable travel
The pandemic is now a distant memory, but it’s still fresh enough to make millions of people rush out to experience the world like never before. Before you head out, try to pick up a few tips for sustainable travel. Here are nine that should be at the forefront.
Before leaving for a long trip, turn off everything you won’t use and even go as far as to unplug it. Appliances that are left plugged in while you’re away may cause electric short-circuit problems or, worse, fire, especially when there’s no one home left. This could lead to an incredibly risky environmental disaster and even put people’s lives at risk. Also, even on stand-by, some appliances still consume some energy. This is both unnecessary and wasteful.
As you travel to one destination, make it a priority to support the local stores. Tourists always go to souvenir stores to buy tokens or remembrance. By shopping at the local stores, you will get cheaper rates than at souvenir shops. This way, you’re also helping the local economy and encouraging the use of local materials (which is quite eco-friendly).
Eating at the local restaurants can be more fun than expensive luxury restaurants. This type of dining is not only cheaper but also more authentic. This is why one of the tips in every serious tourism guide is to eat where locals eat.
According to industry veterans running Somerset extended-stay hotels, improvised lodging options are usually the ones that end up being the most polluting. This way, you’re not spending energy efficiently, you’re not using the right facilities for food preparation, and you’re wasting more money and resources. Having this issue settled in advance will make a world of difference.
Bringing your own travel mug and water bottle will be more familiar, but it will also reduce your reliance on disposable plastic cups and water bottles. This will also help you fight the urge to go to expensive coffee places, which is why it will be a useful budgeting trick, as well.
Air traffic pollution is disproportionally higher than those of other forms of transportation. Therefore, if you have more time and patience, why not turn this into an adventure? Traveling by bus or train can lessen the amount of carbon emitted per day. Aside from that, traveling by land is more enjoyable as you get to enjoy more of your itinerary.
If you are uncomfortable traveling in public, you may want to rent a private vehicle. When renting one, choose electric cars. Electric cars are becoming well-known today as it is less expensive, and you can help save the environment more than if you were using diesel transportation.
Instead of printing your boarding pass and maps for directions to your destinations, practice utilizing mobile apps. You’re just a click away on your phone, and you can present your boarding pass right away. In other words, it’s not just greener, it’s also more convenient.
Wherever you can go on foot, do so. Avoid littering at all costs so that, whenever you leave, all that is left behind are your footprints. Take only your memories (even if they’re preserved digitally) and nothing else. Remember that the pristine beauty of the visited location is not just yours; others deserve to enjoy it, as well.
Wrap up
The world we live in is a beautiful place, but we cannot be selfish when sampling this beauty. We all know that we have the responsibility to leave the world a better place than it was before our arrival, so why not extend this same philosophy to each place we visit as tourists? This kind of mindset shift is what traveling sustainably is all about.
