Sustainable Travel Tips
What is sustainable travel & why is it important?
Sustainable travel is about exploring the world in a way that minimizes our impact on the environment and maximizes our positive impact on local communities.
There are so many benefits to travel. It expands our world and connects us to people and places across the globe. Experiencing other cultures makes us appreciate others and be more tolerant and understanding.
The downside of travel is that it has an impact on the environment. The commercial aviation industry is responsible for 2-3% of emissions annually. Overtourism can have a negative impact on local residents. The price of housing is driven up by Airbnb & locals can no longer afford to live in their homes.
Being a sustainable traveller and being aware of the impact you have allows you to make better decisions that do less damage to the planet, people & animals. We have asked some of our favourite travel bloggers how they travel responsibly.
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Simply Plastic Free acknowledges and pays respect to the past, present and future Traditional Custodians and Elders of this nation and the continuation of cultural, spiritual and educational practices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
Avoid Overtourism
Contributed by Linn Haglund of Brainy Backpackers
One of the best things you can do to spread tourism money and avoid contributing to over-tourism is to travel to off the beaten path destinations instead of the most popular ones. This way, you will experience unique destinations that are not destroyed, you will meet locals that are curious to get to know you instead of locals that are annoyed that you are yet another tourist, and you will support local economies that really need it. It is a great way of exploring new cultures, and learn about the history of new places, and often wildlife is untouched and easily spotted compared to where tourist crows scare them away or hotel buildings have taken over their habitat. There are so many reasons for choosing lesser-visited destinations. Yet on top of that, you are more likely to get positively surprised having a trip of a lifetime since your expectations will not have been lifted to the sky by all the hype of the popular destinations.
One of the best ways to reduce plastic usage during your travels is to stop buying bottled water. Every year, tons of plastic land in the ocean and affect incredible marine life. If you want to travel sustainably, consider buying one of the eco-friendly water bottles that can have a huge impact on the environment.
Take Your Own Water Bottle
By Paulina from the UK Every Day
Travellers love insulated water bottles with a straw that can keep drinks cold for 24 hours. You wouldn’t be able to enjoy the same water temperature for so long with a plastic bottle. Especially, when you are travelling to exotic countries with extremely hot weather. Moreover, single-use plastic bottles are not BPA-free and are dangerous to our health.
Many international airports are also introducing water refill stations, so you will no longer have to overpay for bottled water, but also could do something good for our planet. In addition, there are plenty of water fountains in various countries, and refilling your eco-friendly water bottles will be really easy and have a significant impact on many elements in your travels and everyday life.
Try Homestays & Couchsurfing
By JJ from Travel Across The Borderline
IG @jj_travelacrosstheborderline
Staying in large hotels and all-inclusive resorts can have negative impacts on the local environment, wildlife and people.
When tourists pay for an all-inclusive hotel package they have little incentive to go out into the local community, eat in local restaurants or hire local guides. All their money goes to the resort; which is often owned by large overseas multinational companies. When tourists don’t leave the resorts none of their money goes to the local communities.
The locals are left with no benefits of tourism to their country but do have to bear the brunt of the negative impacts of tourism. Such as high levels of waste, water shortages and being excluded from their own land. Resorts produce huge amounts of waste that is not always disposed of correctly and can destroy wildlife habitats and cause health concerns for local people.
Resorts and large hotels can also have a negative impact on local wildlife. For example, when baby sea turtles hatch they use the light of the moon to find their way to the ocean. When large beachside resorts shine many lights out onto the beach it can disorientate the hatchlings who then get lost and never make it to the ocean.
When travelling try to practice responsible tourism and be mindful of the impact of your chosen accommodation. Choose to stay in independently owned hotels, eat in local restaurants and hire local guides. You can even choose to stay in a local homestay or try couch surfing, both of these options directly benefit the local communities and can also be an excellent way to fully immerse yourself in the culture of your destination. If you have to stay in a resort, do your research and ensure that the one you choose works with local people not against them.
Solid Toiletries – Shampoo & Conditioner Bars
Recommended by Rebecca from Veggies Abroad
Every year millions of plastic shampoo and conditioner bottles needlessly make their way into landfills or the natural environment around the globe. On top of the waste, for travellers, the added liquid product and bulk can cause travel slowdowns and take up unnecessary room in your suitcase. But there is an easy way to cut down on waste and sail through security lines — solid shampoo and conditioner bars (along with many other solid toiletry products).
These zero-waste and plastic-free products are formulated for various hair types, but for travellers, the ease of use is fantastic! You never have to worry about having too many liquids or having the liquid product explode in your luggage, plus Mother Nature will thank you!
A few companies to check out include Ethique, Meow Meow Tweet, and Pack and Leaf — all of their products are also vegan and cruelty-free. See our resources page for the best places to shop online.
Choose Public Transportation
Recommended by Diana from Avagu Press
By choosing public transportation over private vehicles, you can reduce your carbon footprint and avoid contributing to traffic and congestion at your destination. Shared vehicles mean you’re using less fuel per person and producing less emissions per person than with a private taxi or rental car. The effect is doubled by traffic — the more private vehicles on the road, the worse traffic and congestion becomes. As congestion increases, vehicles are left idling and stuck in traffic, the time all those engines are left on increases, total emissions skyrockets, and air quality plummets. Public transportation is an easy way to cut your carbon footprint and avoid turning your destination into a traffic jam.
In some regions of the world, public transportation can feel more accessible for foreigners and travellers than others — however, with a little bit of local know-how, it’s possible to use public transportation almost anywhere. For example, taking public transportation in East Africa isn’t nearly as intimidating as you might think. Plus, along with the environmental benefits, taking public transportation is a great way to get a glimpse into everyday life and the local culture of your destination, so hop aboard!
Enjoy The Local Cuisine
Recommended by Alice from The Green Adventurers
Food is one of the best parts of travelling! Trying the local specialities is not only a great experience but also good for the planet. You can barely reach a corner of the globe that hasn’t been infiltrated by the big food corporations – McDonald’s, Nestle, and Coca-Cola. These products are shipped far distances and have a big impact on carbon emissions and produce a huge amount of plastic waste.
If you want to stay sustainable while travelling, try to eat locally whenever possible. This will reduce food miles and help keep money in the community. Use Happy Cow to find restaurants that cater to vegans & vegetarians for the most sustainable food choices. Some cities are easy to find vegan options like Adelaide but some countries are more challenging like Japan & South Korea.
Try visiting the local market and seeing what fruit and vegetables are grown locally. You might just find your new favourite!
Enjoy Your Sustainable Travel
We hope this helps you when planning your next adventure. Staying green on the road is challenging so it is not always possible to avoid plastic and packaging entirely, especially with a language barrier. As long as you do your best that is enough. The way we think about the planet and waste is changing (albeit slowly!) so there are more eco-friendly options appearing every day.
Please let us know in the comments if you have any other tips for how to travel sustainably.
