We all benefit from a holiday – a real holiday, that is. Going overseas, exploring a new country or even staying somewhere we’ve never been for a few days here in the UK.
And we’ll feel even better knowing we’ve done that in a responsible and sustainable way. By that we mean, using facilities, protecting the environment, and making sure our money benefits the local community we’re visiting. And there’s lots of ways we can do that, such as:
Staying in eco-friendly accommodation
- Staying in a local guest house, B&B or doing a house swap is better than booking into a large hotel. The latter tends to use up – and waste – far more resources. They also serve up buffets, resulting in huge food waste. Staying locally in smaller establishments means your money is more likely to benefit the people that live and work there.
- If you can’t find anywhere local to stay and a hotel is your only option you can still have a ‘green’ stay. Hang up the towels so staff know not to wash them every day. The same with daily cleaning – just hang the ‘do not disturb sign’ on your door.
Reducing carbon emissions
- Flying is one of the worst things we can do for the planet in terms of releasing carbon. An airplane releases around 100 times more CO2 every hour than a bus or train. In total, emissions from global aviation is around one billion tons of CO2 per year. That’s more than most countries. So, if possible, take a train, bus or ship. Unlike here in the UK, most countries on the continent, and in Asia, have excellent rail systems.
- If you do have to fly it’s best to take a direct route since most of the carbon from a plane is released on take-off and landing. Flying economy is better than business or first-class (expensive seats take up much more room). It’s also possible to calculate and off-set the carbon you’ve used up by donating to a scheme that deals in clean energy.
- Once you get to your destination, walk, cycle, use the subway, local trains or buses rather than take taxis or hire a car.
Engaging in responsible tourism practices
- Avoid the big popular places which can hardly cope as it is. Places like Venice, Istanbul, Rome and Bangkok are overrun with tourists and it doesn’t make for a pleasant visit if you go in the peak tourist season anyway. Instead choose less popular. Look for ‘wonderful hidden holiday destinations’ by doing a Google search, for instance.
- Sign up with a green tourism company if you want a guided holiday. Ethical companies will support good local businesses by staying there and eating in local restaurants etc. They’ll also have green credentials on their website.
- Take fewer, but longer holidays. The less you have to travel the better for the environment. By staying three weeks, rather than one, you get more of a chance to get to know your surroundings and people there. Embrace people watching!
- Remember to pack a reusable water bottle so you don’t have to buy bottled water. Add a lunchbox for pre-made sandwiches and a linen/hemp tote bag for shopping. That way you’ll cut back on plastic.
- Eat local food and drink from street vendors or local restaurants – rather than a global company such as KFC or Starbucks. Green restaurants are those which use locally-sourced ingredients or grow their own organic vegetables. Better still, buy local ingredients and cook in your own place if you’re able to rent with a kitchen.
Wherever you head off to on holiday, have a lovely and sustainable time. That way, we’ll manage to leave lovely locations for future generations of intrepid travellers.
