Green travel; What is it?

Green Travel, Sustainable Travel and Eco Travel.

All of these terms can be defined as informed consumer choices that will minimize or reduce the environmental impact caused by travelling.

On some occasions, this may include carbon offsetting by investing in green energy projects.

It may also mean going the extra mile by protecting nature or giving back to local communities.

Green and sustainable travel essentially means making more conscious choices with the aim of reducing the environmental impact on the planet.leave-no-trace-footsteps-green-travel

Isn’t “green travel” an oxymoron given the emissions impact of travel?

It's true that green or sustainable travel is not a perfect solution.

A study determined that between 2009 – 2013, tourism was responsible for 8% of greenhouse gas global emissions. Many people believe that if you really care about the planet you should stop travelling altogether.

It’s a good argument, but there are some issues with this.

(Besides that, we deeply love travel and there is just something so indescribably unique about the experience of travel. Not to mention, the positive effects that it can have on our minds, bodies & souls)

...is that many developing communities are dependent upon tourism for their economic stability and growth. Particularly in the wake of the Covid-19 Pandemic, these communities have suffered more than most. We must consider the ethical impact, that removing this source of revenue would have, on the lives of these individuals.

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What can travel businesses do to be considered green, eco or sustainable?

For each aspect of travel, there are several qualifiers. For an airline, hotel, or tour operator to be described as a greener option, there are several factors to consider...

For airlines, in the current absence of the technology to create zero-emissions flights.

A greener option means a younger fleet of aircraft that are more efficient and create fewer emissions than their older counterparts. Certain airlines are looking to go even further, creating challenging targets to push businesses to their limits, but more on that later...

 

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Green or Sustainable Hotels

There are various aspects that hotels need to consider in order to gain status as a green or sustainable hotel. These could include:

  • They could produce their own green energy to help reduce their carbon footprint.
  • Be dedicated to reducing single-use or as use of as much plastic as possible.
  • They may also do this by growing their own produce to serve in hotel restaurants.
  • They might support local farmers by buying their locally-grown produce instead of buying and transporting this from further away. This reduces their carbon footprint and supports the local community.
  • Hotels may protect the environment or create a positive impact on their local environment.
  • Hotels with private beaches may ban the use of sunscreens containing oxybenzone and octinoxate as these are proven to have harmful effects on marine environments and ecosystems, including coral reefs.
  • One hotel we partner with even grows limestone in the sea to help with coral growth!