How to travel responsibly
Travelling in harmony with the planet is no longer about munching mungo beans in a tipi or stalking rhinos on an expensive conservation holiday in Africa. There are now lots of ways you can tread a little lighter, whether you're on a city getaway or Mediterranean beach holiday
What is Ecotourism?
Everyone knows of a place that they once visited that has been changed for the worse by tourism: the white, sandy beach that is now overcrowded and littered; that pretty rural village that has become a tourist trap (replete with MacDonald's), or the beautiful untouched landscape that has been bulldozed by a huge hotel development. Ecotourism puts something back into the places we visit, so future generations can continue to enjoy them in the future. It's about being mindful of the consequences of how our holiday can impact on the environment as well as making sure that the local communities benefit from our holidays too.
What you can do: before you travel
Aviation is the single largest contributor to greenhouse gases. By choosing an alternative to flying, such as rail or coach, you can help reduce the impact of your journey. Most cities in the UK are served by trains, while Eurostar has made many European cities reachable by rail.
If you do fly, consider 'offsetting' your carbon emissions. Organisations such as Climate Care and The CarbonNeutral Company help you calculate how much carbon is produced as a result of your flight and suggest a financial contribution you can make for them to invest in green projects to 'offset' the carbon produced -such as tree planting initiatives. A return flight to Morocco, for example, will cost you just £5 to offset.
What you can do: while you're there
By staying in locally owned hotels and eating in local restaurants you can make sure your holiday benefits local people. You can also help put something back into the local economy by buying food and souvenirs from markets or craft co-operatives rather than airport or foreign-owned hotel lobby shops. Local markets are great places to find everything from rugs to jewellery and local arts and crafts. And once back in the UK, you can buy crafts from developing countries through the Traidcraft mail order catalogue or one of the British Association of Fair Trade shops, which ensure producers work in good conditions and are paid reasonable wages.
Even the smallest actions can make a huge difference to your holiday's environmental footprint. It might seem inconsequential at the time, but turning off the lights, heating and air conditioning when you leave your hotel room can make a significant difference to the hotel's use of energy.
Water conservation is also important as it is often a very scarce resource in holiday destinations. Many hotels now request that you only put out those towels that you need washing rather than washing all your towels every day. Consider also whether you need to take on holiday the packaging that comes with clothing and toiletries; if you recycle the packaging before you go away you won't have to dispose of it abroad where there might not be a recycling programme.
Also, while it is better to buy products from local markets, you should avoid buying products made from endangered plants, wild animals, hard woods or corals, as this encourages locals to continue selling them to tourists. And if you go snorkelling or diving, it's vital you observe the golden rule not to touch any coral - a handful of coral often takes decades to grow but can easily break and die in one careless moment.
1 | 2 | next
printer friendly
send to a friend
Created: 09/06/2006 Updated: 17/05/2007
Delicious
Digg
reddit
Facebook
StumbleUpon
Horoscopes| Message Boards | Quizzes | Newsletters | Join
iVillage Ltd is a UK company registered in England & Wales (3837269) at 80-110 New Oxford Street, London WC1 1HB
