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Here are our top 6 tips on how to travel responsibly and eco-friendly in 2024.
Choose Eco-Friendly Accommodations
- Opt for accommodations that prioritize sustainability. Look for eco-certified hotels, lodges, or guesthouses. These places often implement energy-saving practices, waste reduction, and community engagement. Plus, they’ll make your stay more memorable!
Support Local Businesses
Another great way to be responsible when you travel is to simply pay attention to where you are spending your consumer dollars.
Every time you choose accommodation, a place to eat, or a tour or activity, try to choose a business that is locally owned rather than an international corporation. This means that your tourism dollars will stay in the local economy and benefit the people in the country you are visiting rather than the profits being sent overseas.
This also is a much better way to immerse yourself in the local culture of a place than visiting the same businesses and eating the same things you would when you’re at home. By doing so, you contribute directly to the local economy and immerse yourself in authentic experiences. That street-side café? Yes, please!
Minimize Your Waste
This of course is a great rule for any time, not just when you are travelling. However, you will also find that during vacation you seem to generate more waste than normal, collecting plastic bags, straws and Styrofoam containers seemingly from nowhere.
- Combat this by packing reusable bags, water bottles, and food containers. Choose sit-down eateries over takeout joints, and politely decline excess plastic. Mother Earth will thank you.
This can easily happen because you are eating out all the time, running around seeing things all day, and away from your normal routine and regular eco-friendly supplies. However, with a little attention and a little planning, you can avoid this and minimize your waste while you are away.
Try to Avoid Any Tours or Activities with Performance Animals
In many places, it is common to see tours and other activities involving animals, such as elephant rides, or posing for a picture with a tiger. While it’s tempting to ride an elephant or snap a selfie with a tiger, think twice. Many animal-related activities exploit creatures for profit. Instead, support ethical wildlife sanctuaries or observe animals in their natural habitats. Let’s keep wildlife wild!
You can try to search for those operators who treat the animals well, but the simplest way is to avoid any activity which involves animals. After all, many of these activities are inherently cruel to animals, and there are much better ways to see the local wildlife.
Prioritize Support of Local Organizations (Not Child Beggars)
Unfortunately, a common site in particularly poor countries is child beggars. You may be asked by a child as young as three for some money while you are walking down the street, or if sitting at a café.
In some places, it is even custom for children to beg at cars stopped at the intersection. In such cases you may very think the right thing to do is to give the child a few coins. However, despite the best intentions, this is generally a bad thing to do, because it encourages children to beg rather than going to school or playing, and reinforces the cycle of poverty.
Additionally, these children are usually sent out to beg by unscrupulous adults who will take the money from them anyway. If you’d like to help the children and the community in general, it is much better to make a donation to a reputable local charitable organization.
Offset Your Emissions and adopt "Green Initiative"
Consider carbon offset programs that invest in renewable energy or reforestation projects. It’s a small step that can make a big difference. Remember, responsible travel isn’t about sacrificing fun—it’s about enhancing it. So go explore, but do it with a conscious heart and a light footprint!
