The last two years of restricted travel have caused a burnout among frequent travellers, so with the travel windows opening, most have taken a plunge into travelling or planning one. However, lot of us have become conscious of our travels and opted for sustainable and wellness travel options.
Our planet has limited resources it’s time we take conspicuous steps toward preserving them. Sustainable travel is about conserving our Mother Earth and not commodifying it to attract tourists.
What is Sustainable Travel?
Sustainable travel emphasizes on maximizing the positive aspects of travelling and adopting practices that can support our environment and minimize the negative implications.
“Tourism that takes full account of its current and future economic, social and environmental impacts, addressing the needs of visitors, the industry, the environment and host communities”
– As quoted by World Tourism Organization (A United Nations Specialized Agency)
As per the World Tourism Organization, Sustainability principles are about striking a balance between environmental, economic, and socio-cultural aspects of tourism development keeping in mind long-term sustainability.
Some Best Practices to Follow for Sustainable Travels
Your travel option makes a difference:
- Your travel destination and the number of travellers should determine your travel choice.
- If you are travelling in a group for shorter distances then a car could be a good option else, the train would be more feasible.
- For a lesser number of people – bus, train or flight could be the options.
- Remember Bus or Train are more sustainable options than your flights and cars.
- The Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions are the highest during take-offs and landings, so whenever possible opt for direct flights.
- When exploring a local destination choose the right travel medium – walking, bikes, metro trains, minivans or carpooling these are more economical transport methods, a great way to explore the destination and sustainable.
Choose your Accommodation wisely:
- Travelling means you intend to explore the destination so chose guesthouses, home stays or hotels with green certifications.
- There are many wellness resorts in our country which offer these benefits. Travel is an opportunity to unwind oneself from the daily struggles of life also, there has been a surge of people who opt for wellness getaways. There are places which offer therapeutic and relaxation treatments. A great way to reinvigorate oneself.
- Instead of opting for inclusive meals in large resorts opt for local cuisine and stays which will be more economical for your pockets as well.
Some Things to keep in mind:
- Participate in responsible wildlife tourism, check the preservation rules and follow them.
- Respect local cultures.
- Opt for green washing whenever possible.
- Have locally sourced food.
- Avoid single-use plastics.
- By local handicrafts and support their work.
- Travel light – we often stuff a lot of things which we not need, so travel efficiently.
- Use and promote eco-friendly products.
- Lastly, share your travel experiences so more people adopt this practice.
Remember what divides us is the geographies but we are part of ONE Planet – ONE Ecosystem!
‘This post is part of Blogchatter’s CauseAChatter“. My endeavour while writing for this cause is for more people to support an eco-friendly and sustainable lifestyle.
************************************************************************************ Image: Pixabay & Canva Disclaimer: This is not a sponsored post. ************************************************************************************