What Exactly Does Sustainablе Traveling Mean?

Fun Fact: According to a study by Nature Climate Change in 2018, tourism accounts for 8% of global greenhouse gas emissions. That means the tourism industry's carbon footprint is larger than many countries combined.

Traveling is an incredible experience that opens us up to new perspectives and cultures around the world. However, it's also important to not let our desire to explore outweigh the health of our planet.

In this blog post, I'll explain what exactly is sustainable travel and share with you some sustainable travel practices that not only save you time and money, but also help you travel more responsibly and sustainably.

What Is Sustainable Travel And Why You Should?

Sustainable travel simply means making choices that reduce harm to the place you visit. It's a rеsponsiblе way of еxploring thе world while rеducing еnvironmеntal impact, supporting local communitiеs, and prеsеrving cultural hеritagе.

Being sustainable in every aspect of your trip may seem hard and insignificant in the bigger picture, so let me show you why sustainable travel matters more than you think:

• Reduce Carbon Footprint: By opting for eco-friendly accommodations or minimizing waste all help lessen your environmental impact. And sustainable choices like trains, buses, or even cycling when possible help keep the air cleaner for everyone.
• Preserve The Beauty Culture: Lack of sustainable practices can lead to habitat destruction and a lot of stress for the environment. By practicing sustainable travel, you contribute to the preservation of the natural landscapes and habitats you visit. This helps protect biodiversity and ensures future generations can enjoy these destinations too.
• Protect The Animal: Not just preserve nature, when you practice sustainable traveling with the place you visit, you also protect many endangered wildlife living there.
• Support Local Communities: Your tourist money holds a lot of power. So when you choose locally-owned accommodations, restaurants, and tour operators, you directly help distribute income more evenly and support their economic growth.
• Saving Money: Many eco-friendly choices, like opting for public transportation or exploring local markets for food, can potentially save you a ton of money on transportation and overpriced tourist spots.
• Improve Your Health: Sustainable travel often encourages you to spend time outdoors and connect with nature. Activities like hiking, biking, or exploring natural landscapes can reduce stress and improve physical and mental well-being.

Summary: Embracing sustainable travel means you commit to traveling in a way that has the least impact possible while exploring the world. They don't have to be difficult or expensive either. With a little planning, you can easily make your travels more eco-friendly, helping to reduce your carbon footprint, supporting local businesses, and experiencing the destination in a healthier way.

Sustainable Travel Destinations

Your adventure begins the moment you choose the destination. While holiday travel often leaves behind a significant carbon footprint, these destinations are making sustainable travel a lot easier for you: 

(According to Sustainability Magazine, this is the 10 most sustainable travel destinations)

• Costa Rica: Has stunning rainforests, mountains, and coastlines, all protected through extensive national parks and ecotourism initiatives. Plus, a full third of their electricity comes from clean hydropower!
• Bhutan: They're famously known as the only carbon-neutral country in the world.
• Scotland: They were the first nation in the world to sign the Tourism Declares a Climate Emergency initiative, a measure encouraging the tourism sector to reduce its carbon footprint.
• Rwanda: The natural world is Rwanda’s biggest tourism draw. Specifically the mountain gorillas that is one of the two subspecies of the eastern gorilla. It is listed as endangered by the IUCN as of 2018.
• Slovenia: Towering mountains, picture-perfect lakes, vast caves, elegant cities, and fast-running rivers. If you’re looking for an eco-friendly country that happens to be scenically beautiful, this is it.
• Finland: With 80% covered in forest, Finland's air and water are considered to be among the clearest in the world.
• New Zealand: A global leader in sustainable practices, New Zealand leverages geothermal energy for over 20% of its power needs. The government has kept the place green and made sustainability the forefront of government policy for the last two decades.
• Barbados: This island nation takes climate change seriously. the nation works to ensure tourism businesses prioritize eco-friendly practices.
• Madagascar: Capitalize on their unique ecosystems and wildlife to draw many tourists, Madagascar is one of only a handful of official Biodiversity Hotspots in the world with an enviable list of wildlife wonders. 
• San Diego, California: With amazing weather and unbeatable beautiful beaches, this city offers something that is hard to find elsewhere. Also, while aiming for zero waste by 2040, the city is on track to becoming a 100% renewable energy city!

Summary: Sustainable traveling aims to minimize negative impacts on our environment, Places like Costa Rica, Scotland, or New Zealand are designed to help and encourage you down the right path of traveling more sustainably.

Quick Takeaway

While sustainable travel destinations encourage you down the right path of traveling more sustainably. Sustainable traveling isn’t just about thе dеstinations; it's about thе rеsponsiblе and mindful way wе travеl. 

It means we make choices that reduce harm to the place we visit. It's a rеsponsiblе way of еxploring thе world while rеducing еnvironmеntal impact, supporting local communitiеs, and prеsеrving cultural hеritagе.

Evеry dеcision, from transportation choicеs to thе activitiеs wе еngagе in, contributes a stеp towards a grееnеr futurе.