Sustainable travel

The travel industry can be very unsustainable. I’m a devoted lover of this earth and want to protect it the best possible way. Here are some tips on how to make your trip more sustainable, so that we can continue to explore more beautiful places on this earth.  

Caring for the animals

A lot of people have a love for animals and love seeing them up close. Unfortunately many tourist spots have taken this to an extreme level, where the animals are abused, used and unethically treated. As a vegan this breaks my heart and I do not want to see nor support companies doing this to animals, and I recommend you to do the same. This does not mean that you can´t have amazing experiences seeing and interacting with animals during your travels. Here are some tips:

  • Visit an elephant sanctuary instead of riding them.
  • See animals in their natural habitat.
  • Go on a safari with a conservation program.
  • Visit animal sanctuaries.
  • Snorkel with a responsible company (get some information beforehand). 
  • Instead of swimming with dolphins or visiting a seawater park go on a boat trip and see them in the wild.
  • Do not support zoos and circuses.

Minimize waste

Minimizing your waste while travelling is a great way to be a responsible traveller. Say no to plastic. I have seen plastic waste being flushed up on beaches even in the Maldives, which is in the middle of the ocean. We do not want this to get worse. Other actions you can take  to minimize waste are:

  • Use a reusable waterbottle.
  • Bring your own foldable bag and say no to plastic bags.
  • Try to avoid single use products from cafés and restaurants. This might mean eating at the restaurant with their plates and cutlery.
  • Always say no to plastic straws. 
  • Try to use loose leaf tea instead of tea bags. 
  • Avoid chewing gum.

Stop littering

Many countries already have problems with handling their waste, do not make it worse by littering. Never throw anything in the sea and always clean up after yourself. Think twice before spitting out your gum on the streets, it takes around 20 years for it to decompose. Another common thing to just throw on the streets are cigarettes, know that the filters can take 10 years to dissolve. Having zero waste in mind will definitely make you think twice when making decisions while you travel. Many countries do not have a good system for handling their waste and many times it just ends up in landfills which are growing by the hour.  

Support the locals

Always try to purchase things locally. When doing this you contribute to the economy of the locals. When choosing to do your purchases at global companies the money goes to the billion dollar company and often does not benefit the society or the locals in the area.

Environment

Certain environments are especially fragile and should be looked after, like nature reserves, coral reefs and so on. Be wary of this and do your research beforehand. If you are going to do diving for example think of using sunscreen that is not harmful for the corals. This is such an easy thing to do by changing from chemical to mineral sunscreen. Just search mineral sunscreen or natural sunscreen and you will find lots of options you can find close to you. Chemical sunscreen may also be harmful for us humans. When hiking in fragile environments stay on the marked path, they are there for a reason.    

"Slow travel"

Flying isn’t always the best alternative to get to your destination when considering the environment. Look up alternative transportation methods. Can you for example take the train between two cities or a bus? Of course it is not always possible to do this but have it in the back of your mind when planning a trip. Sometimes taking more environmentally friendly transportation requires more time, but it can be nice to embrace “slow travel”. 

Research the tour operators

As I mentioned before tour operators can contribute to unstainability. Do your research before booking a tour with a company and make sure that your tour will not harm the environment, animals or the locals. 

Flying tips

No one can take for granted that flying leaves a big carbon footprint. When possible book non-stop flights, as it is the start and landing that creates most carbon emissions.

Be vegan

Being vegan and eating a plant based diet is one of the best things you can do to save the planet. According to the organisation One Green Planet going vegan for one week can save enough carbon dioxide to fly to the moon and back. The food that we choose to consume has a larger impact on the environment than people might think. When choosing to eat plant based you reduce your carbon footprint three times. Not only are you caring for the environment but also for the animals.   

Plant a tree by searching the web

When booking your trips and browsing the internet to research your destinations use the web browser Ecosia. This is a non profit organisation which plants trees just by you doing your search through them. Their goal is to plant 1 billion trees by 2020.  

Engage in a non-profit organisation

Engage in a non-profit organisation at the places you visit. It can be anything from volunteering at a animal rescue center, help out at an orphanage, farm or soup kitchen, participate in a beach clean up, plant trees, build a school and the list goes on. There are endless possibilities, just make sure that what you are doing will help the local community and it´s people. Because tourism should benefit the people and places of which it entails.   

Travel to unique destinations

Mass tourism has come to become a huge problem in communities and affect the environment. When choosing where you want to travel consider to go off the beaten track and travel to new and unique places that you might not have seen on social media. Find your very own insta spots at your unique destination.