Travelling is no longer about relaxation or a short break from the hectic schedule alone. For some, travelling has become a lifestyle and a source of income. In fact, according to Adobe Digital Insights’ report, the travel industry’s estimated online spending is about $98.02 billion last March 2017. This only shows that more and more people are taking an interest in travelling.
Why Sustainable Travel is a Must
As travelling becomes more of a trend, it also means more fuel is consumed in various aircrafts and more plastic goods are packed in every trip. Hence, people who love to explore new places are encouraged to practice sustainable travel.
According to the United Nations Environment Programme, responsible and sustainable tourism can be a vehicle for a positive change. This change can either be for the environment, economy, or culture. Indeed, sustainable tourism is more than just conserving ecological balance and preventing natural resources’ depletion. It also includes how you can help the economy of the local community, and it involves how tourism can conserve the culture of the place.
Want to know more about how to be a sustainable traveler? Find out more about sustainable tourism here.
Sustainable Travel Guide: 3 Basic Tips to Get Started
We know that change takes time. So, we understand if you want to take one small step at a time. In this section, we’ll share 3 basic tips to help you get started and become a sustainable traveller.
1. Avoid or Minimize Your Flights
Fast travel is usually the choice nowadays. But faster travel usually involves a high consumption of fuel. While we all prefer to get to our destination quicker, slow travel can actually give you rich experiences. Try to travel slow wherever possible and spend more time in only a few places. It would also be great if you opt to walk while roaming around the city, ride a bicycle when exploring new places, or go on a trek as part of your travel activity.
2. Support Local Economy
As mentioned earlier, to be a sustainable traveler also means to promote economic sustainability of the place you plan to visit. One way to do that is to support local shops and buy local products. By buying local, this means that the product’s material is produced locally and is made by the local artisans who can directly benefit from tourism.
3. Don’t Use Plastics
Unfortunately, there are a lot of incidents in which the environment suffers greatly at the expense of promoting tourism. In your travels, say NO to plastics and use recycled bags instead. In addition, bring your own water bottles and just do refills along the way. This is more environmentally-friendly rather than buying new water bottles every time you feel thirsty.
Travelling is a wonderful experience that helps us learn more about new places, new people, and local cultures. Let’s try to continue exploring the world without harming its natural resources or destroying the local communities’ cultural diversity. Be a sustainable traveler today!