Looking to stay green or be more eco-consicous on your family getaway this spring break? Here are your essential tips to review before you walk out the door. Watch this short video from GirlieGirlArmy.com founder Chloé Jo Davis’ series with About.com for a few minutes that may make a major difference in your footprint as you vacance;
The Best Green Travel Tips
So, you want to travel green and you don’t want to have a stay-cation. I get it – we all need a break from the norm. For some people this might vary, they might to go stay in somewhere like the InterContinental New Orleans hotel. Whilst others, like you, are looking for a more green approach to travel. Your first option is to look into and learn about eco-tourism. Now really, technically, there’s no full way to travel green because you’re eating up fuel and fumes when you travel in any way, shape, or form, but if you’re going to travel anyway, there are things that you can do, like visiting undisturbed areas and helping out people in need with your tourism dollars. You might even be interested in something like a private jet card program so you can enjoy your vacation while being green. Traveling to smaller places all over the world that really need our money, and truly benefit from American dollars is helpful in a global perspective. You can go volunteer on an elephant sanctuary or build homes for the homeless abroad, there are endless ways to travel that truly help people and animals. So what are you waiting for? Book your trip, pack your it suitcases and head off to make a difference!
According to ecotourism.org; Ecotourism is now defined as “responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment, sustains the well-being of the local people, and involves interpretation and education” (TIES, 2015). Education is meant to be inclusive of both staff and guests.
Principles of Ecotourism
Ecotourism is about uniting conservation, communities, and sustainable travel. This means that those who implement, participate in and market ecotourism activities should adopt the following ecotourism principles:
- Minimize physical, social, behavioral, and psychological impacts.
- Build environmental and cultural awareness and respect.
- Provide positive experiences for both visitors and hosts.
- Provide direct financial benefits for conservation.
- Generate financial benefits for both local people and private industry.
- Deliver memorable interpretative experiences to visitors that help raise sensitivity to host countries’ political, environmental, and social climates.
- Design, construct and operate low-impact facilities.
- Recognize the rights and spiritual beliefs of the Indigenous People in your community and work in partnership with them to create empowerment.
It’s a great way to give back to other communities and have a memorable experience for both you and your family. And of course there are different levels of eco-tourism, from truly hard work to work with a small time commitment so you can explore and still relax. If you are thinking about volunteering, it’s so important that you do your research and make sure that what you are thinking about doing will make a positive difference. And you may not even be able to volunteer in Cambodia, for example, if you plan to be out there for less than 3 months, so you should consider the duration of your trip and think sensibly about what you could realistically do while you’re traveling.
But let’s just say you’ve already booked your beach trip to St. Barts, there are little things you can do to lessen your footprint, like traveling with a tiffin, or a canteen, or even your own bamboo or steel travel flatware that you can reuse, and his a little case.
Always try and book your travel with direct flights, stay in green certified hotels (they are a-plenty these days, even luxury hotels!), and support the local artisans and makers while you are on the road. Ask your travel agent to find you an eco-resort, or google eco-certified hotels – you’ll be overwhelmed with choices! We stayed in gorgeous hotels in Costa Rica years ago – one called Si Como No and one called The Peace Lodge that were green certified and so lovely, you’d never know they were eco-conscious hotels, and yet all their initiatives support our personal ethos! It’s truly a win-win to choose this sort of travel.
When you travel and there’s a sign on the door that says “I want my towels washed daily” or “I want my sheets washed daily” just tick off “no”. Do you change your sheets everyday at home? Of course you don’t. So its fine to give it two days, or three days, and save energy and save water.
And please say no to those little bottles of one-use shampoo! I personally just like to pack full-size in my main luggage rather than just doing carry-on at all, but if you’re gonna do carry-on or if you’re traveling to a place where space is an issue, I suggest buying your own empty bottles and continually refilling them with product from where you are, rather than bringing a whole bulk of mini products with plastics that aren’t necessarily recyclable, particularly where you may be staying.
Small steps make a big difference!
Chloé Jo Davis was Styled by Glamsquad, dress by Daniel Silverstein, jewerly by Adina Mills