Travelling Sustainably: How To Be The Best Sustainable Traveller

Thank you for coming to read our Guest Post by Valaria Horton from Green Reconnection on Travelling Sustainably: How To Be The Best Sustainable Traveller.

Green Reconnection is a virtual space and blog designed for people who want to become more sustainable in their daily practices and enjoy the transformation. Green Reconnection’s mission is to make scientific information more relatable and entertaining so we can learn daily actions that help mitigate climate change.

If you love travelling and you are ready to upgrade to the next level, then you can start considering travelling sustainably. At first glance it may seem that this will only benefit the environment, which is not bad at all, don’t you think? However, let’s not forget that sustainability is about the economy, the environment, and society working together to build a better future.

Consequently, travelling sustainably will not only benefit the community you visit but will add an unimaginable experience to your trip. My next suggestions on travelling sustainably will vary depending on the type of trip you want to plan. However, most recommendations can be applied or adapted to almost everyone’s preference.

Choosing The Best Sustainable Hotel

When you plan a trip, one of the main goals is to learn about people and its culture. Therefore, when you choose where to stay, it would be great if you looked for eco-hotels, family-managed or boutique hotels, or rented local houses. You won’t get this experience in a commercial or traditional hotel. These options will give you and your family a closer approach to local hard-working people and you will understand their lifestyle and everyday challenges better. Additionally, staying in local hotels or renting houses supports the community economically.

Eco-hotels’ purpose is to take care of the environment while you travel. Right after flights, hotels are one of the biggest contributors to our carbon footprint when we travel. Therefore, it is important to support hotels that haven’t destroyed natural and protected areas. As a consumer and client, your decisions have a great impact. If we continue supporting these hotels, they’ll keep building more. It is better to give a chance to extraordinary eco-hotels that are making an effort to help the environment.

Moreover, most eco-hotels offer a better and different experience than traditional hotels. I once stayed in a hotel made out of bamboo where everything was carefully built in harmony with the mountain that surrounded the hotel. The hotel focuses its design and operations on sustainable practices. They create jobs for the local people and part of the hotel’s profits go to the conservation of the natural area, which is an important part not only for the hotel’s landscape but for the town.

Eating Local Food

Tasting new delicious and traditional dishes is one of the most important parts of a trip. Choosing where to eat local delicacies is something that traveling sustainably will make easier for you. Therefore, the best way to check off all of the sustainability pillars is to eat in local markets.

First, you’ll eat fresh food that is locally grown or produced. This could mean that it is more natural and healthier because none of the hundred preservatives that they usually use when they export food to other countries were added. However, you’ll have to be careful when you choose where to eat because obviously, this is not always the case.

In general, a typical dish is prepared with ingredients that can only be found in the region. This can be a great way to start because it reduces the carbon footprint of a normal dinner because it didn’t have to travel thousands of miles to get to your plate.

An example is the orange wine that is native to Slovenia. Its name doesn’t have anything to do with oranges; in fact, its orange color comes from the fermentation of the wine with the grape skins. Moreover, the climate is the key to helping the grapes grow because the wind prevents the grapes from getting fungus and rot, and the land provides the necessary minerals for the grapes.

Local markets and family-owned restaurants are the most sustainable option you can choose on your next trip. Trying dishes that were cooked by local people adds a magical experience to your trip because you are tasting original flavors and recipes that have been passed down through generations. Additionally, if you eat in a local market or restaurant, you’ll contribute to the community economically and you can even get to know people.

Low Waste Essentials for Traveling Sustainably

Here are the top essentials you must pack on your next trip that will make you a truly sustainable traveller.

You won’t believe when I say that a huge part of travelling sustainably is choosing an eco-friendly sunscreen. This is a must and actually, you need to use sunscreen every day and not necessarily only when you travel. It doesn’t matter if you are traveling to the beach or a city; traditional sunscreen will end up contaminating the water and consequently, the ocean.

The main problem with traditional sunscreens is that they are destroying coral reefs. Coral reefs are one of the most important ecosystems on the planet because they are home to thousands of species, prevent erosions, and provide oxygen and food. In a National Geographic article, Dr. Woolsey states that coral reefs harbor more than a quarter of all marine biodiversity. Therefore, packing an eco-friendly sunscreen is a game-changer for sustainable tourism.

On the other hand, you sometimes want to reduce your suitcase’s weight and you may prefer to use the hotel’s toiletries. If you choose an eco-hotel, this may not be a problem. However, most hotels keep using single-use plastic bottles. Make an effort to take your travel-size toiletries or if you can’t do that, maybe make a quick stop at a zero-waste store and buy a shampoo bar and other eco-friendly essentials.

If this is not an option for you, suggesting the hotel manager to change the toiletries for eco-friendly options such as refillable bottles, recyclable toiletries, or shampoo and soap bars, can be a great step towards traveling sustainably.

Pro tip: Some zero waste stores sell travel-size versions of eco-friendly products such as shampoo bars, soap, eco-friendly sunscreen, biodegradable makeup, removal wipes, eco-friendly mosquito repellent, and more.

Buying Sustainable Souvenirs

One of the things I love the most about sustainable living is that for me, it doesn’t mean that I have to sacrifice what I like in order to live sustainably. This lifestyle means that I see an opportunity in things I didn’t see before and I get to enjoy the little details of life that I took for granted more.

Souvenirs play a huge role in our lives. Wherever we go, we love to take a piece of that place and bring it back home with us. I agree that souvenirs are the perfect way to keep our memories alive. So no, I am never going to suggest that you don’t buy any souvenirs. That’s not what living sustainably is. What I believe is the best tip for travelling sustainably is that you become a mindful consumer.

So you can go out and buy whatever you like, but don’t forget to ask yourself: Is this something I really like or need? Am I going to love this for years to come? Was it produced sustainably? If not, is the true environmental cost worth it?

Maybe you are visiting a town whose main attraction is its leather production. Whether this could be something worth visiting from a cultural standpoint, you have to analyze if your values align with this practice and if you are willing to buy a leather souvenir.

Summary

These decisions are more difficult than they look. However, I can promise you that the more you practice being a mindful consumer, the easier it gets. You can start with small changes like asking the store employee not to wrap your souvenir in plastic.

Every change makes a huge difference. I am not sure who said this phrase for the first time, but it is one of my favorites quotes: “We don’t need a perfect environmentalist, we need thousands of imperfect environmentalists making an effort every day.”

If you would like to learn more sustainable living tips, you can find us on Instagram as @ greenreconnection

Thank you to Valaria for this brilliant guest post. If you’d like to read more about how to travel sustainably, then check out our post on the subject here. Has this whetted your appetite for all things sustainable? Then check out this fantastic post by ‘Life Can be Toff’ on sustainable gifts.