How to Make Travelling More Planet and Community Friendly
If you want to travel more sustainably, the first thing you can thing of is to find alternative modes of transport to reach your destination and indeed reducing the number of flights you take is a great way to reduce your environmental impact. Sustainable travel is much more than that!
I’m Lotte from The Sustainable Travel Guide and in this blog post, I’ll introduce you to my favourite tips that help you to travel more sustainably.
Travel less far, more slowly
Travelling is about discovering new places, gaining new experiences and probably also about taking a break from your normal routine but this doesn’t mean that you need to go to an exotic island or a bustling city abroad. New experiences can be found right on your doorstep. Many people forget to even properly explore their own hometown. What about visiting that restaurant that your friends has recommended? Or make some time to checkout the museum about local history that you’ve been curious about. Perhaps you can even take a tour to gain appreciation of your local area.
Whatever you’re looking for in a holiday, it can probably be found close to where you live. If you live in a big city, you might want a change of scenery and head into the countryside, or vice-versa, visit that place fulls of events and attractions.
Closely linked to local travel is slow travel. Instead of booking a high speed train, hop on a local train and visit some stops along the way, You could even consider long distance walking or cycling to properly take in the area you’re visiting. It’s been eye opening to me how much more you see of a country when you travel slower. Take it easy and enjoy your local area.
Engage with the local community
Instead of only visiting tourist highlights when you travel, try to choose activities that benefit the community. That souvenir shop that sells hundreds of magnets is better exchanged for a studio of a local artist. To give you an example, I sometimes buy a mug as a souvenir, which will definitely be used with the amount of tea I drink! Choosing locally crafted souvenirs not only makes sure the money spent goes into the local economy, it also avoids contributing to mass production (with probably some pretty horrendous working conditions hidden behind it).
The type of accommodation you choose can also make a huge difference not only in terms of sustainability but also in the type of experience you have. Generally, you’re no more than a room number when staying at large scale chain hotels. Alternatively, you can have meaningful conversations with people who’ve lived in the area for years, by choosing a small BnB, or how about a locally sourced breakfast and home brewed coffee in a holiday cottage or pitching your tent in a local campsite.
Another great way to engage with locals is go to classes and workshops. Examples include, a cooking class focussed on regional cuisine or an art session where you learn about crafts and culture. Bonus, if you stay with hosts from the local community, they might be able to give tips on what to do and where to go.
Bring good stuff and leave no trace
Before you travel, think about your packing list. Do you have a reusable water bottle and reusable cutlery for on the go meals? I will never travel without a spoon! Also consider bringing reef-friendly suncream and non toxic shampoo. Try to avoid bringing single use plastics to your destination and replace them with sustainable alternatives. The time for buying shower gel mini’s is over! It’s easy to refill tiny bottles with your own products instead.
During your travels, make sure you don’t leave anything behind, Your destination may not have adequate recycling facilities, so try to minimise waste. Especially when you travel more off-grid by visiting nature areas, don’t litter and pick up any rubbish that other people have left behind on trails and in parks. These little things go a long way if everyone contributes!
Do you need more tips?
If you found these tips useful, do read the other blogs here on the Earthstays website. Alternatively, have a look at The Sustainable Travel Guide website for flight free routes through Europe and you can follow me on Instagram @the.sustainable.travel.guide for small and easy tips to make the most of your travels in a sustainable way! Thank you for reading and enjoy your holidays.
I would like to thank Lotte for this guest blog post.