Budget-Friendly Ways To Support Sustainable Travel

But we’re not here to tell you not to travel. There are ways you can visit bucket-list destinations around the world while minimizing your impact on them. Here are sustainable travel tips to take along with you this spring, summer and beyond.

What Is Sustainable Tourism?

Sustainable tourism refers to the way the tourism industry manages its impact on the environment, AKA looking for ways to minimize the negative impact of tourism (overcrowding, burden on cultural sites, natural resources and wildlife, pollution) and maximize the positive impact (create more jobs, preserve culture and wildlife, restore the landscape, etc). A responsible traveler is the individual while sustainable tourism relies on the industry's sustainable practices, like a hotel reducing its water consumption. Responsible travelers can still support the industry by aligning on those practices. Here are ways you can be a more responsible traveler while keeping sustainable tourism in mind.

​Plan Your Trip For The Off-Season

Some of the cities most impacted by over-tourism include Venice, Florence, Rome, Dubrovnik (thanks to Game of Thrones fame), Amsterdam, Lisbon, Machu Picchu, and Santorini. If you're looking for an approach to traveling that is gentler on the planet, avoid tourist hotspots during peak summer season when overcrowding is more likely to happen. You’ll have a more intimate experience with the city, save money on off-peak travel, and still feel good about putting your dollars toward a community that needs jobs and funds toward restoration and conservation.

Make A Staycation More Exotic

Choosing destinations and experiences that are closer to home will always have a lighter impact on the planet rather than flying overseas. Get creative with alternative stays that align with your interests. Love animals? Stay on a farm. Love the water? Book a houseboat. Airbnb has categories from tiny houses to treehouses to off-the-grid homes in your area, so there are plenty of options to choose from.

Offset Carbon Emissions With Miles

Choose an airline that has a carbon offset program to which you can donate miles. You can also donate to carbon offset providers like Carbonfund to offset your travel. If traveling for business, see if your company will cover the cost.

Think Green When Booking Travel

Older planes need more fuel for shorter distances, so try to choose an airline with newer planes and avoid jumbo jets (or private planes if you're that kind of jet-setter). It's also important to consider that nonstop flights burn less fuel than a multi-flight ones. Once you arrive at your destination, try buses, bikes, or trains over planes and cars whenever possible. Not only are these better options for the environment, but these are a great way to experience local travel, too!

Slow Down And Stay Awhile

Often there's a temptation to travel to as many places as possible to make the most of your vacation time. However, planning to stay in one spot longer helps reduce your impact on the environment. You'll take less fuel-driven transport, save money by staying put, and really get to know a place and its people beyond the fly-by tourist attractions.

Pack Reusables

ICYMI: 91 percent of all plastic is never recycled, and half of the 300 million tons of plastic produced each year worldwide is for single-use items. Pack a reusable water bottle, reusable toiletry containers, and a tote for carrying small souvenirs. You’ll save on bottled water costs, bring your favorite toiletries without having to buy more expensive travel-sized ones, and reduce single-use plastics that end up in landfills and ultimately release micro-plastics into our environment.

Conserve Water + Power

Turn off the tap while brushing your teeth, turn off the lights and TV when not in use, and hold on to that fresh towel a few more days to keep your impact minimal on local communities where you’re traveling.

Respect Green Spaces

Be a mindful citizen in parks and natural spaces by reducing the amount of trash you create and leave behind. Walk on designated trails and respect park rules to keep the tourism impact light. Happy travels!