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How to travel better: a beginner's guide to sustainable travel in 2023 and beyond

Sustainable, green, responsible — planet-friendly ways to explore the world are more popular than ever but how do you start to make better decisions when you travel? The first step is to understand what sustainable travel is and why it’s important.

What’s sustainable travel? Sustainable travel is about travelling in a way that’s sensitive to the climate and nature emergencies while ensuring that the wellbeing of the places we visit gain long-term benefit from us travelling there. It’s a balancing act between maximising the positives of travel while reducing or eliminating the negatives.

What’s happening and why? The concentration of carbon dioxide currently in the atmosphere is well over 400 parts per million higher than at any time in at least 800,000 years — and it’s still increasing, causing global temperatures to rise. The consensus is that a rise of just 1.5C will cause dangerous warming of the planet. The stability of our world’s climate hinges on whether we can keep this small rise in global temperatures in check and time’s running out. This is the decade that counts.

How does this impact the natural world? Commensurate with the climate crisis is the nature emergency: worldwide, 1 million animal and plant species are threatened with extinction due to the intensification of agriculture and forestry, resource extraction, hunting, invasive species, urban sprawl, pollution and climate change. Yet, this is not just about the disappearance of remote rainforests or polar bears at the extremities of the planet – habitat and biodiversity loss are happening on a colossal scale in the UK, to our hedgerows and forests, our garden birds, and the fish in our seas.

What can you do about it? Being a sustainable traveller is not about making grand, one-off gestures, it’s a state of mind, an ongoing attitude to conscious adventure that influences all aspects of how we holiday, including what we pack in our luggage and how we travel out to destinations, as well as the choice of hotels and activities we take part in while we’re there.

How do I even get started? To begin with, consider packing less: travelling lighter will reduce the chances of having to dispose of items; it makes it much easier to travel around, especially on foot, by bike or on public transport; and it’s more fuel efficient — especially noticeable if you’re travelling in an electric car. A useful device for packing economically is to consider the three Rs: Reduce: What can I get away with not taking; are there items that can double up for several uses? Reuse: What can I take that I can reuse over and over again? Recycle: What can I take that can be recycled once I’ve finished using it? Try to avoid taking single-use plastic, such as bottles, bags and straws, which break down over time into tiny microplastics that enter the food chain when they’re consumed by marine wildlife and ultimately cause serious health issues for humans. Instead, pack a refillable water bottle, coffee cup, Tupperware containers for food and toiletries, and a shopping bag — it’ll be handy not just as a replacement for buying a plastic bag at a supermarket, but also when you’re out buying food and groceries at a local market.

What’s the most important change that I can make? The single more significant way to reduce the carbon emissions of travelling is to tackle the transport portion, which is often responsible for at least 70% of the carbon emissions of a holiday. The most effective way to do this is to reduce the distance travelled and to travel in a way that burns less or, even better, no fossil fuels, using more sustainable modes of transport; or by not travelling in a vehicle at all, choosing instead to travel on foot, by bike or under sail. There’s a steep difference in terms of the amount of carbon dioxide emitted by aeroplanes compared with most land-based vehicles. There are concerted efforts to decarbonise air travel using alternative fuels and methods of propulsion (such as via electricity and hydrogen), but even the most optimistic predictions support that this change is at least a decade away for most airlines. For the time being, the emissions from just one long-haul flight can be more than those caused by someone driving a standard petrol car for a whole year. Taking the train within the UK emits about six times less than flying and taking the bus emits about nine times less. In Europe, where many trains (including Eurostar) are electric, the emissions from rail travel can be as much as 10 times less than flying.

And what if I do need to fly? If you do fly, bear in mind that there’s quite a large disparity between the carbon emissions of aircraft and the operating procedures of airlines, so do use online tools such as the ‘Greener Choices’ label on the search results provided by the flight search engine skyscanner.net , which flags up those flights that have less than average emissions.

While flying continues to be such a large polluter, consider adopting a more selective approach to flying: just as with the flexitarian approach to food where you eat a mainly plant-based diet and only occasionally eat lean meat and sustainably sourced fish, a similar attitude to flying could be that you mainly travel overland and only occasionally fly, staying for longer, and making the most of the flight by choosing a positive-impact holiday that benefits nature conservation and/or genuinely benefits the wellbeing of local communities.

What does my carbon impact look like once I get to a destination? There are other factors that will affect your carbon emissions when you’re at the destination, including your choice of hotel and the food you eat. The average carbon footprint of a night in a typical hotel in the UK is about 31.1kg CO2, according to the Hotel Carbon Measurement Initiative, so choosing a hotel that has lower than average carbon emissions can make a significant difference to your holiday’s footprint. Thankfully it’s becoming easier to find green accommodation — keep an eye out for the green filters on specialist accommodation booking sites, such as Airbnb’s ‘off-the-grid’, Sawday’s 'Sustainable stars'   and   i-escape's 'eco rating', there are several online agencies that specialise in green accommodation, such as fairbnb.coop and myecostay.eu , and even the big online agencies, such as Booking.com , TripAdvisor and Google , now flag up eco-certified hotels in their search results. Many of these eco-certified accommodations do much more than reducing their carbon emissions, they’ll also reduce the amount of waste they send to landfill and reduce the use of chemicals and the amount of water they use.

Feasting on local, seasonal food washed down with the local tipple conveys a sense of place better than any travel brochure. It’s also much better for the environment as there are significant emissions of carbon arising from the ‘food miles’ associated with transporting food great distances. Whether it’s freshly baked bread for breakfast, salad from the local market for lunch, or the catch of the day at the nearby restaurant, choosing local isn’t just good for the planet, it’s also healthier and a great way to put money into the local community.

Where to go Some of the most colourful cities in Europe are a great choice for a green break, such as Bristol, Angers, Nantes, Zurich, Ljubljana and Copenhagen. Here, pragmatic local authorities are implementing the circular economy to create sustainable transport, housing and economic development policies that are accelerating their transition to net zero, which has the knock-on effect of improving the experience for sustainable travellers. For example, regenerative wetlands and connected green spaces help manage storm water, air quality and improve biodiversity, but also provide wonderful green sanctuaries that are great for appreciating urban nature or for just chilling out in parks and gardens across urban villages.

And how to get around? Countries that have a modern, high-speed rail infrastructure make it easy to travel with a lower carbon footprint. Switzerland has an extensive public transport network across the country (the Swiss Travel Pass provides free admission to 500 museums as well as unlimited travel on trains, bus, boat and public transport in cities), while France, Spain, Italy and Germany have impressive high-speed rail networks, particularly between major cities.

What about long haul? Further afield, some countries have made concerted efforts to include tourism in their sustainable development goals. Following decades of tree clearing for agriculture and livestock production, in the 1980s the Costa Rican government implemented policies that have halted and reversed this deforestation. Today, over half of Costa Rica’s land is covered by forest, compared to just 26% in 1983, allowing it to make the most of the biodiversity in its rainforests and pioneer the concept of ecotourism, developing small-scale, high-end eco lodges that have contributed to the conservation of its rainforests. Guyana, too, is developing community-based ecotourism to fund the protection of its rainforests. Lodges such as Iwokrama River Lodge , Rewa Eco-Lodge and Surama Eco-Lodge enable visitors to enjoy the country’s incredible biodiversity, while contributing to its conservation and to the livelihoods of remote communities.

Where can I look for more information? Richard Hammond is a sustainable travel expert and founder of Green Traveller and the author of The Green Traveller: Conscious Adventure That Doesn’t Cost the Earth (£18.99, Pavilion).

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Why Sustainable Travel Is Only Going to Get More Popular

According to a new survey, travelers are ready to explore the eco-friendly way. Here’s what people from around the world look for before packing their bags.

Every item on this page was chosen by a Veranda editor. We may earn commission on some of the items you choose to buy.

The sustainable travel market continues to grow—as does traveler interest in the topic, according to Booking.com’s 2023 Sustainable Travel Report . After surveying 33,228 travelers from 35 countries and territories, researchers from the trip booking website found that American travelers are increasingly making sustainable selections that impact several parts of their trips. At the same time, they’re requesting even more eco-friendly options from travel companies.

“While travel may be back [after pandemic-related restrictions], rising living costs and climate anxiety has led to greater demand for more budget and planet-friendly options,” said Glenn Fogel, CEO of Booking.com. “Travel can be a force for good and travelers themselves are proving to be today’s changemakers, adopting more sustainable travel habits and seeking responsible experiences. More sustainable travel is an investment for the world.”

These shifts have the potential to make a difference. According to the World Travel & Tourism Council , 8 to 11 percent of global carbon dioxide emissions are linked to travel and tourism (mostly due to the commute to and from the destination).

When considering sustainable travel, it’s not just about turning off the lights in the hotel room or reusing towels. (Although many folks do! More than six in 10 people reuse the same towel multiple times, up 28% from 2022, and 71 percent flip off the lights and appliances at accommodations when they aren’t around.) Survey participants say they’re also seeking authentic local experiences that give back—or at least don’t interrupt—the community’s culture.

About 37 percent of respondents prefer traveling outside of peak season to reduce the risk for overcrowding; up 12 percent from last year. And 42 percent of travelers put a keen focus on making purchases at small, independent stores to support the local economy. Sustainable souvenirs sound like the perfect way to keep the memories alive back home until you can budget for your next trip !

More than four in 10 U.S. travelers (44 percent) admit that recent climate change news has inspired them to integrate more sustainable practices overall—including during travels. As a result, 68 percent are leaning into “regenerative” travel practices that leave the places they visit better when they arrive.

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Sustainable Travel 101: Everything You Need to Know

Founded in 2005 as an Ohio-based environmental newspaper, EcoWatch is a digital platform dedicated to publishing quality, science-based content on environmental issues, causes, and solutions.

Quick Key Facts

• The aviation industry is responsible for about 2.4% of global carbon emissions.
• Commercial aviation emissions could triple by 2050.
• As much as 80% of corals were destroyed from overtourism at Maya Beach in Thailand.
• Litter in the Mediterranean increases 40% during peak travel season.
• In the U.S., we could sustainably collect about 1 billion dry tons of biomass to produce 50 to 60 billion gallons of biofuels per year.
• The United Nations Environment Programme reported that the number of travelers in 2023 so far is already double the amount of travelers in the same time period last year.
• Eight in 10 travelers visit coastal regions, and this can contribute to more ocean pollution.
• Overtourism in Hawaii has left locals with water shortages and fines for certain types of water usage, while resorts do not face these punishments.
• Over 76% of people in a recent Booking.com survey want to travel more sustainably over the next year.
• Travelers can lessen their impact in a number of ways, from going zero-waste to eating plant-based to avoiding animal entertainment while traveling.

What Is Sustainable Travel?

Sustainable travel can mean many things and take several forms, but in general it refers to tourism that leaves the smallest, if any, impact on ecosystems around the world while also respecting local customs and cultures. Sustainable tourism should take current and future impacts of all travel-related actions into account, such as how your visit could impact native wildlife or support the local economy.

There are many ways to embrace sustainable travel, from skipping plane rides in favor of taking a train or driving an EV to booking eco-friendly accommodations over big chain hotels. While the bulk of the responsibility for sustainable travel should still fall on the biggest polluters to make changes, like developing biofuels or building low-impact accommodations that won’t interfere with ecosystems, individuals can still make decisions to lessen their impact and signal to businesses that there is demand for more sustainable choices in travel and tourism.

Types of Sustainable Travel

Sustainably minded travelers can find many ways to travel with the environment in mind. Sustainable travel can be broken into several related categories of travel, which tourists can consider based on their destinations and preferences.

Slow Travel

Some people love a jam-packed itinerary, where they can visit all the major sites in a city and check off all the best restaurants. But this fast-paced travel often can lead to a lot more jet-setting and use of convenience items, including single-use plastic items, in order to get from place to place as quickly as possible.

Instead, slow travel encourages a more thoughtful, drawn-out approach that emphasizes immersive experiences and giving back to local communities. Some examples may include taking the train from one city to another instead of flying, taking a cooking class instead of going to the most popular restaurants, or going to one special exhibit at a museum and engaging with visiting artists rather than trying to hit multiple museums in one day.

Eco-Tourism

If hiking and camping sound like dream vacation activities, eco-tourism will be right up your alley. This form of sustainable travel is all about embracing nature, minimizing impact on landscapes and supporting local cultures tied to nature. For instance, if you’re hoping to do a guided hike, you’d sign up for one with a local guide instead of turning to a major tourism company. The goal of eco-tourism is to encourage an appreciation for nature.

Agritourism

Agritourism, or agrotourism, involves visiting a working farm. You may have a full farmstay, where you have lodgings somewhere on the farm, or you may just visit the farm and participate in on-site activities. To be sustainable, though, the agritourism should put animal welfare and environmental stewardship first. Some activities you could expect at an agritourism destination include picking fruits from an orchard, picking pumpkins at a pumpkin patch, attending cooking or baking classes that use fresh ingredients from the farm, or helping to feed and care for animals.

Regenerative Tourism

The idea behind regenerative tourism is for those participating in the tourism industry, from travelers to businesses to governments, to give more to local communities and ecosystems than they are taking. For example, someone could participate in regenerative tourism by picking up trash off the beach they are visiting, participating in a native tree planting event, or participating in other volunteer activities during your vacation.

Problems With Tourism

So why do we need to focus on traveling sustainably in the first place? Although exploring the world can be good for the traveler, it isn’t always so great for Earth or the destination communities. Overtourism can damage native plants in an area or stress local wildlife, and aviation alone is a major contributor to global emissions.

Transit Emissions 

As of 2018, aviation emissions make up 2.4% of total global carbon emissions , as reported by the Environmental and Energy Study Institute. The commercial aviation industry’s emissions could triple by 2050. In addition to emitting carbon dioxide, planes and jets also emit water vapor, which can influence warming even more than carbon dioxide. Aircraft also contribute to air pollution by emitting nitrous gases, including nitrogen oxide, sulfates, and soot.

Overtourism

When too many people crowd into an area, they can have a major impact on local ecosystems and communities. Overtourism can cause housing prices to skyrocket, and a growing issue for many communities is the rise of people buying property in tourist destinations to use as temporary rentals, leaving less housing for locals.

There are many examples of overtourism’s negative impact on nature. Back in 2018, Thailand’s Maya Bay, which became extremely popular because of the film The Beach , had to close for over four years. The area had been decimated by crowds. Litter, boat pollution and sunscreen contributed to the destruction of up to 80% of local coral reefs.

Another example close to home, the Southern California poppy superblooms often attract massive crowds. But as people idle in their cars waiting in line to find parking and trample poppies as they try to get photos, they can cause lasting damage to the area. When people step or lie on the poppies, or even step off of marked trails, they can compact the soil and prevent the poppies from regrowing in the future, as explained by the Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve.

Plastic Pollution

Think about it: the mini shampoos, body washes and lotions at hotels; the plastic water bottles at the airport; the food packaging and containers at convenience stores and restaurants. The world has a major problem with plastic pollution, and the travel industry is no exception. 

The number of people traveling in 2023 is already double the amount of travelers in the same timeframe in 2022, according to the United Nations Environment Programme. Most tourists, about 80%, visit beaches and coastal regions, and as much as 8 million metric tons enter ocean ecosystems annually. This amount is expected to increase in the coming decades.

Strain on Local Resources

Tourism, especially when places become overcrowded with travelers, can put a major strain on resources, particularly water. Overtourism in Hawaii has left the locals to face water shortages, even facing fines for using water for certain activities, while resorts did not have to pay fines for water usage. 

With the worsening climate crisis, more and more regions are facing extreme drought conditions and experiencing water shortages and restrictions, which are only made worse when more people are coming into the area as tourists, using the water without restrictions or fines. Tourists may even consume more water when traveling, especially when traveling somewhere hotter than they are used to. According to the Global Development Research Center (GDRC), tourists to the Mediterranean may consume up to 440 liters of water per day , double the average amount of water used in a city in Spain.

Examples of Sustainable Travel

When you’re ready to start traveling more sustainably, you may be wondering what to look for before booking accommodations, transit tickets and even restaurants. While there’s still a long way to go in terms of reducing travel-related emissions, there are some great examples of places focused on sustainable travel, plus ongoing developments to make parts of the industry — particularly aviation — less damaging.

Aviation Fuels

Many commercial airlines have made commitments to reach net-zero carbon emissions later this century, and one way to do this is by developing biofuels . Biofuels may be made from synthetic materials,  agricultural waste or crops. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, the U.S. could collect about 1 billion dry tons of biomass, like corn grain, algae, oil seeds, and wood mill waste, per year that could produce 50 to 60 billion gallons of biofuels.

Some airlines, including United, Jet Blue, Emirates , Virgin Atlantic, Virgin Australia, British Airways and more, are already using fuel blends containing biofuels for select flights. 

There needs to be more development here, since producing biofuels may still require land for growing crops for fuel, and biofuels will need to be combined with carbon capturing technology and carbon offsets to really make an impact.

Accommodations

More booking platforms are making it easier to find sustainable accommodations, especially since 76% of respondents in a recent Booking.com survey said they wanted to travel more sustainably this year. Booking.com itself and TripAdvisor offer badges and search settings to help customers find sustainably minded hotels. Google also has features to highlight eco-certified hotels.

One top example of an eco-minded lodging is the Jean-Michel Cousteau Resort in Fiji, which has been embracing sustainability since the 1990s. In addition to lessening its impact, the resort caters to regenerative tourism with its mangrove reforestation program.

Another resort, Calilo in Greece, is also adopting a regenerative attitude toward travel accommodations. The owners have bought beachfront land on the Ios island to keep it undeveloped . It is also leading a conservation project, which has planted 68,842 olive trees so far to reforest an area destroyed by multiple wildfires and deforestation.

Even some larger hotel brands, like  Sandals Resorts International , have made strides toward sustainability. Sandals has worked with EarthCheck since 1999 and has been recognized for following the program’s strictest standards of environmental and social care for more than 15 years. Along with eliminating single-use plastics and using smart lighting in its resorts, Sandals also works with local farms to improve island food security, has onsite reverse-osmosis plants to make use of seawater, and supports local reef restoration organizations. “It all comes back to creating links between the communities and environments that we operate in,” says Gavin Palmer, Environmental Health and Safety Manager at Sandals Resorts International. “If travelers want to continue to enjoy the Caribbean as it is now for generations to come, that comes with a responsibility to choose the hotels and brands that put forth the effort to create eco-friendly experiences and empower the spaces that surround them.”

There are plenty more lodgings, from tiny bed and breakfasts to luxury resorts, that are working to change how we travel. Of course, if you’re not sure where to start in booking an eco-hotel, you can also explore one of the world’s greenest cities , where you’re sure to find sustainable accommodations, restaurants, transit options and more.

Food and Beverages

From visiting a vineyard for wine tastings to sitting down at a restaurant for breakfast, lunch and dinner, there are many ways you can consider the environment even when dining during your trip.

When considering wineries, you can look for places with any number of sustainability-focused certifications, including organic, Sustainability in Practice (SIP), Demeter for biodynamic wine, Low Input Viticulture & Enology (LIVE), or Lodi Rules. 

For beer-lovers looking for sustainable brews , look for certifications like Craft Responsibility In Sustainable Practices (C.R.I.S.P.), B-Corp or organic, and stick to local breweries when you can for an even smaller impact.

As for restaurants, look for places offering plant-based meals, locally grown and organic produce and proteins or even farm-to-table establishments. Some top examples of the most sustainable restaurants in the world include two fine dining spots, Aponiente and Azurmendi , in Spain, the zero-waste Silo London in the UK or Uncommon Ground in Chicago, which hosts the first organic certified rooftop farm in the U.S. at one of its locations. However, these are just a few of countless restaurants globally that are focused on sustainable eats. Part of the fun of sustainable travel is finding those hidden gems on your own.

Ways to Practice Sustainable Tourism

You’re not limited to hanging out in your backyard and forgoing all travel. When you want to explore the world, there are many things you can do to limit your impact.

Consider Transportation

Until sustainable biofuels are available for commercial flights, flying remains a top contributor to global emissions. Aviation makes up over 2% of all energy-related emissions, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA). If you can travel somewhere by another method, like driving (especially if you drive an EV) or even taking a train, you can lower your travel-related emissions.

When you get to your destination, keep in mind how you’re getting from your hotel to restaurants, museums, parks and other sites. Can you walk or rent a bike instead of driving? Can you make use of public transit? By doing so, you can lessen the amount of emissions from your trip.

Eat Plant-Based

Any time you can reduce animal products in your diet is a win for the environment, even if you’re on the road. Although going vegetarian or vegan lowers individual emissions less than reducing aviation travel, you can find ways to do both to help reduce emissions. If you don’t already follow a vegan or vegetarian lifestyle at home, consider eating more plant-based meals during your travels.

Find Sustainable Lodgings

While your travel rewards points may make it appealing to stay with a major hotel chain, opt for locally owned accommodations instead to better support the local economy and community. No matter where you decide to stay, do your research. Support lodgings with green credentials and sustainable efforts beyond simply only providing toiletries on request or only cleaning the room by request. Some certifications to look out for include EarthCheck, Audubon Green Lodging Program, Green Globe Certification, Green Tourism Active Global and Green Key Global.

Go Zero-Waste

Reducing your landfill waste is a great way to lessen your impact on ecosystems around the world. Not only does following a zero-waste approach reduce waste management emissions by around 84% , but it also saves energy and water while keeping trash out of landfills, oceans, and other ecosystems.

It’s easy to opt for convenient packets of food in single-use packaging, plastic water bottles or plastic forks and spoons when you’re traveling, but a little planning can make a zero-waste trip just as convenient. When you’re putting together your packing list, make sure to bring reusables, like water bottles and utensils, snacks in reusable containers, cloths for drying your hands or washing off makeup and other reusables.

Leave No Trace

Similar to the idea of a zero-waste trip, you can also adopt the “leave no trace” principal, especially for nature-focused adventures like hiking excursions or camping trips. With a zero-waste approach in mind, you’ll already be planning ahead and packing plenty of reusables. But the idea of leave no trace is to make sure to pack out any waste and personal items from an environment when you’re leaving, so your items do not disturb wildlife. Dispose of any waste as directed, and don’t take pieces of the ecosystem with you (for example, don’t pick any flowers or take any shiny rocks out with you). Take photos instead.

Support Local

One of the best ways to spend money while traveling is to support local businesses. Rather than buying mass-produced keychains and T-shirts, you can purchase art or textiles made by local artisans. Dine at unique restaurants rather than stopping for fast food or spending money at a chain restaurant. When choosing a tour guide company, look for locally operated teams rather than booking with a major global entity. In addition to supporting the economy by buying things locally, make sure you are supporting communities by respecting their local customs and cultures.

Reconsider Animal-Based Activities

Circuses, roadside zoos, aquariums and other sites that utilize animals as entertainment have a dark reputation for mistreating animals. Italy and New Jersey have even banned animals for circuses, as they often face abuse. 

Instead of giving money to companies that mistreat animals and take wild animals out of their natural habitats, you can still connect with animals on your trip by participating in local volunteer opportunities. You can find a list of sanctuaries around the world via The Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries website , or you can look for accredited zoos that rescue animals that can no longer live in the wild. For especially adventurous travelers, consider the Natural Habitat Adventures by World Wildlife Fund .

Avoid the Crowds

To further minimize your impact on a region, try traveling during the off-season or opt for less touristy destinations. This can help alleviate stress put on local ecosystems as many people arrive and explore an area at once. It also limits the strain on resources, which can leave communities short of enough water, food, energy and other necessities. Plus, you get to see more of your destination without being stuck in crowds or long lines.

Takeaway 

Travel was on the rise until the global COVID-19 pandemic brought things to a halt. But now that the pandemic has been downgraded from an emergency level, travel is ramping up faster than ever. But that means more emissions that contribute to climate change, and overtourism threatens ecosystems and communities.

But all hope is not lost. Businesses, from local restaurants and vineyards to major airlines and hotel chains, are working to lessen their impact on the planet. Developments in aviation and carbon capture technology can help reduce aviation-related emissions. New search functionality and eco-certifications can help direct travelers to book sustainable hotels. And individuals can adopt their own approaches, like traveling to less touristy destinations or adopting a zero-waste lifestyle, at home or abroad to minimize the impact of travel. Ultimately, we’ll all need to work together to make traveling less harmful if we want to keep the planet in good health.

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The Mindful Traveller

Eco Travel Blog & Photography

Sustainable Travel Guide: What, Why & How

17 March 2022 · In: Sustainable Travel

Here is a  complete guide to sustainable travel  – an incredible way to explore the world whilst positively impacting people and our planet! 

How to explore with less harm and more positivity?

Sustainable travel may be a term you have heard before, but you still wonder what it truly means. In this article, I go into more depth into the meaning of sustainable travel, why it matters, and some tips to help you travel differently. 

Don’t forget to download your free sustainable travel checklist! ↓

10- Prioritise slow travel = travel less, stay longer

What does sustainable travel mean.

Sustainable travel means exploring the world whilst being aware of your surroundings and having a positive social, environmental and economic impact on the places you visit.

It could be by adopting more sustainable methods of transportation, staying in more environmentally friendly accommodations, eating local and seasonal foods, and avoiding harmful activities.

What is the goal of sustainable travel?

The goal of sustainable travel is to reduce the impact of tourism on the environment and local communities. It means avoiding over-consumption, contributing to the conservation of the environment and respecting local traditions and heritage to participate in their protection.

Ultimately, the primary goal of sustainable travel is to create a better and more viable long-term future for tourism, aiming for a beneficial ‘give and take’ relationship.

Why is sustainable travel important?

Sustainable travel is important as tourism growth has had negative impacts on many places – including the destruction of lands and wildlife, deterioration of historical sites, pollution, littering, price inflation and loss of authenticity. Despite this, tourism remains an incredible way to experience the world and its beauty, share and connect with others, and generate economic benefits for a local area – and these positive effects should be the priority.

Today, tourism, a $9 trillion industry, continues to grow. That is why understanding its impact is vital to ensure a viable expansion and current habits must change. Creating safe and responsible travel to protect our planet and communities will become crucial over time.

How to be a sustainable traveller?

You can travel sustainably by being mindful of the consequences of your journey. Responsible travel is about adjusting your habits and behaviours and paying attention to your surroundings. 

For example, ask yourself: what is the impact of my flight? Does my hotel care about the environment? Does my tour operator support local communities? 

When you travel, always consider your impact first.

Although adopting a greener way of travelling is a beautiful opportunity to slow down and be responsible, it is not magic and does not happen overnight. But step by step altogether, we can make a difference and create a better future for our planet – whilst enjoying it!

Here are some sustainable travel tips to make your next adventure greener:

1- Consider the most sustainable method of transport

How to get to your destination without harming our planet?

That is a question I have asked myself a lot, considering how much I travel by plane. Whilst doing some research, I discovered (without surprise) that transportation pollution is a significant issue caused by tourism. Air pollution has steadily increased with the number of tourists travelling by planes each year, severely affecting local air quality and contributing to climate change.

That is why, when booking your trip, try to choose the greenest form of transport possible. 

• If you use a plane, take direct flights as much as possible to reduce your carbon footprint, as landing and take-off have the worst effect. You can also choose greener flights with Skyscanner . It has an option that only displays flights with lower CO2 emissions.
• Take the train when you can, as it is one of the transports that emits the lowest levels of pollutants. It is also a beautiful way to slow travel and take time to enjoy the scenery.
• Avoid cruises . Using boats may sound like a good idea, but they have proven to be the most pollutant for our environment. According to a 2017 study , even the most efficient cruise ships emit more carbon dioxide per passenger per kilometre than commercial flights. However, a cruise is another great way to slow travel, so what do you do if you care about the environment but are not ready to abandon cruises? Look carefully at the company website, consider a smaller ship, reduce your single-use plastic consumption and be mindful of your energy and water usage.
• If using the car, try carpooling like Blablacar (the more passengers, the lower the carbon footprint). If you decide to rent a car, go for an electric or at least the smallest vehicle that suits your needs.
• Finally, whatever your choice, use EcoPassenger to calculate the environmental impact of your journey. It will allow you to become aware of your effect and offset your carbon footprint when you get home.

The method of transport you choose to reach your destination will play a crucial role in your overall holiday footprint. However, it is equally important to be eco-conscious once you are there. Here are some other tips to help you reduce your impact: walk as much as possible, use a bike, take public transport, rent an electric or hybrid car or use small-group tour operators.

2- Book eco-friendly accommodations

Once you have booked your vacation, try to reserve a hotel or B&B that adopts eco-responsible practices. Many accommodations are working toward becoming greener by innovating and reducing their impact.

What is an eco-conscious accommodation?

Eco-conscious accommodations or sustainable hotels significantly reduce their environmental impact through green practices in maintenance, services, logistics, products, and supplies. The core elements revolve around reducing waste, saving energy, and decreasing water usage.

How to know if a hotel or guesthouse is eco-friendly?

Doing your research is essential. Go further greenwashing and find a responsible retreat that helps you explore your destination whilst leaving a positive impact.

Here are some guidelines to determine if a hotel or guesthouse is sustainable and using green practices:

• It has a sustainability policy : a hotel committed to sustainability will almost always have a sustainability policy on its website.
• It is committed to limiting its environmental impact : beyond the implementation of energy and water-conserving technologies, initiatives to look out for include an on-site garden that supplies the hotel restaurant, rooftop beehives, single-use plastic-free amenities, locally made furnishings, recycling bins in guest rooms, the use of eco-friendly cleaning products, and washing linens only on request.
• It works closely with the local community : sustainable hotels empower local communities by hiring local staff, using local suppliers, supporting sustainable community programs and integrating guests with the local community.
• It encourages guests to get involved : a sustainable hotel will inspire guests to follow their lead by incorporating interactive initiatives, such as offering reusable water bottles, free or cheap bicycle rental or shared transport options, and guest experiences that support local people and businesses.

To help you further, whether you are looking for a hotel or an Airbnb, you can use EcoBnB  or  BookDifferent to find your green accommodation.

3- Pack your suitcase mindfully

After choosing your destination and booking your trip, what you pack is the next step in reducing your impact. The best way to avoid waste and plastic when travelling is to arrive prepared. That is why considering what you bring with you is so important.

Here are some ideas:

• Reusable cups or mugs are the perfect way to enjoy your trip whilst having a positive impact, as they reduce the number of single-use plastic cups you need on your journey. Here are some brands offering light and eco-friendly cups and mugs: KeepCup , Circular&Co , and Klean Kanteen .
• Reusable water bottles are also a great way to cut down on single-use plastic and should become a must-have in your life, even when you are not travelling! Stay hydrated on the go with these incredibly sustainable bottles: Pure Panda , Jococups , and Sweet Bamboo .
• Whether you like climbing the highest peaks or walking around the city, organic and eco-minded clothes are practical, functional, and a great way to celebrate the adventurer in you. Here are some brands trying to make a difference: United by Blue , Toad&Co , and Coalatree .
• Travel towels are very helpful for any adventure. A quick-drying, antimicrobial towel made of eco-friendly fibres like the Trespass bamboo towel is a must-have and all-in-one option. It is also very convenient as it folds easily, takes no space, and requires less washing.
• Having gear charged on your trip is essential to capture your beautiful adventure and come home with memories. However, it can sometimes be trouble when you are on the road, and it also consumes a lot of energy. Here are some portable solar chargers you can easily take everywhere: Goal Zero and Anker PowerPort Solar .
• Travel tote bags are an excellent substitute for single-use plastic bags and can be very helpful for shopping or the beach! They are practical, functional and easy to take wherever you go. Here is my favourite one: EcoRight .

Check out  this page  for more inspiration on eco-friendly products & gear.

Other ideas:

• Cutlery and containers (reduce single-use plastic)
• Reusable straws (reduce single-use plastic)
• Zero-waste sunscreens (protect reefs and marine life)
• Biodegradable shampoos (reduce toxic chemicals)
• Solid toiletries (reduce water usage)

Looking to stay warm and dry in winter? Check out these top 10 ethical winter coats .

4- Use eco-conscious tour operators and activities

When travelling, being mindful of the activity you choose and the travel agent you select is very important for helping reduce impact. A sustainable tour operator offers travel products or services complying with high social and environmental standards. They focus on creating benefits for local communities, protecting the environment using conservation projects, and prioritising animal welfare.

It is essential that you do your research before booking an activity or tour. Only get involved in activities that benefit the environment, locals and wildlife. Also, try using local guides and look for authentic experiences to ensure your money goes into the local economy. Most importantly, never take part in activities that do not seem right!

• Look on the website for their practices and mission.
• Look for certifications : responsible tour operators are certified by a GSTC accredited certification scheme.
• Look for information on carbon footprint : responsible tour operators take measures to minimise their environmental impact.
• Look for animal activities : responsible tour operators do not offer activities or excursions with captive wildlife or animal interaction.
• Look for statements on local benefits : responsible tour operators benefit local communities with their tourism activities and are proud of it.
• Look for collaborations with local research and conservation projects : responsible tour operators prioritise animal welfare and environmental protection.
• Look at their group sizes : responsible tour operators will not go on an excursion with large groups but with small groups to create less impact.
• Look at the offered accommodations : responsible tour operators will not book your rooms in large hotel chains but in local small-scale accommodations.
• Look for sustainable travel tips : responsible tour operators are all about sharing their knowledge and want you to travel sustainably.

Some of the best sustainable tour operators:

• Intrepid Travel
• G Adventures
• Lokal Travel

Check out this article for more inspiration: Top Ecotourism Activities Around the World .

5- Eat locally and seasonally

When travelling, being mindful of what you eat is crucial to leaving a lower footprint on your destination.

Here are some tips for eating locally and responsibly:

• Eat vegetarian or vegan.
• Ask the locals where they like to eat.
• Buy your food at local markets and shop seasonally.
• And finally, avoid big resorts and go to local restaurants supporting farmers and sustainable products.

And if you want more, check out  HappyCow .

6- Shop and buy local

The souvenirs we bring home matter as much as how we travel. Being mindful of your shopping habits is another way to become more responsible whilst exploring.

Here are some tips:

Buy local and avoid big chain stores.

Shopping locally means less fuel to move goods and food long distances and less energy to cool warehouses and trucks. It also means more money stays in the local community, enriching neighbours instead of corporations in a far-off city or country. So buy locally made gifts to take home as souvenirs. It is better to take home souvenirs unique to the country where you are travelling, rather than something from a factory elsewhere. Local markets are also a great way to ensure you buy local.

Shop responsibly.

• Ask questions to find out more about the product and its origin.
• Go for vegan and decline objects made with animal products.
• Research eco-friendly boutiques and shop vintage.
• Reduce the use of packaging and gift wrap.
• Prioritise sustainable materials or buy second-hand.

Bring reusable shopping bags.

When you bring reusable bags to shop, you adopt a more eco-friendly travel lifestyle with less plastic and waste. Reusable tote bags are lightweight and easily fit in your suitcase, so do not forget to add one to your packing list!

Ask yourself: is it needed?

It can sometimes be challenging to differentiate what you need from what you want. Most of the time, we buy things because of temptation rather than necessity. Therefore, it is essential to ask yourself if you require the product you want to purchase or if the person you are buying it for will use it.

When buying clothes, ask yourself if you really need this item in your closet. Think about how often you will wear it. Always ensure the item will add to your collection and fill a practical niche. Any article that does not meet one of these criteria is not worth the cost to you or the environment.

7- Leave the place better than you found it

Always pick up your trash, or any you come across, avoid plastic at all costs, do not touch everything, be mindful of your water and electricity usage, stay on track when you hike, smile and be grateful to the locals for welcoming you.

Be mindful of cultural sites.

Over-tourism has generated dangerous environmental effects on our sites, and we have, for instance, observed many cases of path erosions over the past few years. Therefore, be mindful and considerate of the places you attend. Learn about them beforehand and respect them whilst visiting.

8- Offset your carbon footprint

Even if you have done your best to lower your footprint, it is still a good idea to offset your carbon emissions from your trip. BUT do not use carbon offset as a complete solution. Combine it with other sustainable practices, like prioritising other methods of transport, avoiding single-use plastic on the plane and mindfully packing your suitcase to be ready for your green adventure.

What is a carbon offset?

A carbon offset is an act of reducing or removing emissions of carbon dioxide or other greenhouse gases to compensate for the emissions produced elsewhere. You can offset your carbon footprints by investing in carbon offset projects, locally or internationally, as a way of balancing your impact. For example, you can invest your money in a project in Costa Rica to offset the amount of carbon produced by your flight.

What are carbon offset projects?

Carbon offset projects allow you to invest in environmental or social projects to balance the carbon footprint of your travels. They help fight global climate change and care for local communities. For example, they can provide employment, health improvement, biodiversity, reforestation and broad social benefits to disadvantaged communities.

How to offset carbon?

To do this, visit an offset website, use the online tools to calculate the emissions from your trip, and then pay the offset company to reduce emissions elsewhere in the world by the same amount – making your journey “carbon neutral”.

Here are some companies you can use:

• Sustainable Travel International
• Cool Effect

9- Take action = volunteer, donate or share!

Take this opportunity to come back home and feel inspired by your adventure. Now is the best time to take action, whether by volunteering locally or abroad, donating to an organisation or sharing your experience. Speak up and share your sustainable travel experience with your family, friends and followers.

The more we talk about it, the more we will change the world.

Slow travel is a way of exploring the world that accentuates slowing down and connecting with the places and locals. This approach allows you to take more time to get to know a country and its culture on a deeper level, which can also mean travelling less but staying longer = quality over quantity.

Therefore, if you can, try to always stay longer in the destination you are visiting – for at least 3 or 4 days, and avoid day trips as they contribute to overtourism.

Shop the ultimate road trip planner

Create your dream vacation and live unforgettable eco-adventures on the road.

I hope this sustainable travel guide will help make your future trips greener. Remember, always leave your destination better than you found it and educate yourself as much as you can. You got this – one step at a time!

Want to know more?

• 10 Best Travel Apps for Exploring Sustainably
• Top Ecotourism Activities Around the World
• 8 Best Filtered Water Bottles for Travel & Hiking
• Carbon Offset your Flights: What, Why & How
• 10 Best Zero-Waste & Reef-Safe Sunscreens

Do you have any other suggestions for travelling sustainably and reducing impact? Let me know in the comments below!

With love ♡ Lucie

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Reader Interactions

28 January 2023 at 10:20

This read is such an eye opener. When we talk about sustainability, sustainable travelling is lesser talked about subject. I didnt know cruise is the most pollutant for of travel. I sometimes wonder, does cruise or boats disturb the marine life. How can we offset our carbon footprint from travel at our home without investing in other ofset companies?

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How to Be a Sustainable Traveler: 18 Tips

These sustainable travel tips will help you become a more responsible traveler

• Chapman University

• Harvard University Extension School
• Sustainable Fashion
• Art & Media

Being a sustainable traveler means keeping your ecological footprint low while supporting ethical economic development in local communities affected by tourism. That means everything from minimizing plastic consumption and making greener transportation choices to eating at locally owned restaurants and booking eco conscious accommodations.

The goal of sustainable travel is to meet the needs of the tourism industry without harming natural and cultural environments. If not managed properly, tourism can have incredibly negative impacts, from the loss of a destination’s cultural identity to the depletion of natural resources, pollution, and degradation of ecosystems. In many cases, tourism can be a valuable tool to help support communities and give back to nature.

1. Make Smarter Flight Choices

Air travel emissions make up a whopping 20% of a tourist’s carbon footprint. If you must fly, be sure to pack light to lessen the plane’s load and try to book a non-stop flight. On average, non-stop flights reduce carbon emissions by 100 kg per person compared to connecting options. Not only do connecting flights usually require flying greater total distances, planes use more fuel during taxi, take off, and descent.

Londolozi Images / Getty Images

2. Switch to Reusables

Rather than buying plastic water bottles on your travels, bring along a reusable water bottle instead. If you’re heading to a destination with questionable water quality, look into a water purifying system or tablets. Bring along reusable utensils, tote bags, containers, and straws so you can say no to single use plastic while shopping or eating out.

3. Skip Travel Size Toiletries

Single use travel size toiletry bottles are a huge source of tourism-related plastic pollution and help contribute to the nearly 11 million metric tons of plastic pollution dumped into the oceans annually. Switch to refillable and reusable bottles made of glass, silicone, or even recycled plastic material and fill them up with products from your larger sized bottles at home. Even huge chains like Marriott have begun to phase out single use travel toiletries, citing the fact that their properties send 500 million mini plastic bottles into landfills each year.

4. Be Mindful of Local Resources

Pay attention to how much water you’re using while on vacation by opting for short showers instead of baths and turning off the water while brushing teeth or shaving. Fill up your refillable and reusable travel containers with an eco friendly biodegradable soap and shampoo, especially while camping.

Local resources can also include necessities like emergency services and hospital beds. Always research weather conditions and terrain before hiking or taking a road trip to avoid getting lost or injured and having to get rescued, which can drain important public resources and tax dollars.

5. Do Your Research

Look for accommodations, destination, products, and tour companies that have been deemed sustainable by a legitimate certifying body. In the sustainable tourism world, that means organizations like the Global Sustainable Tourism Council , The Rainforest Alliance , and Earth Check .

Sustainably-minded travelers should always be on the lookout for greenwashing in the travel industry, as well. Any company can call themselves sustainable or “green” in an attempt to attract eco-minded customers, so it is important to research ahead of time to find out what specific sustainable actions they’re taking. If a company has done the work to develop responsible tourism policies that include environmental and social impacts, they’ll have the information displayed on their website. If not, don’t be afraid to ask.

6. Respect Natural Places

Ronda Kimbrow / Getty Images

Remember that marked hiking trails are there for a reason, usually to help preserve the surrounding environment and keep native flora out of harm’s way. Take out what you brought in and don’t litter. Keep your distance from wildlife and never feed or touch wild animals, for your own safety and for the safety of the animals themselves.

In beach areas, use reef safe sunscreen without harmful ingredients like oxybenzone and octinoxate, and never step on coral or stir up sediment (which can also cause damage to the ecosystem).

7. Support Locals Directly

Seeking out local experiences like homestays and hiring local guides is the best way to learn about a new culture — while also ensuring that your money goes directly toward stimulating the local economy.

Purchasing handmade souvenirs and art created by indigenous artisans can help preserve authentic cultural heritage and provide jobs. Food that is grown locally and businesses that are owned and operated by local families are often better quality and more budget friendly, all while helping keep money in local pockets.

8. Go Low Impact

Choose vacations that demand less resources and make less of an impact on the environment, such as camping or even glamping . If you go the more traditional vacation route, opt for low impact activities that will have zero to minimal impact on the environment, such as kayaking or hiking. 

9. Find Ways to Give Back

Consider the ways that you can contribute to the local community and give back while traveling. This can be as simple as picking up a piece of trash in the park or volunteering for a beach clean up. If you’re planning a trip where volunteering is your primary objective , make sure that the charity has strong links with host communities and isn’t taking jobs away from local people. There has been a lot of debate as to whether or not “voluntourism” does more harm than good, and in many cases, you’re better off donating money or goods through a reputable organization.  

Pack for a Purpose helps connect travelers with charities to provide supplies needed for specific communities.

10. Don’t Support Unethical Wildlife Tourism

If you want to view wildlife, see them in their natural habitats or go to accredited wildlife sanctuaries that work to rescue and rehabilitate animals. When it comes to ecotourism, check with advocacy groups like the International Ecotourism Society for organizations that follow strict sustainable tourism practices.

Supporting activities like cub petting and elephant riding helps encourage abusive industries that often illegally capture animals from the wild. Never buy products made from wildlife parts, as this helps support marketplaces for animal trafficking.

11. Don’t Leave Your Sustainable Habits at Home

If you’re a regular Treehugger reader, chances are you already have plenty of sustainable practices you use every day, so continue to use them while traveling. Turn the lights off and the air conditioning down when you leave a room, and ask your hotel about their recycling program. Just because you’re on vacation doesn’t mean your sustainable lifestyle has to fly out the window. 

12. Respect Local Culture and Traditions

Do some research on the culture and traditions of a destination before you travel; it will not only help you make a connection to the place, but also help ensure that you honor the local customs. Even better, learn the language or a few important words and simple phrases such as “please,” and “thank you.” If you run across a local ceremony while on your travels, keep a respectful distance.

13. Stay Longer

Tourism transportation demands affects energy use and CO2 emissions, but also puts pressures on infrastructure and land. Shorter lengths of stays that focus on restricted time budgets can lead to high concentrations of tourist flows in “must see” attractions, while tourists who stay longer are more likely to visit more small businesses in locations outside of main tourist areas. Instead of planning trips where you try to visit as many places or see as much as possible in a short amount of time, consider staying in one spot for longer and really getting a feel for the area.

14. Be Adaptable and Understanding

One of the best parts of traveling is seeing new things and having new experiences. Keeping an open mind and not demanding everything that you’re used to in your own country will put less pressure on your destination and its people. Not to mention, you’ll probably have a better time.

15. Travel Shorter Distances

Tourism is responsible for about 8% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions, and transportation accounts for nearly half of global tourism’s carbon footprint. That doesn’t mean you have to give up your lifelong dream of visiting the Eiffel Tower, just don’t count out the unique experiences available in your very own country or closer to home. If you do want to visit popular tourist destinations, go during off season or shoulder season .

16. Walk as Much as Possible

A majority of tourism’s environmental footprint can be attributed to transport, but that doesn’t just include airplanes. A tourist’s first stop after arriving at a new destination is often the airport car rental counter, so that they can get to their accommodation or head off to see the sights. Instead, sustainable travelers use every opportunity to walk, bike, or utilize public transportation in order to avoid those transportation related emissions. Check if your destination has a bike sharing program or has an easy-to-navitage train system, you might even save some money at the same time.

17. Look Into Carbon Offsets

Sustainable travelers should always try to reduce their carbon footprint first, but offsetting can be a useful tool in situations where reducing your footprint might be more difficult.

Carbon offsetting involves compensating for generated greenhouse gas emissions by reducing emission elsewhere. For example, TerraPass lets users calculate their carbon footprint from vehicles, public transit, air travel, and home energy before providing ways to contribute to sustainable projects like water restoration and wind power.

18. Share What You’ve Learned

Share sustainable travel tips with friends, family members, and fellow travelers; even small changes can make a huge difference. Travel teaches us how to better understand the world by introducing us to new cultures and customs different than our own. Plus, humans are innate explorers, so traveling will always be a massive industry. If we can share ways to make travel more environmentally friendly, respectful, and sustainable, we can highlight the valuable aspects of tourism and reduce the negative ones.

Start with switching up your modes of transportation. Take ground transport instead of flying when possible and public transport instead of your own vehicle. For shorter distances, try walking or cycling. It also helps to travel slower, focusing on one destination or city instead of trying to explore an entire region.

Regenerative travel is a step above sustainable travel. It means traveling in a way that not only produces no impact but is actually beneficial to local communities and the environment. You might do this by volunteering or staying at an agritourismo.

Look for the Global Sustainable Tourism Council certification. GSTC is an independent, neutral organization that establishes and monitors global standards for destinations and tourism companies all over the world.

Debbage, Keith, and Neil Debbage. " Aviation Carbon Emissions, Route Choice, and Tourist Destinations: Are Non-Stop Routes a Remedy? " Annals of Tourism Research , vol. 79, 2019, pp. 102765, doi:10.1016/j.annals.2019.102765

" Fuel Conversation Strategies: Takeoff and Climb ." Boeing.

" Breaking the Plastic Wave ." Pew Charitable Trusts.

" Marriott International To Eliminate Single-Use Shower Toiletry Bottles From Properties Worldwide, Expanding Successful 2018 Initiative ." Marriott International.

" Is Your Sunscreen Killing the Coral Reef? " Ocean Conservancy.

Gossling, Stefan, et al. " Global Trends in Length of Stay: Implications for Destination Management and Climate Change ." Journal of Sustainable Tourism , vol. 26, no. 12, 2018, pp. 2087-2101, doi:10.1080/09669582.2018.1529771

Lenzen, Manfred, et al. " The Carbon Footprint of Global Tourism ." Nature Climate Change , vol. 8, 2018, pp. 522-528, doi:10.1038/s41558-018-0141-x

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Sustainable travel: 6 simple tips to make a positive impact on your next trip

Apr 6, 2022 • 6 min read

Bring reusable bags for shopping © Imgorthand / Getty Images

Sustainable travel is about making smarter choices in every aspect of the trip. It starts at the beginning, when booking transport and accommodation, and comes into play when seeking out local experiences and being conscious of where you're investing your tourist dollars.

But that doesn't mean you need to totally overhaul your vacation. We've put together a list of practical tips that will help you along the way, even if you're just getting started on your sustainable travel journey. 

1. Travel off-peak or off-beat

In recent years, the global phenomenon of overtourism has begun straining infrastructure and ecosystems, and pricing locals out of communities. For a time it appeared that this trend wasn't slowing down, but then the  pandemic hit and holiday hotspots suddenly went from overtourism to no tourism.

As travel rebounds, many people are rethinking how they explore. Taking the road less traveled and visiting under-the-radar spots to avoid crowds is one way to be responsible.

But if you can't resist the lure of the big tourist districts, Justin Francis, CEO of activist travel company Responsible Travel , says you should travel off-peak . "If you really want to see the canals of Venice , or La Sagrada Familia of Barcelona , then consider traveling outside of summer or school holiday," he advises. "There will be far fewer people around, and the money you spend will help businesses that can struggle outside peak season."

The Points Guy:  Carbon offsetting: How to calculate your carbon footprint when you travel

2. Go by road or rail

Trains, planes and automobiles. Which one is best? Air travel is the natural enemy of sustainable travel because it wreaks havoc on the environment. The Swedes have even coined a new phrase, ' flygskam’ or ‘flight shame,’ to refer to the feeling of environmental guilt travelers have over flying. Unfortunately though, sometimes flying is non-negotiable. If you live in New York and need to visit Shanghai , you're not going to take the slow boat to China . So the best solution is to fly less.

9 best sleeper train journeys to take in Europe in 2022

"Instead of taking three or four short city breaks by air each year, aim to take one, longer trip by plane and a few ‘staycations’ or trips where you go by road or rail," recommends Francis. He notes that travelers should always choose economy class (as first class can have a much higher carbon footprint ) and fly direct where possible. "You can also look into which airlines have the lowest emissions per passenger mile . And wherever you can, travel overland in a destination instead of taking domestic flights."

I'm a Lonely Planet writer and I gave up flying. Here's what happened

3. Opt for eco-conscious accommodation

Eco-conscious accommodation has come on leaps and bounds in recent years, thanks to changing attitudes among consumers. Now the industry knows what's good for the planet is good for profit and hotels are starting to rack up serious eco-credentials. There are CO2-neutral stays on offer in places like The Brando in Tahiti, the Olakira Camp in the Serengeti , Vienna's Boutiquehotel Stadthalle and Hotel Kong Arthur in Copenhagen , part of Arthur Hotels, which was the world's first carbon-neutral hotel group. You can even try Zero Island, a tourist-friendly island in Sweden that managed to go carbon neutral in one year.

When it comes to plastic waste, the Angama Mara in Kenya follows a strict plastic-free policy and EDITION Hotels launched the "Stay Plastic Free" campaign to remove single-use plastics from the hospitality industry. Companies are also giving back, like AccorHotels who are financing smart-tree planting schemes for local farms. In 2016, the international hotel group planted nearly 17,000 trees in the UK as part of its global Plant for the Planet program, financed by the £233,000 saved by guests reusing towels rather than sending them to the laundry.

16 stunning eco-hotels for the environmentally conscious traveler

4. Pack reusable items

The best way to reduce your waste output is to produce less. Vicky Ellmore from Reusable Nation says pack light and purposeful. "Stick to the basics and take reusables like a water bottle, coffee cup, steel or bamboo straw, food container (collapsible ones are great for traveling) and bamboo cutlery or a spork so you can avoid single-use plastics," she advises. "Take a reusable shopping bag and produce bags so you can shop plastic-free, and take zero waste toiletries, such as shampoo bars, deodorant paste and tooth tablets. You'll create a lot less waste and you won't have to worry about liquids and aerosols."

Bea Johnson, the author of Zero Waste Home recommends repurposing everyday items you use at home for vacation use. "I bring my own earbuds and a peshtemal, which I use as a towel at the beach, a picnic blanket in a park or a scarf when it gets cold, but also a blanket on the plane, so I don't have to use those provided by the airlines which are wrapped in plastic."

Innovative sustainable tourism attractions around the world

5. Spend your money locally

If you choose locally-owned accommodation, eat at independent restaurants, buy locally made products and choose local experiences you can make a positive impact. Travel social enterprises such as I Like Local use tourist dollars to create sustainable incomes for local guides and hosts in 19 countries across Asia and Africa . Founder Sanne Meijboom tells Lonely Planet, "As many local people in Asia and Africa are not benefiting from tourism in their country and more travelers are looking for authentic travel experiences, we connect the dots. A traveler like you can join local life and the local person earns 100% of the money he asks for the experience."

Colombian tour company Impulse also has a social enterprise mission and harnesses the power of tourism to generate a market-driven peace movement. "We do this by creating experiences travelers love and which actively involve local communities thriving for peace in the business. This generates economic and cultural empowerment that supports social transformation and helps break material and psychological poverty cycles within the communities," says Impulse's Nikola Kelch. "Our passion is to help communities get back on their feet, one tour at a time."

6. Choose your animal experiences carefully

Even 'harmless' selfies can be threatening to wildlife. According to the charity World Animal Protection (WPA), animals in the Amazon “are being torn from the wild so tourists can take selfies for Instagram and other social media”.

How to be a responsible wildlife tourist

Animals shouldn't be used for human entertainment and they need to live as free from human interference as possible. If you are keen to see wild animals in their natural habitat, choose places that offer ethical and sustainable animal interactions such as elephant sanctuaries and marine conservation volunteer projects. Elephant rides should always be given a miss and avoid all experiences where animals are behaving unnaturally.

The best way to travel sustainably is to be more mindful. As Responsible Travel's Justin Francis sums it up, "There is just one key point to keep in mind: respect the fact that you’re holidaying in someone else’s home, and think about how you can make a positive impact while you’re there."

7 easy tips for eco-friendly travel on a budget

You might also like: 'Why travelers need to rethink their attitude to travel' Into the green: eight destinations for an eco-friendly escape You can be a part of worldwide coral regeneration schemes – here's how

This article was first published Jun 21, 2019 and updated Apr 6, 2022.

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Sustainable travel

• 1 Understand
• 4 Get around
• 10 Flora and fauna
• 11.1 Economic issues
• 12 Back home
• 13 CO 2 emissions
• 14 See also

This travel topic on Sustainable travel deals with how to best avoid negative impacts on the global and local natural environment while traveling and how to best preserve the places you visit for future generations to enjoy.

Travelling can be fun, and it broadens the horizon. Seeing some place on TV is one thing, but being there in person can give deeper insights and understanding that go beyond prejudice and cliché. For others, travel is a necessity either for business , to visit friends and family or for myriad other reasons. However, travel can also be harmful to the natural environment of the places travelled to as well as (mostly through CO 2 emissions that know no border) the world at large. Any responsible traveller must want to ensure future generations can enjoy the world the same way they did and thus everybody should contribute their share in preserving historic sites, and reducing harm on nature. Obvious things like switching off the light when you leave a room probably don't have to be mentioned here, but there are a few other things, that you should keep in mind.

As much of the environmental impact comes from transportation, one way to lessen impact is to travel shorter distances, another to travel more seldom. On one extreme, visiting New York, Singapore and London, each over a weekend, requires several long-haul flights. Instead there might be a neighbouring country you don't know well, also with fine sights, reachable by rail, or even places next to your home that you never visited (cf Staycation ). You could also save days off (or arranging work or study at the destination ) for less frequent longer stays. Staying gives you a chance to study your destination well in advance, to really get to know it while there, and allows you to live more like the locals (perhaps with locals, e.g. in a rented room in someone's home) instead of in a hotel, and thus with much less of an environmental footprint.

One concept related to sustainable travel is slow tourism : take your time to experience your environment when travelling. By car or rail you often learn little about the country you are rushing through, and even less when flying over it, while by bike or on foot you will see much more, and probably more frequently interact with locals.

Before you leave, unplug all electronic devices that don't have to keep running. Not only does this save money and electricity, it also eliminates the risk of lightning strike destroying your appliances, TV or the likes. If you can and it's feasible, turn off power entirely. When leaving home for a larger period of time, consume your frozen and refrigerated food, thus you won't have to keep the fridge plugged in, saving both money and electricity. Furthermore, refrigerated or frozen food does spoil after some time, so eating it before you go is the best way to ensure this does not happen. Turn off the main water supply and drain the pipes – they can't freeze and leaks won't flood your house that way. Depending on how your heat and hot water system works, you might wish to switch it off entirely, but subzero frost or just moisture can do damage, so consult an expert.

As a rule: don't use cruise ships and don't fly , if you don't really, really need to. In most cases, cruising is the worst and flying isn't far behind as the least environmentally-friendly way of getting to wherever. Also, just flying from one place to another is the surest way to miss everything interesting in between and being in port for a few hours is no substitute for spending the time needed to experience the culture and hospitality of a place.

And do you really need to get that far away to experience something new? Exploring the places close to home can be quite interesting, too.

If you want to go far, do not go often, but prepare well and stay a longer time instead. If you are travelling for your job or for similar reasons, use the opportunities to stay for a holiday before or after, instead of always doing separate trips for that.

Walking, cycling , rail travel (including urban rail ) and bus travel minimize emissions per distance and passenger. Electric trains are almost always less loud and emit less pollution. When you must ride a car, consider ride-sharing , or low-emission vehicles. While most populated regions in Europe and East Asia have great public transportation (countries with the most public transportation users are centered around developing countries with poor systems, i.e. in Latin America ), travelling the United States without a car or in any African country is more of a challenge. Don't fly unless there is absolutely no alternative (e.g., rail transport). General aviation has an enormous environmental footprint. Occasionally aircraft may actually consume less fuel per person than a car with only one person in it, but both are highly inefficient. Some types of ship travel (notably ferries) are environmentally responsible ways to travel, while others (notably cruise ships) are among the filthiest ways possible to travel.

Cycling is the most efficient form of transportation in terms of energy use per passenger kilometer (yes, this includes walking). If you are comfortable on a bike and the local environment allows it, a bike is a superb way to see urban and rural areas. One big benefit of a bike is that it is slow enough to let you see landscapes you are driving through, but fast enough to enable you to go large distances, also to places with little other transport. If something interests you, finding "parking" for a bike is rarely a huge problem, and less interesting stretches can often be skipped by taking the bike on a bus or train.

Avoid taxis if there is public transport. In most European and many Asian cities there are public transportation lines running throughout the night. Although a taxi wastes less manufacturing resources and parking space than a private car, it still shares their other drawbacks. While the taxi business in some countries (such as Sweden ) is an early adopter of green fuels, even such a taxi is much less efficient than the tram – and most taxis run on gasoline. Look for the way back to your hotel/hostel before heading out to avoid having to figure it out in the night (or having to find a taxi). If your mobile device works in the local network or you are sure to have Wi-Fi, download the local public transit app to check connections. Many of those apps even offer updates in real time.

Inner-city car traffic is one of the most inefficient (and often unpleasant) ways to get around. The fuel consumption of all cars goes up in city-environments as a lot of energy is wasted in repeated brake-acceleration cycles (even for hybrids and electric cars that have regenerative braking). You also contribute to congestion, which in turn has effects on fuel and land use. Other modes of transport might not only save the environment, but also time and money.

Also when driving on the road, the engine is most efficient when working steadily. Avoid unnecessary overtaking and driving near the vehicle in front. Choose days and times of day when the traffic is reasonably light and take a break when other traffic gets on your nerves.

When boating, efficient vessels are to be preferred. Slow, "hull speed" boats usually consume much less fuel than speedboats, at least when not driving near full speed (watch the waves: causing waves is what draws power) – and of course nothing beats sailing, rowing or paddling in terms of "green" motive power.

When good infrastructure is not available, consider leave no trace principles. The principles about not causing erosion are valid also when the infrastructure is good.

Research your destination beforehand — some places (both natural sites and human structures) cannot cope with the current stress of the number of visitors, making for crumbling steps or trampled flora. Consider avoiding a visit to such places. There are often equally nice less known alternatives.

Once at the destination, and this should go without saying; seeing means just that: seeing. Don't take anything from a place that you shouldn't. "What's the harm in taking one small stone/flower?", you might ask; multiply by a couple of thousand or even million and you have your answer. This is especially true for vulnerable ecosystems such as Arctic and subarctic regions where plants can take centuries to grow a couple of centimeters or coral reefs where the stroke of a swim fin can cause harm. Instead take a photo of that flower. Often your smartphone camera can do – avoid using throw-away cameras, which produce worse quality. Respect all local prohibitions and taboos on taking pictures.

The use of live animals as tourist entertainment can be harmful, as performing animals are sometimes held in captivity in unhealthy or miserable conditions. Even in their natural habitat, whales and dolphins may flee boatloads of sightseers in the same manner they flee predators, disrupting feeding or normal activity. Wildlife in the wild is best viewed at a respectful distance.

Take all your trash with you, or throw it into the bins provided. If the local bins are full or emptying may be costly (as when the sight is away from cities), ignore the bins and carry your waste out regardless. Avoid using excess packaging in the first place and consider leaving the packaging at home, using your own instead. Even seemingly "natural" waste like banana peels can take decades to decompose and cause major harm to ecosystems. Cigarette butts are effectively the filter – which is plastics. To say nothing of the stench and ugly sight of slowly rotting biological waste.

Unfortunately many attractions and activities will bombard you with tons of fliers, brochures, advertising and the likes when all you wanted is a ticket. If you can, politely decline them and if you have an "online ticket" only print what you actually need to print (read the fine print, regulations differ widely from "we accept the QR code on a display we can scan" to "print all fifteen pages and have photo ID handy or we will treat you as if you had no ticket at all"). If there are brochures or maps of e.g. a museum or park at the entrance, try and keep them in pristine condition so that you can hand them back upon leaving. Don't take more than one for your group and try to use digital alternatives over paper when possible.

Skiing in some areas can damage trees which in turn exposes the soil to (often catastrophic) erosion. If skiing is not permitted somewhere, there are usually very good reasons for that. The same goes for many other sports and driving with motor vehicles in the terrain.

Local food should go over imported food. The point of travel is to get to know other cultures, so step out of your comfort zone and try the local food, prepared by locals in a restaurant owned by locals. If you can't for the life of you live without a certain product from "back home", bring it with you on your trip in (note restrictions on some food) or try and find a local replacement. You'll save money and reduce the harm done through imports. If you are retiring abroad and find you can't stand the local food, you should ask yourself whether your new home is right for you after all.

In some countries "novelty" foods are offered that often include endangered species; examples include turtles and their eggs, shark fins, whale meat and various types of monkeys. Do your research beforehand to avoid those foods, and on the other hand, to learn which local dishes you can eat without problems.

In general food served on ceramic dishes with real forks and knives is better for the environment than the same food served on throwaway dishes or in disposable wraps. Take particular care when it comes to Asian restaurants, as they often use disposable chopsticks. Just keep a pair you are comfortable with and leave the ones you are provided with unopened, so they may be used by the next customer.

If you have some utensils, you can make your own snacks from what you buy on the market (or supermarket), not resorting to ready-packed things with extensive one-portion wrapping. While a local restaurant or a bunch of bananas may be the best alternative, you do not always have (or want) that option. If you need dispensable bowls or spoons (because there is no water for washing the dishes, or whatever), you can wash suitable packages and dispensable spoons from when you could not avoid them, and throw them away only after the later use.

If the tap water is unsafe to drink, try buying bottled water in larger quantities. Not only will you (usually) save money, but there will also be less damage to the environment through packaging and transportation. If you want to reduce the weight you carry, leave the large container in the hotel and take a smaller bottle with you that you refill once you're back in your room. Do take into consideration that people tend to sweat – and drink – more in hot and humid weather, especially when they're not used to it. If you travel in a high income country, tap water can actually be safer to drink than bottled water regardless of what advertising may have led you to believe. The Wikivoyage article on water spells out the details.

If there is a deposit on your can/bottle, return it. Chances are it will be reused or recycled that way. When there is no deposit, the material may still be reused if you use waste bins specifically for glass or metal. Plastic bottles (even if they are recycled) are less often reused than glass bottles, making them more ecologically damaging. Of course this only applies if you (can) return the bottles and they are indeed reused. Melting down a glass bottle and casting a new one uses more energy than the same process does for plastic bottles, but glass bottles usually are washed and refilled more times before that happens. For glass bottles, try to avoid breaking them. Glass shards are dangerous to both people and animals and they remain dangerous for a long time.

Local alcoholic drinks are usually both cheaper and better than the standard imported fare. When in Kentucky drink local whisky instead of imported vodka, when in Nicaragua drink local rum instead of wine that had to travel halfway around the globe to get to your table. Naturally, the same goes for non-alcoholic drinks . Avoid "prestigious" bottled waters from exotic destinations, especially when good, clean water is available locally.

Consider what standard is necessary for you. Five star hotels in an otherwise less developed environment usually need a lot of resources and may have a big impact on local nature. They are also more likely to import (next to) everything, leaving much less money in the local economy than more modest or locally owned accommodation. When out in the wilderness, try to stick to the rules of leave-no-trace camping . Camping can be an environmentally friendly way of accommodation even if you visit a big city; look beforehand whether there's a camping site accessible by public transport at the outskirts of the city.

If your hotel lets you, dry and reuse your towel as long as you're comfortable with it. This might require some firm but polite insistence in some places, but even using the same towel twice instead of once reduces the need to wash towels by 50%.

When you travel in places where electricity is not centrally provided (very remote destinations and some third world countries in general), hotels with solar panels on the roof are to be preferred over those with a diesel fueled generator. Not only are they much cleaner environmentally, the solar panels are silent whereas a generator is not, so will have better nights and brighter days in a hotel with solar-based backup electricity.

Flora and fauna

If you ever had to fill out a customs or immigration declaration in countries such as the US, you might have stumbled over questions regarding visits to farms or contact with fresh soil. This has a very serious reason: Seeds and plant disease of all kind can easily be carried around in the nooks and crannies of hiking boots. As some invasive species or plant diseases can have devastating consequences (a soil-borne fungus has all but exterminated the once dominant Gros Michel variety of bananas for instance and similar things might soon happen to the now dominant Cavendish), you should really avoid carrying them under your feet. So clean your boots as thoroughly as you can, especially when you're about to board a vehicle of some kind that will carry you (and your boots) hundreds of kilometers away to some region unaffected by whatever is on your soles.

While a certain amount of wildfires are healthy or even "natural" in certain climates, humans are both the main cause and the only thing that can prevent the most dangerous and destructive wildfires. Every year, fires consume untold amounts of valuable property as well as natural forests and sometimes wildfires even take human lives. Do not smoke in the forest during the dry months: Cigarette butts are a common cause of wildfires, matches thrown away too early are also a risk. Under certain circumstances even a piece of glass can become a lens and thus cause wildfires. In short: Don't litter. If you make a campfire , make sure that local rules allow it in the time and place you intend to, and keep to the rules of fire safety described in the article. Also keep in mind the old saying "The bigger the fool, the greater the fire".

Travel in developing countries entails getting up close with local fauna, even if you stay in a mid-range hotel in a major city. If you can't handle the thought of geckos or spiders in your dwelling, maybe those places are not for you. For the record, both are (for the most part) harmless to humans and keep the most dangerous animals there are in check - mosquitoes. When trying to control pests stick to the less harmful methods. DDT is right out, but check drawbacks also of the alternatives. Let animals you don't know live (unless they are an immediate threat to life and limb), because many of them are threatened and some of them may be protected by local law. Use nets around your bed to keep the risk of tropical diseases like Malaria to a minimum. Where mosquitoes don't carry dangerous diseases, try to keep chemicals at a minimum, using long sleeves and untreated mosquito hats and mosquito nets as appropriate.

Take care what you buy and buy local whenever and wherever possible. The tacky souvenir you buy at the airport for twenty dollars may be available at the local market for five bucks and there will be more money going to the common people rather than some corrupt government official taking their cut. A surprisingly large amount of "authentic" souvenirs will be made in China (even in places about as far as you can get from China!), which is not what you want unless you actually are in China and even then, there can be a huge difference between tacky throwaway crap and stuff you would genuinely enjoy having on your mantelpiece.

Being eco-friendly by buying local does however not mean that products made from rare or "exotic" species are OK — quite the contrary. In addition to often being illegal under local law, you incentivize the hunt, unsustainable collection and even possible extinction of those organisms and as many of those are protected by international agreements such as CITES or prohibited under the law of your country of origin, they will likely be confiscated by customs and you may be in for a heavy fine or even a prison sentence.

Economic issues

Tourism can be both boon and bane to the local economy. On the one hand, tourist dollars can lift rural communities out of poverty and the dependence on varying harvests or the ups and downs of world market prices for cash crops. On the other hand, tip heavy tourists can severely distort local wages and if a waiter at a cocktail bar can make more in tips on one good evening than a doctor does in a month, young people will wonder whether they should even study to become a doctor in the first place.

On another note, the more "developed" the tourist infrastructure of a place, the more money will end up in the hand of multinational investors, with the locals getting surprisingly low paying jobs in luxury and all-inclusive resorts if that. Not all foreign investment in tourism is bad or evil, and the investors often do have a genuine long term interest in keeping the nature and culture of the place they invest in intact and the tourists coming, but more often than not, soulless hotel complexes built with little regard to local architecture destroy the very "authentic unspoiled exotic place" feeling they are trying to sell to tourists.

Often (not always) the dividing line is between speaking the local language and not speaking the local language. If you are in a tourist facility where everyone speaks your language and you have no contact to the locals beyond the cocktail bar, you are unlikely to perceive the problems inherent in mass tourism. If on the other hand, you stay in a small guesthouse where you talk to the (local) owner on a daily basis and take a tour with a local guide trying to make ends meet, your trip will likely be both more rewarding to you and better for the local economy.

CO 2 emissions

Traveling, or transport in general, is one of the biggest sources of global carbon emissions (26% of global CO 2 in 2004), the cause of climate change.

By choosing a different mode of transport, you can alter your CO 2 contribution significantly. According to a Union of Concerned Scientists analysis, buses , trains and ferries are almost always less environmentally damaging than cruise ships, planes or cars. The amount of greenhouse gases emitted depends on how great a distance is travelled and how many people are travelling in the same vehicle, as well as the fuel used – for electric vehicles the way in which electricity is generated. Also with public transport, the percentage of seats (not) taken are an important factor. However, using a less popular service running anyway will not cause additional emissions (and it running may avoid several people buying a car).

The Union of Concerned Scientists developed a set of tips for travelers in the United States based on their analysis.

Walking and cycling are the greenest options. A couple traveling on a bus (motor coach) will generate nearly 50 percent less greenhouse gas emissions than they would driving a fuel-efficient hybrid car. On the other end of the spectrum are big SUVs and first-class flights , especially general aviation , that generally pollute the most. A passenger occupying a first-class seat is responsible for twice as much carbon dioxide pollution as one in a standard coach seat. A large, inefficient SUV emits nearly four times the greenhouse gas of a highly efficient hybrid. If electric cars or hybrids are not available, those who rent a car should consider an efficient conventional car, which will cut pollution and fuel costs. Many car rental agencies now offer both efficient conventional vehicles and low-polluting hybrids. Consider the type of trip you are taking, as hybrids have little advantage where you can keep a steady speed, but can minimize the losses of constant braking and accelerating in an urban area (where a fully electric car would be ideal).

For couples and solo travelers, a nonstop coach flight almost always beats an average car . Air travel is often assumed to be the worst option for vacation travel, but auto pollution can add up, especially when vacationers drive long distances or travel with few passengers. If traveling alone or with one other person, vacationers are usually better off flying direct in coach than getting behind the wheel. This is especially true for trips of more than 500 miles.

When flying, consider taking a train for at least one leg if there is no direct connection between your home airport and your destination. For example, instead of flying indirectly from Amsterdam to Antananarivo , take a Thalys train to Paris and then a direct flight to Antananarivo from there.

Also, vacationers should schedule their trip wisely. Sitting in traffic eats up gas, which means more greenhouse gas are emitted. Altering vacation schedules to avoid peak travel periods can save consumers time and money – and cut pollution. The sweet-spot for a modern sedan car, is usually around 90km/h, which gives the greatest number of kilometers per liter of fuel. It is often lower for a SUV. Allowing extra time for your trip can reduce fuel costs and carbon emissions.

Of course this study fails to mention Amtrak , which is comparable in efficiency to buses on most routes. On other continents there are different low-emission options available, like extensive rail links, coastal ferries, etc.

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For Travel, a Sustainable Comeback?

From a newly certified Whale Heritage Site to scenic byways for electric cars, five new initiatives suggest the travel industry may be envisioning a more responsible future.

By Elaine Glusac

With travel stalled for the past 10 months, its sustainable comeback has been a popular topic. Now with Covid-19 vaccines in distribution, and the prospect of travel reviving later this year, some travel operators, local governments and nonprofit organizations are walking the talk, with new eco-oriented programs, trips, transportation initiatives and preserves.

“I think we will see a significant pivot in the tourism industry in 2021,” said Gregory Miller, the executive director of the nonprofit Center for Responsible Travel , noting that the focus is “not on who is benefiting the travel business, but who’s benefiting the community.”

The following are some of the many sustainable initiatives that have been started during the pandemic, awaiting the return of travelers.

A marine heritage site

From Dana Point, Calif., whale-watching operations take visitors on boat trips to see gray whales, blue whales and, on occasion, racing megapods of dolphins. They also pick up discarded, deflated balloons — which might be mistaken for food by sea creatures.

“We tell people, don’t celebrate with balloons, because this is where they end up,” said Donna Kalez, the co-president of Dana Wharf Sportfishing & Whale Watching , a recreational guide service.

She and Gisele Anderson, a co-president of another whale-watching operation, Captain Dave’s Dolphin & Whale Watching Safari , wanted a way to signal to the world that their region is not just a great place to see whales, but to learn about and protect them. They found it in the Whale Heritage Site program from the nonprofit conservation association World Cetacean Alliance to which they applied. In late January, Dana Point received the designation a Whale Heritage Site, the first in the United States.

The Whale Heritage Site designation is meant to identify to travelers not only whale-rich areas, but those that are engaged in conservation, education and cultural celebrations of whales. An initial pair of sites, The Bluff, South Africa , and Hervey Bay, Australia , were designated in 2019. In addition to Dana Point, a region off Tenerife, Spain, was also named a Whale Heritage Site this year.

“It’s a new program but we think it could be what National Parks are to the U.S.,” said Ben Williamson, the programs director for World Animal Protection, US , a global animal welfare nonprofit which is a partner on the heritage site project. “We think rolling out these landmarks for sustainable and responsible tourism gives tourists and the travel industry a marker to show how the wildlife experience should be done.”

World Animal Protection promotes viewing animals in the wild rather than in captivity, such as at SeaWorld San Diego, about an hour south of Dana Point. Seven more candidate sites globally are currently under review for certification.

A deep coastal canyon below Dana Point draws whales and dolphins close to shore, and the town is home to a whale festival that has been running for 50 years. Its sustainable whale-watching operations will be audited every three years to maintain heritage site status.

“This isn’t a designation for life. You need to work to keep it,” Ms. Anderson said of plans for future beach cleanups and citizen science initiatives and continuing work to instruct recreational boaters on keeping safe distances from whales.

Colorado electrifies its byways

A key component of Colorado governor Jared Polis’s climate action plan — which calls for the state to obtain 100 percent of its energy from renewable sources by 2040 — is electrifying transportation. More than 30 fast-charging stations for electric vehicles are planned or available on Colorado’s interstates and highways, or highly trafficked “corridors.”

Greatly expanding the range of electric cars, charging facilities about 50 miles apart are coming in June to six of the state’s 26 Scenic & Historic Byways , which traverse rural areas and are popular with road trippers.

By encouraging drivers to spend time in towns with charging stations while their car is being replenished, the initiative combines economic development and sustainable transportation.

Andrew Grossmann, the director of destination development for the Colorado Tourism Office, calls the first electrified byways an “initial skeletal installation,” with capacities for a minimum of two cars at each station. While many newer model electric vehicles can go more than 200 miles on a charge, “having them in place more closely helps reduce range anxiety,” he said.

To use the new system, travelers would have to arrive by electric vehicle, as few are available from rental car companies. However, the Dollar and Thrifty rental car franchises at the Eagle County Regional Airport near Vail have agreed with the state to add 10 electric vehicles before the end of the year. And Vail has 28 public charging ports and nearly 20 stations at hotels, including Sonnenalp Vail .

For local drivers, electrifying remote byways is a passport to travel.

“We want to go not just to Vail, but Clear Creek, South Park and places that are less discovered by tourists because we’re the locals, so that’s a game changer for us,” said Don Dulchinos, 64, a technology consultant based in Boulder, who owns a 2012 Chevy Volt and runs a Facebook page for electric vehicle owners in the state.

Biking adventures that start in the city

Since 1976, when it organized a cross-country bike ride in celebration of the nation’s bicentennial, the nonprofit Adventure Cycling Association has specialized in mapping long-distance cycling routes across the United States. But this year, the organization, which encourages bicycle transportation, aims to take travel-by-bike to urban areas in an effort to bridge environmental and social sustainability.

Its new Short-Trips Initiative, which will kick off in June, will create maps and suggested itineraries for trips from one to three nights from eight cities — Atlanta, Austin, Texas, Boston, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, San Francisco, Seattle and Washington, D.C. — with plans for 30 cities by 2023.

“We wanted to focus on letting people know they can have a great adventure even if they’re going for one night,” said Eva Dunn-Froebig, the project director of the initiative.

A major program focus is to diversify the cycling scene, which the association describes as predominantly male and white. In addition to reaching urbanites, the initiative includes recruiting ambassadors from each city, especially among Black, Indigenous and other people of color to lead occasional short trips and share their bike camping expertise.

“I think the A.C.A. is trying to catch up with the social environment,” said Jess Kim, 30, a transportation engineer in Seattle and avid bike camper who is Asian-American and plans to apply to become an ambassador for the initiative. She calls it a “step in the right direction” in offering flexible rides to those with constrained schedules, targeting racially diverse communities and partnering with organizers like herself who are working on making cycling more inclusive.

As a practical matter, the A.C.A. says anyone can bike camp, which might include having a family member drive a support vehicle with camping gear or fashioning bike carriers from kitty litter containers .

“The best bike for your first tour is the bike you already have,” said Dan Meyer, the deputy editor of the association’s Adventure Cyclist Magazine.

Saving pangolins

The only fully scale-covered mammal, pangolins curl up in an armored ball when threatened. It’s those scales, used in traditional Asian medicine practices, that largely make them the quarry of poachers. According to the Coalition to End Wildlife Trafficking Online , more than one million of the small, ant-eating animals have been illegally traded in the last 10 years. Eight species of pangolins, native to Asia and Africa, range from vulnerable to critically endangered.

“What we’re looking at here is yet another man-made extinction. And because of the silent and elusive nature of the pangolin, it could be a very silent extinction,” said Les Carlisle, the director of conservation at andBeyond, which runs safari camps and game preserves in Africa, and has started a program to rehabilitate pangolins rescued from illegal trading. The goal is to establish a breeding program.

Last year, a captive pangolin was recovered by authorities, rehabilitated at the Johannesburg Wildlife Veterinary Hospital and eventually relocated to the 70,560-acre andBeyond Phinda Private Game Reserve , a private preserve and safari camp, in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, where it gave birth to a pup, the first in the area for an estimated 40 years.

While the preserve is heavily guarded and the pangolin rehabilitation program is ongoing, its managers won’t say how many pangolins are living on the property for fear of drawing the attention of poachers.

Guests at one of the Phinda lodges, which have reopened, can join a researcher from the conservation team during a general health check of a pangolin. But don’t expect to see one of the shy, nocturnal creatures on a game drive.

“Rangers who have worked on reserves with pangolins have gone years without seeing one,” Mr. Carlisle said.

Carbon capture for the people

Travel has a chronic carbon problem. The emissions associated with travel, by car, ship or by air, make sustainable travel a stumbling block right from departure. Carbon offsets have long been a balancing alternative, though most experts agree offsetting isn’t enough to slow or reverse climate change .

Tomorrow’s Air , a new climate action group incubated by the Adventure Travel Trade Association, is taking a different tack, both technologically and socially. It champions carbon removal and storage , as done by the Swiss company Climeworks — an expensive process that filters carbon dioxide from the air, sometimes injecting it underground in basalt rock, where it mineralizes over time.

While the process seems sound, “the question is, is it scalable?” said Howard Herzog, a senior research engineer at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, who has studied carbon capture for more than 30 years, noting the high cost of running the technology relative to the amount of carbon removed. “It’s a lot cheaper to not emit than to try to capture it later.”

Though the emerging technology is indeed costly — one Peruvian tour operator estimated that mitigating a flight between London and Lima with carbon capture technology would cost $5,040 — Tomorrow’s Air aims to excite people about the future of carbon removal, invest in it and create a community of travelers and travel companies around it that will eventually be large enough to sway companies and governments to engage.

“We’re providing ways for travelers and travel companies to support the scale-up of carbon removal technology,” said Christina Beckmann, the co-founder of Tomorrow’s Air. “We thought, what if we got travel, which is 10 percent of global GDP, or some portion of it, united around carbon removal with permanent storage? We could really do something.”

Tomorrow’s Air is pursuing that goal by planning online Airbnb Experiences tours of a carbon capture plant. And it has partnered with artists who focus on the climate, showcasing their work on its website. It also sells subscriptions starting at $30, of which 80 percent is invested in a carbon removal company; 20 percent funds further educational efforts.

The group is holding its first convention (virtual, of course) today, bringing together what it calls “climate clever travelers and brands” to talk not just about carbon capture, but where to go and how to be a more sustainable traveler, a step in harnessing consumer demand to climate change action.

“It’s practical, it’s affordable and it’s a way to be a part of what will hopefully be a growing traveler’s collective where by eventual size maybe we can take some things to scale,” said Ann Becker, 68, a business and travel consultant living in Chicago and a member of Tomorrow’s Air.

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12 sustainable destinations we'd love to visit in 2023

By Juliet Kinsman

As sustainability editor, I'm always up for championing the destinations that are showing a whole lot of love for the wellbeing of the world. Whether powering their nations on renewables, or addressing specific environmental or community issues, these nations are making the planet a better place while inviting us to explore them in an eco-friendly way, with the widest-flung of open arms.

Weighing up what makes an entire country sustainable is a daunting task, and these countries are in our sights for lots of different reasons. Yes, hopping on long-haul flights might not feel like a fast-track to tackling the climate emergency, but if you are planning on travelling anyway, then why not become a more conscious traveller? Here, we steer you to hosts with a conscience, too.

The Scottish wilderness

We’re wild about their rewilding

Scotland was already in our heads and hearts for being the country that was first to sign up to Tourism Declares a Climate Emergency – an initiative launched in 2020 to encourage the tourism sector to reduce carbon emissions. With COP26 having seen Glasgow host the most significant changemakers and conversations around the climate emergency, we are even prouder of this nation for leading by example. As biologist and naturalist Edward O Wilson outlines in his book, Half-Earth , we must strive to conserve half the Earth’s land and sea if we’re to get things back on track; there’s no doubt the more of our planet that we can rewild the better. Wilderness Scotland has been showcasing sustainable tourism for two decades, and the European Nature Trust has our attention for their conservation of tens of thousands of acres of the Scottish Highlands at Alladale Wilderness Reserve . To find the eco-friendliest accommodation providers, Scotland's Green Tourism certification scheme badges the best options.

Bhutan’s green valleys

Light-touch, high-value tourism

If being a more sustainable traveller is to think more deeply about why we travel, as well as ensuring we're taking a trip somewhere that will do more good than harm, the last remaining Buddhist kingdom is as compelling a destination as can be. A model of sensitive tourism in the Himalayas, Bhutan is the world’s only carbon-negative country and offers a less-is-more approach to hosting visitors by carefully regulating tourism and including the protection of its forests in its constitution. Since the country has a minimum daily package rate, there is a sensible targeted approach to inbound tourism, meaning less visitors, with a higher spend, so that foreign guests are welcomed into this compassionate, inclusive community, with few barriers between them and the Bhutanese. Amid emerald-green forests and glacial valleys, there's no straying from the country’s authentic, epoch-old way of living, and you have the comfort of knowing your environmental impact is minimal. Sustainable high-end hotels include Gangtey Lodge, Bhutan Spirit Sanctuary, Six Senses , with a Habitas outpost opening here soon. MyBhutan from His Royal Highness Jigyel Ugyen Wangchuck and Matthew DeSantis has introduced long-term farmhouse rentals for longer durations to allow a select group of guests to explore deeper into Bhutan. One of the 23 founding signatories of the Future of Tourism , Bhutan is also one of the best-vaccinated societies in the world.

The nourishing mountains of Slovenia

Peaks to climb and plates piled high with organic excellence

This compact Central European country with its fairytale mountain scenes of Baroque-spired churches and wooden hayracks has long since punched above its size as a hero of green tourism. More than a 10th of the rolling countryside is formally protected, spanning Alpine peaks, ancient forests, Karst plateau, the Pannonian plains' vineyards and thermal waters down to the dinky 29-mile stretch of Adriatic coast betwixt Croatia and Italy . We love the tourist board's Green Scheme of Slovenian Tourism , which navigates you to the greenest hosts and camping sites. But let’s be honest – it’s the chic and delicious eats that really woo us. And there's nowhere better to follow a climavore diet: rather than cutting out all animal products to minimise the environmental impacts as vegans might, these are more flexible climate-conscious eaters who savour nature-sensitive suppliers and dishes with low food miles. 

Slovenians consistently work wonders with local and seasonal ingredients, as commended in a recent wave of Michelin plaudits such as its inclusion of Vila Planinka, a seductive boutique bolthole little more than half an hour’s drive north of Ljubljana. In the capital itself, Zlata Ladjica is a restored 400-year-old property riverside in the cobbled centre known also for its organic restaurant . For time away that leaves an especially good taste in the mouth, we're confidently nudging you towards Vipava Valley, which is a world-class winner at showcasing small wine producers and biodynamic deliciousness. Be sure to visit Cejkotova Domacija, a tiny homestead in Goče, the oldest village in Slovenia , a unique time capsule of eras past. Big up Lake Bohinj for getting us excited about its new boutique cuties Sunrose7 and the new-look Alpina Bohinj hotels. And why fly, when you can get there or back by train on an overland adventure via Austria , Germany and France .

Voluntourism in Madagascar

Transformational travel adventures tackling the climate emergency

Showing support for a nation in need of tourism revenue and booking a nature-saving holiday is what sustainability travel is all about. With these criteria in mind, Madagascar qualifies to the max. Unexplored primaeval rainforests await on this giant African island which is host to a compelling cast of wildlife characters that can’t be witnessed elsewhere. It may have been made famous recently by the animated movie of the same name, but this Indian Ocean island country has sadly gained news coverage most recently due to the fact it has been hit by the world’s first climate-induced famine in the south. SEED Madagascar is an NGO which has been working hard to raise awareness and sustainable tourism company Earth-Changers.com has been organising volunteerism trips. Near SEED's conservation base is Manafiafy Beach and Rainforest Lodge, while Eden Lodge, half an hour from Nosy Be island, is the first Green Globe in Mada and the Tamboho Boutik Hotel is the first property to get a Green Key seal of approval.

Costa Rica’s wildlife-rich reserves

An eclectic UNESCO-protected mega-ecosystem

Boosting biodiversity is regularly cited as one of the biggest priorities in restoring equilibrium for our land, sea and atmosphere. Home to almost six per cent of the world’s species, Costa Rica is a world-leading cultivator of this essential complexity of life on Earth and one of the first countries to promote responsible ecotourism. Go for virgin rainforest and first-class accommodation from Monteverde Cloud Forest to the Osa Peninsula. Here, between the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, more than a quarter of this Central American nation is set aside as protected parks and reserves, which are a precious safeguard against deforestation and logging and help guarantee that visitors encounter a dazzling cast of wildlife at every turn. Three of the country’s national conservation areas and parks are UNESCO -protected, and much of its electricity is renewably sourced. Lapa Ríos was the original eco-lodge, and its ocean-view cabins in a 1,000-acre private nature reserve are as appealing for 2022 as ever.

Fresh air in Finland

Fantasy forest adventures

You’d do well to get a lungful of ‘living’ in a nation where 80 per cent of the terrain is forested. The crisis from air pollution globally came to the fore in 2021 when the World Health Organisation declared it one of the biggest environmental threats to human health, alongside the climate emergency. Meanwhile, Finland's air and water is proclaimed the clearest. Thank you to the tourist board for laying on a Sustainable Finland programme to map out a blueprint to help visitors plan the most eco-friendly escapes and engage with nature and local culture, knowing every step of their stay has been looked at through an economical, ecological, social and cultural lens. Our eyes are on Octola especially for 2022 — a private wilderness retreat deep in the Arctic Circle with hundreds of hectares of Lapland forest. We’re especially seduced by the luxe 10-room lodge designed with Lapp and Sami traditions in mind. Sign us up to spy the Northern Lights from here — visible from these coordinates, from August until April.

Fantastic flavours and forward-thinking in Barbados

The Caribbean island setting new benchmarks

This Atlantic Ocean coral island is one to watch for its transition to renewables. One of the Lesser Antilles of the West Indies, this new republic, sized only 21 miles by 14, is regularly walloped by hurricanes. It may not be famous for next-level eco stays – yet – but we’re saluting Prime Minister Mia Mottley's mission to lead by example from the frontline of the climate crisis. As well as proselytising about the need to switch to greener energy supplies, the celebrated COP speaker is introducing dramatic targets for this island which is so especially vulnerable to the climate emergency. Tourism is the main revenue, and they’ve been hard hit economically without the usual stream of visitors in recent times, but still managed to win acclaim for looking after their residents so exceptionally well during them. 

CAST – the Caribbean Alliance for Sustainable Tourism – can attest to the strength of the country's new direction towards more nature-positive and community-focussed experiences. La Maison Michelle, owned by a Black Bajan, is a reclaimed sugar plantation which now hosts seven suites and exemplifies a new-gen hospitality business that supports community-boosting initiatives. Coco Hill Forest insists we reconnect with nature while making it clear these 53 acres of land are the beginning of big ecotourism plans from the director of the Bridgetown Film Festival. Plus, the yield of indigenous fruits and vegetables served over in its Mamu's Café is impressive. Also working hard to reverse the reliance on imported produce is Local and Co, a restaurant helmed by chef Sophie Michell and a champion of regenerative organic, hyper-local and wild food sources, and which cooked for Prince Charles on the eve of them becoming a republic. Graze on produce from the biodynamic PEG Farm and Nature Reserve in good conscience too, knowing that they model free-range animal husbandry and permaculture.

Jessica Puckett

Rebecca Cope

Becky Lucas

Marti Buckley

Green and serene Germany

Wellness for the world

Wellness is naturally the forte in a country with hundreds of health resorts, and here you can spa sustainably, such as at the carbon-neutral Nature Resort Schindelbruch in Südharz or while enjoying the moonlight sauna at Eifel-Therme Zikkurat. The tourist board itself is Green Globe certified and so they know what they’re talking about when they navigate visitors to 1,300 places to stay, from glamping to high-end hotels. Green Pearls is a portfolio of eco-friendly escapes that includes many members in its home country, too. If you are of a plant-based-diet persuasion, this country has the largest percentage of veggies in Europe — so you know it will be easier to keep your foodprint low. Take a train through Germany, and a reminder of the country's dedication to more sustainable eating is even visible from the on-board organic dining options. Yet more impressive than that, all its long-distance trains run on 100 per cent green electricity.

Global goals from Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Iceland

Scandinavian eco-energy superheroes

Folks are wising up to the importance of keeping the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals in mind. When the UN announced its 17 SDGs at the United Nations Assembly in 2015, they were laid out as a roadmap to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all. According to the team behind them, Scandinavian countries Denmark , Sweden and Norway all rank in the top 10. Now that we know there’s so much emphasis on the need to decarbonise our energy systems, let’s show some love for the countries with the highest reliance on renewable energy. In Norway, hydropower contributes 45 per cent of its power – its energy-positive off-grid poster hotel is Svart. And we have to salute Iceland too, which is already 100 per cent powered by renewables. We’re especially drawn to family-owned Torfhús Retreat, which runs exclusively on geothermal and hydroelectric energy and where all stays are offset.

Sustainable Travel

Travel with Purpose and Care

What does sustainable travel mean in action? What practical steps can I take to travel more sustainably, to reduce the negative impacts from my trip and maximize the positive impacts? How can sustainable travel actually enhance and improve my travel experiences?

We’ll answer all of those questions about sustainable travel on this page, plus share our best articles and advice the topic so you can learn more about key issues, practical tips on traveling more sustainably and with impact, what to avoid, and how to begin — or continue further — on your sustainable travel journey.

This is not only important for the health of our planet, but it’s also crucial for the well-being of the people and communities we visit and love around the world. It’s a path to deeper connections to nature, local people and culture, and ourselves. We find that traveling with an awareness for sustainability often results in even better and meaningful travel experiences .

Our travel decisions and actions really do make a difference.  

What is sustainable travel?

There are a lot of definitions of sustainable travel out there, but we try to keep it simple: traveling with respect for the local environment , for local socio-economy , and for local people and culture . This respect translates into a greater awareness and caring of the impact of our decisions and actions – good and bad – as travelers.

In practical terms, sustainable travel translates into travel and experiences that:

• Reduce your environmental footprint and support conservation of nature
• Keep travel money local to support local businesses and jobs
• Preserve local culture and traditions

But here’s another thing about sustainable travel: it often creates more immersive and unique travel experiences for you the traveler through deeper connections to the people, place and nature we visit.  

The idea: we respect, care, and preserve to have a meaningful experience now and also so that future generations can also enjoy this big, beautiful and diverse world of ours.

How to travel more sustainably?

We’ve spilled a lot of digital ink on this topic over the years so we’ve collected our best articles below regarding sustainable travel tips and ideas, what to look for in tours and experiences, questions to ask travel companies, pitfalls to watch out for, understanding when wanting to “do good” can do unintended harm, and much more. Remember that sustainability, like travel, is a journey where we are always learning, growing and trying to do better.   

Read these Sustainable Travel Guides for Inspiration and Practical Advice

Traveling Sustainably: 20 Ways to Be a Sustainable Traveler

Is it Ethical to Travel Now? With that Freedom Comes Responsibility

Can Travel Be an Act of Social Activism?

How to Use Social Enterprises to Improve Your Travels…and Make a Difference

Child Welfare in Travel: 10 Do's and Don'ts for Engaging Responsibly

Traveling in the Age of Overtourism: 10 Ways Travelers Can Help

Even more good sustainable travel reading:, what does sustainable travel looks like in action.

Sustainable travel can take so many different shapes and and express itself through a diversity of experiences. Here is a selection of sustainable travel experiences from around the world — from environmental conservation to cultural preservation to income generation — that we've experienced.

How Your Travels in Madagascar Can Support Conservation and Communities

A Favela Tour in Vidigal, Rio de Janeiro: How to Do One Respectfully and Responsibly

Aboriginal Australia: An Arc Towards Understanding

From Wildlife to Village Life: An Experiential Guide to Chobe, Botswana

Social Enterprise & Clean Cookstoves in Tanzania

A Turtle Liberation: A Sad Story with a Happy Ending

Does sustainable travel need to be expensive.

The fact that expensive eco-lodges in the middle of nowhere tend to get most of the press give the impression that sustainable travel needs to be expensive or is only a luxury item. We firmly believe that it is possible to travel sustainably on any budget.

Think about it. The most environmentally friendly form of transport – walking – is free. Buying from local businesses and eating local food is often inexpensive. Not buying bottled water, reusing items vs. buying new and taking public transport is also good for the budget.

Sure, there are some elements of sustainability that can cost more – fair wages for local staff, organic food, handmade and artisan products, environmentally friendly packaging, proper waste processing – but we find that it is still possible to travel sustainably no matter what your budget. It's more about understanding key issues and then adjusting your behaviors and purchasing decisions to match your values and goals to travel more sustainably.

You can find a full listing of all our sustainable travel articles here .

Survey of travellers finds 76% want more sustainable options

Over 40% of people are willing to pay a little more to support certified sustainable travel options. Image:  Pexels/JESHOOTS.COM

Paige Bennett

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.chakra .wef-1nk5u5d{margin-top:16px;margin-bottom:16px;line-height:1.388;color:#2846F8;font-size:1.25rem;}@media screen and (min-width:56.5rem){.chakra .wef-1nk5u5d{font-size:1.125rem;}} Get involved with our crowdsourced digital platform to deliver impact at scale

Stay up to date:, travel and tourism.

• More than three-quarters of people want to make their holiday travel sustainable, according to Booking.com's 2023 Sustainable Travel Report.
• However, 49% of those surveyed said sustainable travel options are too expensive, especially given the rising cost of living.
• Other barriers to sustainable travel include a perceived lack of options and uncertainty over where to search for holidays that promote environmental stewardship and support local communities.

A new travel report from Booking.com found that 76% of respondents hope to embrace sustainable travel plans over the next year. The survey also found that many travelers are looking into more ways to reduce their impacts while traveling, from reusing linens to turning off the AC in their hotels and other accommodations.

In the 2023 Sustainable Travel Report , which collected responses from over 33,000 travelers around the world, Booking.com found that a vast majority of those who travel are looking to do so in a more sustainable manner. Around 76% of respondents want to travel sustainably over the next 12 months.

But costs are also influencing travel decisions, according to the report. About half of respondents believed they would see worsening impacts of climate change over the next six months, and 64% of respondents believe the cost of living crisis will also worsen during that time. Many respondents (76%) noted that rising costs and the global energy crisis are impacting their budgets, and 49% of those surveyed said sustainable travel options are too expensive.

Some travelers (43%) are willing to pay a little more, though, to support certified sustainable travel options. As many as 74% of respondents said that traveling more sustainably in general is important to them.

Have you read?

.chakra .wef-1c7l3mo{-webkit-transition:all 0.15s ease-out;transition:all 0.15s ease-out;cursor:pointer;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;outline:none;color:inherit;}.chakra .wef-1c7l3mo:hover,.chakra .wef-1c7l3mo[data-hover]{-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;}.chakra .wef-1c7l3mo:focus,.chakra .wef-1c7l3mo[data-focus]{box-shadow:0 0 0 3px rgba(168,203,251,0.5);} sustainable aviation fuel offers flight path to net-zero air travel, are we moving toward sustainable travelism, how the travel industry can influence sustainable growth.

The report highlights the stresses of rising costs and climate change on people around the world.

“While travel may be back, rising living costs and climate anxiety has led to greater demand for more budget and planet-friendly options,” Glenn Fogel, CEO of Booking.com, said in a statement . “Travel can be a force for good and travelers themselves are proving to be today’s changemakers, adopting more sustainable travel habits and seeking responsible experiences.”

Further, the report noted other barriers to sustainable travel, including a perceived lack in sustainable travel options and an uncertainty in where to search for travel options that promote environmental stewardship and support local communities. Respondents also showed some distrust in the validity of sustainable claims and credentials.

For many travelers, minimizing their impact in any way possible has been important. The number of travelers who turn off the AC and appliances at their accommodations or reuse the same towels has increased compared to the 2022 report. Over half of respondents (55%) travel with their own reusable water bottle.

But one of the biggest issues with travel is transit. Tourism accounts for around 8% of global greenhouse gas emissions and is expected to increase. According to Booking.com’s report, about 43% of travelers plan their vacations to be able to walk, ride bikes or ride local public transit. Still, there’s more to be done concerning one of the biggest sources of emissions: aviation.

“Ultimately, building a truly sustainable industry will take time, but progress is underway to ensure that it’s becoming easier for everyone to experience the world in a more mindful and responsible way,” the report authors wrote.

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Sustainable travel

The Importance of Sustainable Travel and 12 Tips to Be a More Responsible Traveler in 2024

Eco friendly travel has never been more important for our children, for our environment, and for our future, the importance of eco friendly travel and 12 tips to be a more sustainable traveler.

Sustainable travel…it’s so hot right now! Not only is it trendy to travel and live more sustainably, it’s also vital to the future of our children and the future of our planet!

I recently spent the past week at the Study Abroad Summit where we discussed the benefits of study abroad, but we also talked about the state of travel, its impact on cultures and the environment, and the importance of sustainable travel.

As travelers who value sustainability, our goal is to leave the places we visit better than we found them. The “leave no trace” principle is one way to embrace our green values on vacation, but there’s more to it than picking up after yourself.

Disclaimer that I am FAR from a perfect responsible traveler and definitely far from a perfect responsible citizen of Earth, but I am trying to be better every day and continue to learn from my mistakes and from others around me who know better.

The UN declared 2017 the “Year of Sustainable Tourism” in an effort to draw attention to the fact that many tourist destinations were not, in fact, environmentally sustainable. One of the goals of this initiative was to encourage travelers to make a positive impact on the environment, society and local economies.

A study conducted by the University of Sydney found that global tourism accounts for 8 percent of carbon emissions, with the U.S. ranking the highest, followed by China, Germany, and India. The global industry is worth over $7 trillion.

I’m not telling you to stop traveling. I personally believe that the benefits that travel can have (if done properly) can outweigh the damage it does. The ability to expand knowledge and open minds directly results in travelers becoming more likely to advocate for the environment and cultures outside their own.

So how can you travel the world sustainably? We have a few ideas.

1. Choose a Sustainable Destination

Not all places are created equal — is your destination sustainable?

If you need some ideas about which destinations are sustainable, I’ve compiled this great list of alternatives to places suffering from overtourism.

Traveling to a conservation-minded destination is one of the greatest things a traveler can do, according to World Wildlife Fund’s vice president of travel, tourism, and conservation Jim Sano .

There is such a thing as overtourism, according to an article in National Geographic , and places like Amsterdam, Venice, and Barcelona are prime examples. These places have not historically been conservation-minded, but are instead focused on getting as many people as possible to visit and contribute to the local economy.

While that seems like a good thing, overtourism disrupts the local communities’ way of life. It also increases the cost of living, pushing out residents who can no longer afford to live there. Mass travel, according to National Geographic, poses real threats to natural and cultural treasures.

Cruise lines are major offenders when it comes to this mindset, dumping out thousands of people at a time onto islands and other communities. Aside from the fact that cruises are bad for the environment and contribute to a lot of food waste, their labor practices also leave a lot of room for improvement .

Barcelona is one of the world’s busiest cruise ports, and officials there are making changes to the laws surrounding mass tourism. Port cities in other areas of the world are restricting the number of ships that can dock.

And it’s not just cruise destinations. Amsterdam is working on tourist redistribution techniques, and countries in Asia are closing entire islands. Even Reykjavik, Iceland, has banned permits for new hotel construction downtown .

Venice also just disallowed cruise ships from docking as of next year.

So, with that in mind, choose a path less traveled. Look for areas that aren’t as frequently visited by tourists and contribute to economies that don’t benefit from masses of tourists descending on their town.

Visiting places that put effort into being sustainable encourages other towns to do the same.

2. Be Aware of Your Carbon Footprint

Oh, the places you’ll go — but what’s your carbon footprint?

Environmental purists will say that the most sustainable thing a traveler can do is to stay home. That way, there’s no carbon footprint. I’m not suggesting you stay home. As I stated above, I believe the benefits of travel done properly outweigh the damage.

Air travel is often the only way we can reach certain destinations, and flying has a significant impact on air quality. Many airlines, however, are now eco-friendly, including KLM, United, and Qantas, or offset their carbon footprint. The website Atmosfair.de ranks 200 of the largest airlines in the world based on their environmental impact and climate efficiency.

Fly direct when possible to cut down on emissions even further. Take-offs and landings create most of an airplane’s carbon emissions, according to Green Global Travel .

Once you’re in-country, check out high-speed trains. The Eurostar in Europe is an energy-efficient option. Consider slow travel , staying in one place for a longer period of time, rather than traveling from place to place.

Slow travel allows you to absorb the culture in a way that traditional vacationers don’t. Rather than visiting destinations as a checklist, pick a place and stay there. Doing this is cheaper, more environmentally-friendly and creates less stress.

Most people come home from vacation saying they need a vacation from their vacation. A frantic pace while traveling often defeats the purpose of getting away. The slow movement — slow travel, slow food, slow families — creates a chance to connect more deeply to the things that are important.

3. Be Conscious of Where You Stay

Lots of Lodging Options say they’re green — are they greenwashed?

If you’re an eco-conscious traveler, finding a place to stay that’s “green” is appealing. A hotel guest generates around two pounds of waste per day, according to the International Tourism Partnership , so knowing that the environment isn’t worse off for your stay is a good thing!

Because sustainability is becoming more and more important to travelers, most hotels claim that they are environmentally conscious or even “green.” But just because they claim it doesn’t mean it’s true.

A study by Washington State University showed that “greenwashing” is off-putting to customers who value sustainability. Greenwashing means that the hotels say they’re eco-friendly in an effort to draw more customers, but don’t actually do anything to back it up. Encouraging guests to reuse towels, for example, is not enough to really be considered green.

While there are a lot of eco-conscious hotels to choose from, they aren’t the only options. Travelers can stay at hostels, couch surf, use campsites, rent an Airbnb or swap homes.

Airbnbs have their downside, too. Investors have been known to buy up blocks of apartments and rent them out as short-term rentals, elbowing out residents who used to live there. However, there are still plenty of homes or rooms that can be ethically rented.

In some places, like New York City, it’s illegal to rent an entire apartment on Airbnb for less than 30 days . Despite that, it’s one of Airbnb’s hottest markets. Barcelona, Japan, Paris, Berlin and other places all have strict laws regarding the practice, so check the laws before booking your stay.

Wherever you decide to stay, do your homework and check out the reviews of your lodging options before you book them.

4. Do Your Part

It’s All in the Details — Are You Watching Your Own Habits?

No matter where you end up staying, remember to practice the same basic environmentally friendly habits you have at home. Turn the lights off when you leave a room, reuse towels and use reusable containers and bottles instead of disposable products. If there’s an option to use renewable energy, make sure to shift to it instead.

Beyond that, use the “do not disturb” sign on the door to prevent extra vacuuming and changing of linens. If you go on outdoor adventures, remember to stay on the path to avoid disturbing native flora, pick up trash as you go, and don’t feed the wildlife.

And of course, don’t litter, and try to avoid wasting food.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations says that a third of the food in the world gets wasted by rotting during transport or being thrown out.

Food makes up nearly 20 percent of the waste in landfills. As it rots, it produces methane, a gas that has 21 times the global warming potential of carbon dioxide. Because of that, the EPA has made it a priority to cut food waste in half by 2030.

If your lodging has a recycling program, use it.

5. Think About Water

By now, everyone knows that plastic water bottles are the bane of the environment! In case you haven’t heard, they’re killing our Earth, so we need to stop using them! But I know that’s not always easy when traveling.

But here is some motivation for you:

• Plastic bottles take up to 700 years to disintegrate
• 90% of bottled water is the bottle itself
• 80% of plastic bottles never get recycled
• 38 million plastic bottles go to landfill each year in America alone!
• 24,000,000 liters of oil is needed to produce these billions of plastic bottles
• The average American consumes 167 bottles of water per year
• Americans purchase about 50 billion water bottles per year
• Bottling water and shipping transport is the least energy-efficient method of water supply in the history of mankind
• Bottled water is the second most popular beverage in the United States

Phew! And that is JUST water bottles, we are not even talking about other single-use plastics, like shampoo bottles, etc.

Reusable water bottles are great in places where water isn’t scarce, but if you’re traveling to a country where it’s unsafe to drink the water or even an area facing a water crisis, you’ll have to think hard about how you’ll handle not just hydration, but hygiene.

Travel blogger Shivya Nath , who travels frequently to India, suggests requesting filtered water refills from restaurants, or asking for a jug of filtered water for your hotel room and using that to refill your bottle. You can purchase water bottles already fitted with a filter, which then allows you to refill with water from anywhere. You can also purchase portable water filters that use ultraviolet technology to purify water.

Water purifying tablets are also available.

Water conservation is another aspect of this issue. Take a shower — limited to 10 minutes —  instead of bathing, and turn the faucets off as you brush your teeth or shave. Filling up a bathtub takes , on average, 30 gallons of water, while a low-flow showerhead uses about 2 gallons a minute.

6. Reduce Single-Use Plastics

Now that I’ve got your attention about water bottles, let’s talk about other single use plastics such as straws, shampoo bottles, plastic utensils, plastic bags, and many many more products we use on a daily basis, probably without even considering the environment.

It’s difficult to reduce the use of these in everyday life and even harder to do while traveling. It seems that almost every hotel has tiny bottles of shampoo that will give my hair one wash.

You can help by trying to staying in green hotels where they have soap dispensers vs. tiny bottles.

You can also help by bringing your own bar shampoo and conditioner, using bamboo toothbrushes, and refusing straws at restaurants.

Bring reusable containers as you travel and bring food back with you to save for lunch the next day. If that isn’t possible, consider sharing meals as you dine, or ask for half portions. Travel with reusable water bottles, travel mugs, cloth shopping bags, metal straws, and utensils.

Efforts are being made all around the world to reduce single use plastics. Paris has recently banned plastic dining ware, like utensils and plastic cups, which is awesome! I’m hoping to see more cities and countries implement these guidelines around the globe. But the change has to start with us, the traveler!

These are small and simple things that add up to make a big impact on the environment while traveling.

7. Pack Wisely

Only bring what you need. This will make your life so much easier while traveling and allow you to use public transportation with ease. This is a great list of zero waste travel essentials.

Also, be mindful of any chemicals that you may be bringing to a destination. This is especially important with vacation hot spots like Hawaii where you’ll be spending a lot of time in the ocean. Be sure to pack reef-safe sunscreen to protect the ocean’s vital ecosystems.

8. Eat Less Meat

You may not know this, I didn’t until recently, but going vegetarian is one of the best things that we can do for the environment! It’s not only good for our bodies but reduces methane emissions and land clearing for livestock use.

9. Use Public Transportation When Possible

This can be a tough one in many destinations, but when possible use economical and environmentally friendly public transit options like trains. I spend 4 months backpacking around Italy with my kids using trains almost exclusively. It was actually great!

10. Be Intentional About Souvenirs

Try to choose souvenirs that you and your loved ones will actually use or treasure, not something made from plastic that will be thrown away the next time you move.

Even better, go for something consumable like local chocolates, spices, or oils.

Check the labels to see that it’s actually a product made in that destination. For example, most of the shell souvenirs you find in Hawaii are made in the Philippines. Go to local markets and find a way to support local artists or craftspeople.

11. Have Respect

R-E-S-P-E-C-T Respect the Culture and Habitat – What Activities Will You Participate In?

Study up on local customs and manners before you visit another country. Avoid taking pictures of locals without asking for permission first. It’s respectful to learn a few important words in the language of the country you’re visiting, and will greatly benefit you when you have questions.

Try to buy locally made items if you purchase souvenirs. Many vendors sell mass-produced items made in another country.

Avoid participating in activities that exploit animals, like riding elephants, drinking civet coffee or even taking selfies with tigers, a common tourist activity in Thailand .

Exercise that same sensitivity when visiting religious or sacred sites. The World Travel and Tourism Council says that even if it’s permissible to take part in an activity, your actions should align with those for whom the site holds a deep significance.

The keyword for all of these things is respect: for the natural environment, the location and the local people who live there.

12. Talk About Sustainable Travel

Possibly the most important thing we can do as sustainable travelers ourselves is to talk about how we are traveling sustainably, what our struggles are, and how we can help ourselves and others to be more mindful when we travel.

Don’t be critical of others not yet traveling sustainably. We can and should lead by example!

Share your stories, efforts, and struggles with your friends and family, and on social media.

If you see a company, hotel, or organization making concerted efforts towards sustainable travel, tell them “thank you” and continue to give them your support.

Practical Tips for Booking your Trip

Book Your Flight s and Car

Find a budget airlines by using  Skyscanner . This is my favorite way to search for flights because they crawl websites and airlines around the globe, so you always know you’re getting the best deal. Learn more tips for finding the best flight deals here.

For cars, I like to use Rental Cars because they have good filters and its easy to search for multiple companies.

Book Your Accommodation

My preferred way to stay around the world is VRBO . I find it usually gives you a unique local experience in any destination. If you want to stay in a hotel, use  Booking , as it consistently gives the cheapest rates for guesthouses and hotels. I use them both all the time.

Always Get Travel Insurance

Travel insurance protects you and your family against illness, injury, theft, and cancellations. It’s peace of mind in case anything goes wrong. I never travel without it. I’ve been using World Nomads for the last few years and love how easy it is to use. I have also used Allianz . Compare rates to see which is best for the coverage you need.

Looking for ways to save money on travel?

Check out my  resource page  for the companies I use for traveling! I share everything I use to save me time and money.

This was written together with Sam Reed, a content writer at PTAC4Less, an online retailer of new and refurbished PTACs , along with a full range of parts and accessories.

The post The Importance of Sustainable Travel and 12 Tips to Be a More Responsible Traveler in 2024 appeared first on Wanderlust Crew .

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Best of the Best Destinations

For eco-conscious travelers, the below winners stand out for their commitments to sustainability as measured by various inputs from our data partners at Global Destination Sustainability Movement and internal Tripadvisor data points, including destinations where Tripadvisor users were most likely to be found discussing sustainability in positive reviews.

The Travelers’ Choice Awards Best of the Best title celebrates the highest level of excellence in travel. It’s awarded to those who receive a high volume of above-and-beyond reviews and opinions from the Tripadvisor community over a 12-month period. Out of our 8 million listings, fewer than 1% achieve this milestone.

How we created this list of winners.

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The Sustainable Travel Dilemma

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Confronted with both climate change and the global energy crisis, travelers worldwide are torn. On the one hand, travelers want to do their share for the environment and travel more sustainably in 2023; on the other hand, the global energy crisis and the rising cost of living have an impact on their spending plans which limits their ability to choose more sustainable travel options. This conflict between cost and conscience is one of the key insights uncovered by Booking.com's Sustainable Travel Report 2023 .

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Hotels in the 2030s: Perspectives from Accor’s C-suite

As one of the largest hospitality companies in the world—and the largest in Europe—Accor is both an observer and a key player in the evolution of travel. Its expanding portfolio of more than 40 brands now encompasses over 5,400 hotels in 110 countries, with a workforce of more than 290,000 people. The company says it seeks to “reimagine hospitality” as it anticipates and caters to travelers’ changing needs and expectations.

In June, McKinsey’s Aurélia Bettati explored the future of hospitality and travel in interviews with three Accor executives—chief digital officer Alix Boulnois and, from the company’s premium, midscale, and economy brands division, chief marketing officer Alex Schellenberger and chief design, technical services, and innovation officer Damien Perrot—at Accor’s headquarters near Paris. An edited version of their conversation follows.

McKinsey: People’s travel habits changed a lot during and immediately after the pandemic. How do you think travel—and hotel stays in particular—will change in the coming years? Paint a picture of the hotel guest experience in the 2030s.

Alix Boulnois: When I think about the hotel experience in the 2030s, I think of augmented hospitality, which is this idea we have at Accor that the hotel is more than just a place to stay. It’s not just a travel destination; it’s a location people can enjoy even if they live in the neighborhood. You can eat at the hotel, go to the spa, or enjoy the gym. In the future, a ton of other services could be offered at the hotel, like your bank, your mail, your laundry, and so on.

Damien Perrot: The hybrid model—where the hotel becomes a place dedicated not only to travelers but to locals as well—is an important and growing trend in the hospitality sector. In fact, I’ll make a provocative prediction: in the 2030s, many people will choose to live in hotels instead of in apartments.

The future of hotels: Customized experiences, sustainable practices

Just to give you an example: today, you may have a dining room in your apartment, and you invite people to come and share a meal there perhaps once a week or once a month. Do you need those dining-room square meters every day? No. So you don’t need such a big apartment; you can live in a smaller place so long as you are able to get certain services when you need them. And a hotel can definitely meet those needs.

The rise of the ‘bleisure’ traveler

McKinsey: That’s a fascinating prediction—and one that Accor clearly believes in, given the company’s recent investments in branded residences. What about business travel? What trends are you seeing among business travelers?

Alex Schellenberger: Business travel is rebounding. We’re almost, but not quite, at prepandemic levels. But we also see that the nature of business travel is changing. This trend of what we call “bleisure”—mixing business with leisure—will probably continue for the next few years. Looking ahead to the 2030s, it’s likely that all these different elements of life—business, private life, play, going to restaurants, meeting friends—are going to intertwine.

That means hotels will need to provide multipurpose rooms and spaces where people can work, eat, and socially connect throughout the day. Now that many people can work from anywhere, hotel rooms need to be able to transform in a couple of minutes, so that you can potentially have a small in-person meeting with some of your colleagues or, at the very least, you can have a proper, professional video call.

Damien Perrot: Thanks to remote working, many people can now visit a place and stay there for a longer time. People would like to reduce their carbon footprint, but they still want to discover the world. So, for example, instead of going to Indonesia three times during your life, you might decide to go only once and stay there for one or two months. Instead of just seeing the architecture or visiting all the tourist attractions, you can take the time to live in and experience the country. So the hotel—whether it’s a city hotel or a resort—needs to be a place where you can work in very good conditions. Today, the extended-stay business in the hospitality sector is booming. This trend will accelerate. We plan to make our extended-stay network three times bigger in the next three years.

Alex Schellenberger: Another trend we’ve seen arising since the pandemic is a strong focus on mental health and well-being. As a hotel company, we have a responsibility to help our guests recharge, sleep better, and feel restored when they stay with us. In the past, you might have felt more tired returning from a business trip. Now, it’s up to us to give you the opposite experience.

For example, one of our brands, Novotel, which caters to this bleisure segment, is partnering with the meditation app Calm. If you’re staying at one of our Novotels, you’ll be able to use the Calm app and, hopefully, get to a better mental state.

Sustainable travel choices

McKinsey: Damien, you mentioned that people are more concerned about their carbon footprint. What role will sustainability considerations play in future hotel design?

Damien Perrot: Sustainability is the starting point of everything we do concerning design. When we talk about sustainability, we are talking about not just reducing the carbon footprint and energy consumption but also improving the quality of work for the employees—so ergonomics is also very important to integrate into design. Sometimes, design becomes a word that just means, “It looks nice.” But it’s much more than that: design is a tool which, when used properly, can make a property very efficient in terms of guest experience, employee experience, and sustainability.

Alix Boulnois: I believe our hotels will have evolved in the 2030s, with sustainability at the heart of this change. We can imagine some hotels whose energy is powered in a different way, hotels that may choose not to have a spa, or where traditional comforts are transformed with the good of the planet in mind. This is already happening, and I think it’s just going to accelerate.

Damien Perrot: Indeed, in the 2030s, the design and architecture of hotels will be completely different. Biophilic design, which increases connectivity to the natural environment, will completely shape the future of hospitality. A range of technologies, many of which already exist today, will be integrated into hotels to make them more self-sufficient.

For example, hotel facades will be inspired by nature. Using plants that are integrated into the facade, we will be able to retain the rain needed to maintain this vegetation. The glass used in the hotel’s exterior will capture solar energy. Hotel rooms will get direct light from outside; hotel corridors and hallways will be more like promenades or terraces. A hotel will be like a landmark in a city—you might not even be able to identify it as a building at all.

Alex Schellenberger: It’s no secret that the tourism and hotel industry is responsible for a big chunk of carbon emissions, so we have a big responsibility to lead in this sector. As of the end of 2022, 84 percent of our hotels had removed 46 different single-use plastic items, and we’re continuing on our journey to achieve a full 100 percent.

We’ve just announced partnerships with Green Globe and Green Key, which provide eco-certifications of hotel operations. Our recent research revealed that 65 percent of travelers would opt in if presented with more sustainable travel choices. And we want to incentivize people to make more sustainable travel choices—so when people search for hotels on our booking platform, they’ll be able to see sustainability certifications and labels, and the eco-certified hotels will appear as the first options.

We also offer, through our loyalty program, an option for people to donate their loyalty points to support sustainable causes. And, of course, we offer our guests the choice to forgo the daily change of bedding and towels. All of these little choices actually do help.

The technology of tomorrow

McKinsey: Another game changer across all industries is data and digital technology. How might the hotels of the future use technology to improve operations or guest experiences?

Alix Boulnois: Think about micropersonalization. You can imagine a world in which every single touchpoint with a guest is unique. On our digital channels, we’ll be able to recognize the guest, know their history and their background, and contextualize what we show them.

But it doesn’t stop at our digital channels. When the guest arrives at the hotel, we’ll also use technology to provide hotel staff with information so that they can serve the guest in a personalized fashion. They need to be able to say, “Hello, Mr. X, we know you’re traveling with your kids—and we know you love chocolate, so we’ve left some chocolate in your room,” and so on. One thing that will be really cool is that we’ll allow each guest to personalize many details of their stay: the temperature in the room, the scent, the layout, what side of the building the room is on. Technology will help make sure that we provide consistency across the entire customer journey and that we offer something distinctive for every single guest.

Damien Perrot: You will be able to book your room directly from the app, which will be personalized so that it can propose the best hotel and the best room for you depending on your preferences and the reason for your stay. You can also decide to go straight to the room with your mobile app, so the reception and transactional process will disappear if you prefer. That will free up the hotel staff to dedicate their time to helping guests in more active, less transactional ways.

Alix Boulnois: I also believe AI and, more specifically, generative AI will change the distribution of hotels in the future. Today, there is a lot of intermediation when it comes to booking hotels. The process is actually fairly traditional: people visit a website, they start a search, and they get a range of hotels to choose from. And everyone sees the same price at any given point in time.

In the future, some of this intermediation might disappear. You can imagine something way more fluid, where customers interact directly with the hotels through a generative-AI-powered marketplace, where they can see offers from the hotels and potentially trade with other customers. For instance, if you can no longer travel on the specific dates that you booked, you can resell your room to another customer. AI will show exactly the right hotel at the right price to every customer—so customer A and customer B won’t see the same offers.

You could also imagine that when you’re booking a trip, you see more than just the hotel and transportation options. In the future, you’ll most probably be able to book experiences, restaurants, and activities in the area.

McKinsey: What about extended reality (XR), like augmented and virtual reality? In what ways do you see the hospitality industry using XR technologies?

Alix Boulnois: We’re already seeing some usage of augmented reality and the metaverse to allow people to project themselves to a different location and explore new places virtually—but we don’t see it replacing travel entirely. The technology is still very nascent: the helmets are still heavy, the goggles usually give you a headache after 30 minutes, the entry cost for a customer is still prohibitive. So augmented reality is not necessarily something that we’re pushing in the near future. We are, however, exploring NFTs [nonfungible tokens]—we believe there’s potential for us to use them to provide unique experiences and allow customers to auction them off or exchange them with one another.

Our role is to provide unique moments to our guests, and technology is super important to our ecosystem. At Accor, we are actively looking at many new technologies, especially AI—and, more specifically, generative AI—which we truly believe will shape the future of hospitality.

Alex Schellenberger: I agree. AI’s impact is going to be huge, and that’s true in marketing as well. It is certainly going to help us be more predictive. Based on the previous booking history of our guests, we’ll be able to determine what they will like in the future, so we can make better suggestions to them about hotel brands, destinations, and guest experiences. We might soon be able to use AI to determine what our next marketing campaign should be.

But as a marketeer, I believe we need to keep the creativity, and AI will never be able to replace that. Marketeers must continue to be the voice of the guest and fly the flag for our customers. We need to continue to be the creative force that drives commerciality, because humans—not AI—will be the ones who can build strong and resilient brands over time.

Alix Boulnois is chief digital officer at Accor Group, where Damien Perrot is chief design, technical services, and innovation officer for premium, midscale, and economy brands, and where Alex Schellenberger is chief marketing officer for premium, midscale, and economy brands. Aurélia Bettati is a partner in McKinsey’s Paris office.

Comments and opinions expressed by interviewees are their own and do not represent or reflect the opinions, policies, or positions of McKinsey & Company or have its endorsement.

This interview was edited by Monica Toriello, an editorial director in the New York office.

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First-place Seattle Mariners know what they're doing isn't sustainable in AL West race

If nothing else, these Seattle Mariners are baseball’s ultimate duality, hoarding the game’s most precious and fading commodity to great success, providing the proper foundation to attain the ultimate goal.

“Pitching is king,” notes Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh , proud receiver of a starting rotation that’s pitched more innings than all but one major league club this season. “It doesn’t matter what level you’re playing at. Pitching is always going to be king. I’d say fielding is a close second.

“We do both those things really well. That’s kind of where it has to start.”

Yet it also can’t finish until the Mariners shake free of their albatross: An extended run of hitting futility that exemplifies the worst facets of modern baseball and threatens to nullify their starters’ handiwork.

“I don’t think what we’re doing right now is sustainable – from an offense and pitching standpoint,” notes designated hitter Mitch Garver , who’s lugging a .173 batting average and .280 on-base percentage, yet still finds himself in the middle of Seattle’s lineup most nights.

Follow every MLB game: Latest MLB scores, stats, schedules and standings.

“We cannot lean on our pitching staff that heavily all year long. We have to figure it out on the offensive front. And we haven’t even come close to reaching our potential on that end.”

And perhaps it’s really that simple.

The Mariners hit the Memorial Day checkpoint almost exactly a .500 team: At 28-26, they are a product of their environment. A legitimate five-man rotation, filled with once and future All-Stars and youngsters with crackling fastballs, leads the majors’ starters in WHIP (1.04), and has thrown the second-most innings, behind only the 38-16 Phillies.

Yet that greatness is largely nullified by an offense that’s 27th in runs, batting average (.224) and OBP (.297) and 24 th in OPS (.667) within a historically grim offensive environment. Garver is one of eight regulars or semi-regulars with OBPs between .272 and .306, yet with just three to six home runs.

In other words, an offense with little chance at stringing together three or four hits - yet not hitting enough home runs to make up the shortfall.

That grim pattern extended to superstar Julio Rodriguez, a notoriously slow starter who had just two homers until homering in consecutive games Saturday and Sunday; he has a .306 OBP and 90 adjusted OPS. Rodriguez’s slow start – and he has a career .766 OPS before the All-Star break, .939 after – isn’t the only thing feeling like déjà vu for Mariners fans.

A year ago, they were 28-25 entering Memorial Day and finished with 88 wins, third in the AL West – and a game out of the playoff field.

In 2022, they were 20-28, rallied for 90 wins and a playoff berth before toppling Toronto in the wild-card series but getting swept by Houston in the AL Division Series.

And three years ago, they hit the holiday 28-27, won 90 games, finished second in the West - but missed the wild-card contest by two games.

It’s a pattern the Mariners would love to break. Ah, well.

“This group has relied on the pitching so much over the last two or three years. It just can’t be that way anymore,” says Garver, whose Texas Rangers finished two games ahead of Seattle a year ago and then went on to capture the World Series.

“We need to score more runs and the players – we’ll be the first to say we’re not doing a good enough job, and we’re not.”

Fortunately for the Mariners, the definition of good enough just might be changing.

A mild, mild West

 The last week of September has in recent years turned into a grim spin of the roulette wheel for the Mariners. They’re not unlike a student who skates through the first half of class, picks it up for midterms – like the Mariners’ 38-15 rampage through July and August last year – and sees if the final exam goes their way.

Last year, their final was 10 games against the Astros and Rangers, all three teams vying for two playoff spots – and they failed miserably.

Seattle lost five of those first six games and was eliminated on the season’s penultimate day, when Texas won 6-1 at T-Mobile Park. The Mariners have not won the AL West since 2001 – Ichiro Suzuki’s famed Rookie of the Year/MVP campaign – and have spent most of the past decade hovering around 86 wins but looking up at an Astros team that won many more.

Monday night, the Astros begin a four-game series at T-Mobile Park in an unfamiliar position: At 24-29 and 3 ½ games behind Seattle. The defending champion Rangers aren’t much better, at 25-29.

For all their offensive inconsistency – and the Mariners have been held to three runs or less in 11 of their last 20 games – they’re actually in a far better spot than they’re accustomed.

Yet also harbor the sinking feeling that spring struggles sow autumn despair.

“Every game matters but it’s also such a long season,” says Bryan Woo, who debuted in June 2023 and has a 1.66 ERA this year in four starts off the injured list. “We really didn’t play our best ball, or even better baseball, until July or August.

“You stay consistent on things you’re working on, and we always hold ourselves to a really high standard. But also not get caught up because you’re going to have bad games.

“Regulate the highs and lows. Keep on chugging.”

Fortunately, Woo and his colleagues are pretty good at regulating.

‘The best trade we’ve ever made’

The Mariners’ identity was solidified for the better on July 30, 2022, when trade-happy but arbitrage-loving GM Jerry Dipoto dealt four prospects – including prized infielder Noelvi Marte – to the Cincinnati Reds for Luis Castillo, a couple weeks after Castillo’s second All-Star appearance.

Suddenly, Seattle’s annual trudge toward 85-ish wins had a north star.

Paired with reigning Cy Young winner Robbie Ray, Castillo won four games and gobbled up 65 innings down the stretch. He carried a shutout into the eighth inning of the Mariners’ first playoff game in 22 years, beating Toronto to kick-start a wild-card sweep.

And has arguably been even more valuable since.

After signing a $108 million contract extension, Castillo has lent definition and occasional dominance to rotation mates Logan Gilbert, George Kirby, Woo and Bryce Miller, who range in age from 24 to 27.

“Absolutely the best trade we’ve ever made,” says Mariners manager Scott Servais. “We gave up some really good young prospects, but to get a guy like that – a top of the rotation guy, the job he does every fifth day when he takes the ball, but also what he does for Logan and George and Bryce and Bryan, when you have that lead dog out ahead.

“Those guys are awesome young pitchers. Luis has a lot more experience, the ability to work through lineups. He has a certain persona about him like he’s the guy – and he loves that.

“It was probably a little bit painful for some in the organization because you give up a lot of good young players, but – risk vs. reward. You gotta know when to shoot the bullets and we did a great job.”

Gilbert and Castillo rank third and 10 th in the majors in innings pitched, respectively. Now in his fourth season and possibly headed to his first All-Star Game, Gilbert has taken on a greater leadership role with the younger pitchers.

But all take their cues from Castillo, 31, the lone veteran after Ray underwent flexor tendon surgery and was traded.

“He understands us really well, every person’s personality type,” says Gilbert of Castillo. “I think he just has that calming presence and this confidence about him. I’ve gone to him plenty of times and he’s helped me take a step back, understand what you do well and not really worry about anything else.

“I feel like there can be a lot more searching when you’re on your own. You can go through great times and the bad times can be rough.”

The organization’s pitching program – helmed at the big league level by pitching coach Pete Woodworth, pitching strategy director Trent Blank and former big league reliever Danny Farquhar – has reinforced the talent unearthed by the club’s scouting and development.

Woo has been untouchable since returning from elbow inflammation, allowing just 14 baserunners in 21 ⅔ innings, just three years after he was picked in the sixth round out of Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.

“My first start wasn’t very good and I didn’t know what to do,” Woo says of a major-league debut in which he gave up six runs in three innings to Texas last June 3. “They were like, ‘You don’t need to change anything, just use things a little different here or there and have confidence in what you do.’

“That was a pretty big deal for me coming up. The message is, ‘You’re here for a reason. Keep doing what you do really well. Continue taking advantage of your strengths.’”

Don't look up

The Mariners would prefer to balance their strengths. Saturday, after another feeble offensive effort in a 3-1 loss to the Nationals, Servais called a team meeting, reiterating well-worn themes for a club that lost its fourth in a row.

“I think we’re capable of much, much more,” Servais said before the series. “That was the original thought when we put the team together. I think the players agree with me on that one.”

Mercifully, they took advantage of Nationals starter Patrick Corbin's 6.29 ERA coming into Sunday and amassed 10 hits in a 9-5 win to cap a 4-6 road trip that began in Baltimore and Yankee Stadium.

Now, the Astros, and the rest of the summer. As always, the Mariners are in it. They have learned that there’s no time like the present to seize some control of their destiny.

“You don’t want to look up and we finish last season in a three-way tie with Texas and Houston – who even gets in? Texas ends up winning the whole thing,” says Gilbert.

“It came down to the wire. It’s great to be in that position. But if you win three or four you should’ve won in May or June that you might’ve lost by one run - those games really come back to matter at the end.”

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Airspace Cabin Vision 2035+

Today, aviation represents 2.5% of man made emissions. Huge progress has been made since the 1980s to reduce the industry’s carbon footprint. But the journey is only starting: Airbus is on a mission to connect today and tomorrow.

Our goal is that future generations continue to benefit from aviation as much as the current generations have.

Our ambition

The Airspace Cabin Vision 2035+ is all about reimagining the future travel experience. Passengers and the entire aviation industry are invited to envision a future of flying that prioritises sustainability while maintaining superior levels of comfort . This will be achieved via a paradigm shift leveraging digital processes and tools, bionic structures and a circular design philosophy. What would that look like exactly? Discover what we think!

3 pillars to achieve our ambition

Focus on 3 main drivers, supported by a clear roadmap that has been co-built with key industry players

Transparency

• Provide full transparency on the environmental impact of cabin parts and operations
• Offer reduced CO 2 emission cabin options and more efficient cabin operations
• Establish a framework for cabin end-of-life management and first solutions

Decarbonisation

• Introduce new cabin interior solutions and materials with low CO 2 impact and enhanced customer guidance
• Reduce significantly cabin products’ waste during production and landfill at end-of-use
• Establish new end-of-life management approaches

Circularity

• Integrate the next generation cabin in a hydrogen-powered aircraft and support the reduction of emissions intensity for the existing fleet
• Zero landfill and incineration of cabin materials at end-of-use  (except if required by regulation)
• Establish a circular cabin based on the elimination of waste and pollution as well as circulation of products and materials

Discover the C Suite

the Business Class concept seat that showcases our vision

The C Suite demonstrates the different facets of sustainability from cabin efficiency and weight reduction to new materials and processes , as well as a circular design approach . The concept addresses the need to reduce CO2 emission density by optimising the use of space and applying new technologies. 

Airbus presents the C-Suite, the Business Class concept seat that showcases our Airspace Cabin Vision 2035+.

Jump into the C Suite experience!

Interested in learning more about how we support decarbonisation?

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Media briefing 30th May 2023