Travel remains an important part of many people’s lives, regardless of whether you are driving long distances across the UK for business or planning a trip to Asia with friends at Christmas. Whenever you travel, the impact of going away somewhere has on the planet remains a constant and ongoing concern.
While jetting off anywhere is known to boost your carbon footprint, there are measurable ways you can offset the negative impact, from planting trees as a company to being a more responsible traveller going forward.
Therefore, with summer behind you and thoughts turning to winter getaways and corporate events, it is a great time to reflect on the impact travel has on the environment. Whether you ventured to Scotland this summer or intend to travel abroad, being conscious of the environment around you whenever you’re travelling is more important than ever.
This article explores inspiring ways to blend adventure with responsible tourism, offering insights for both business travellers and eco-conscious individuals.
Understanding the collective impact of travel
The media has had a wealth of stories highlighting the problems of over-tourism on popular destinations globally. Whether it is outpricing locals from property in Devon and Cornwall, protests on crowded beaches in parts of Spain, or cruise ships arriving in Italy, the travel industry and tourists are being pressured into changing the way they organise or go travelling.
Therefore, even if you are not planning to go anywhere far, you can consider how to combine your travels to places at home and abroad that have no negative impact on the natural environment you visit. The United Nations’ (UN) Resource Efficiency in Tourism reports on the integration of sustainable consumption and production patterns across tourism policies. While the UN recognises that the international tourism industry is hugely beneficial to people, investors, and economies, it calls on businesses, stakeholders, governments, and communities to come together and support sustainability across the travel sector.
Looking at the growth of the international tourism industry, the UN also monitors sustainable developments and the progress being made to mitigate damage. Sharing reports and creating policies on sustainable tourism are a collective way to communicate how to travel and limit its impact.
Tourist resorts, eco-retreats, and hotels are making transformative efforts to become more sustainable in their operations. Similarly, golf is a greener sport and continues to address concerns around golf tourism, water usage, or the use of pesticides and fertilisers on courses that harm local habitats.
Being a responsible tourist
At times, travel is unavoidable if it is due to a work commitment, family trip, or a long overdue holiday; however, there is always a moment before you head off to consider how to be a responsible tourist. It is also possible to travel more sustainably as a B Corporation or as a solo adventurer and respect the damage of over-tourism and climate change.
If you have flown or driven a long way, there are various online tools to help you calculate the carbon emissions associated with your travel. These calculators consider factors, such as your mode of transport, distance travelled, accommodation choices, and the activities at your destination.
By quantifying your travel’s environmental cost, you can make informed decisions to reduce or offset your impact. While carbon emissions are a significant concern, it is important to consider other environmental impacts of travel. These include water use in hotels, waste generation, and the impact on local ecosystems and wildlife. Understanding these factors allows you to make more holistic choices in your travel plans.
If you make a concerted effort to integrate sustainable practices into your life, you will be used to shopping from ethically-sourced retailers and mindfully packing for your trip. While you are away, you might already follow the ‘Leave No Trace’ principles whenever you are travelling, walking in the woods, hiking up a mountain, or swimming in the sea.
Joining voluntary programmes
Many travellers find that participating in conservation work enriches their travel experience. Organisations and companies offer volunteer opportunities across diverse areas of conservation, such as aviation, hospitality, and across sport. There are various opportunities that combine travel with conservation in rural, coastal, and major cities. Look for interesting initiatives in the UK and Europe, from nature reserves, zoos, and National Park projects that welcome volunteers, organise events, and publish conservation programmes on their online channels.
If you love travelling or want to sign your colleagues up to plant a tree, or volunteer, there are various opportunities to sign up for, such as a visit to a wildlife rehabilitation centre, marine conservation projects, or sustainable agriculture initiatives.
Ensure that the projects you choose have a positive, long-term impact on local communities and ecosystems. If you are travelling solo, you might want to participate in longer term scientific and sustainable research projects. This could mean surveying coral reefs that are degrading, and even monitoring how fast icecaps are melting in polar locations. Whatever you choose, these projects allow you to do something worthwhile and explore incredible destinations.
Preserving trees and habitats
With an average of 24.7 million acres of forest lost across the world each year, it is vital that business and individuals team up to make a difference either by organising projects, publicising events, and partnering up with local business to enact change for the better. Trees play a crucial role in mitigating climate change and supporting biodiversity. Here is how travellers can contribute to forest conservation:
Plan trips to destinations actively involved in forest preservation. This could include national parks with reforestation programmes, community-managed forests, or botanical gardens preserving rare plant species. Some organisations offer travellers the opportunity to plant trees. You can join scheduled tree-planting events, support ‘plant a tree for every night stayed’ hotel programmes, or contribute to urban greening projects in cities you visit.
Supporting trips with sustainable choices
Pack light and smart to reduce the weight and consequently, the fuel consumption of your transport. Choose versatile clothing items, opt for reusable items like water bottles and shopping bags, and avoid single-use plastics.
Consider allocating part of your travel budget to support local conservation projects at your destination. This could involve donating to local environmental non-governmental organisations (NGO), participating in community-led conservation initiatives, or choosing eco-friendly tour operators that contribute to local sustainability efforts.
Personalising eco-conscious travels
Every traveller has unique interests and skills. Tailor your eco-travel experience to align with your passions. Combine adventure with conservation by joining hiking trips that contribute to trail maintenance, scuba diving excursions that include reef clean-ups, or wildlife photography tours supporting conservation research.
For business travellers, incorporate sustainability on work trips by choosing conference venues with strong environmental policies, organise team-building activities around local conservation projects, or extend your stay to participate in local environmental initiatives. Whether you are alone, in a group, or on a business trip, engage with local cultures and support sustainable practices, by buying from local shops, sourcing produce from nearby farms, and participating in community craft workshops that use eco-friendly materials.
By combining sustainable practices into your travels, you can create meaningful experiences that contribute positively to global conservation efforts. With every trip you make, celebrate World Tourism Day now and go forward to be more adventurous and active about preserving the planet’s natural wonders for future generations.
Annie Button
Annie Button is a freelance writer who has written for a variety of prestigious online and print publications. She specialises in lifestyle, business, branding, digital marketing, and HR.
Website: www.anniebutton.co.uk
