I love to travel – and I’m good at it. I’m able to ferret out the best travel deals, bound out of bed at 3am to catch early flights, pack light, deal with uncomfortable seats, chat with immigration officers and shake off jetlag. All that’s easy. But there is one thing that really makes me uncomfortable when I travel: being unable to control my environmental footprint.
I am a passionate – OK, obsessive – environmentalist. At home, I meticulously recycle, reuse and compost; I’m actually trying to figure out how to compost dog poop. Also, I walk almost everywhere, buy locally produced organic food and air-dry my laundry, which is just one benefit of living in the tropics. I even make my own cleaning products.
So you can imagine that I get nervous just thinking about the carbon footprint of airplanes. When family members suggest we vacation together at a massive, flashy hotel with buffet restaurants or on a ginormous cruise ship, I roll my eyes. Forget it!
It takes preparation, planning and courage to be as stringent as I can about vacationing. Below are some practices that help me travel mostly guilt-free.
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When planning, I pour myself a glass of organic, sustainably produced wine. Why not?
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See the big picture. News about the tourism industry’s negative environmental impact can kill our traveling bug, but on the other hand, tourism is a key driver of socioeconomic progress around the world. According to the 2015 United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) Highlights report, the industry creates one in 11 jobs and generates $1.5tn in exports globally. Sure, some of the work positions and money are connected to big, traditional and maybe not-so-sustainable destinations. But tourism is actually the first or second source of export earnings in 20 of the 48 least developed countries – considering that arrivals at developing countries accounted for 45% of total international arrivals in 2014.
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Know the difference between green, eco and sustainable tourism. Unfortunately, “green” doesn’t necessarily mean that a hotel or lodge is employing best practices, whereas ecolodges make concrete efforts to protect local biodiversity and to respect and promote the cultures of local people. “Sustainable” is a broader term, covering more kinds of accommodations, from remote inns to giant luxury hotels. Like ecolodges, sustainable hotels also protect the environment and local culture and people, but they also strive to be financially sustainable. They hire local staff, pay decent wages, provide trainings, and source food and gifts from local producers.
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Choose certified sustainable hotels, tour operators and other service providers. I want to stay in hotels and lodges that demonstrate, not merely claim, their commitment to conserving the environment and local communities. Certified hospitality businesses – ranging from giant, all-inclusive resorts to tiny, remote ecolodges – comply with global standards for sustainable tourism and are regularly audited by reputable international entities. These businesses have energy and water saving programs, help conserve biodiversity, recycle, buy local foods and even grow their own vegetables. Their employees have decent salaries and work shifts. For trips to Latin America and – after Zika dangers subside – the Caribbean, check out the Rainforest Alliance’s Green Your Travel guide to certified sustainable hotels and tour operators.
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Offset your carbon footprint. Tourism is responsible for about 5% of global CO2 emissions, and transportation generates 75% of all tourism-related emissions. Since reducing my carbon footprint is key to reducing guilt, I purchase carbon offsets for flights – you might be surprised at how affordable they are – and hire tour operators and car rentals that offset their own emissions.
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Be an obsessive environmentalist during your trip. I don’t let go of my obsessive environmentalism just because I’m away from home. I still turn off the lights, TV and air conditioning when leaving the hotel room. I reuse my towels after keeping my showers short. I eat at à la carte restaurants and carry my own reusable water bottle. I even bring my own shampoo, conditioner and soap to avoid using the tiny plastic bottles provided by hotels. Guests each generate an average of two pounds of waste per night, and these practices help bring that number down. By saving water and energy, we can help reduce the carbon emissions generated by hotels.
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Get out of the room. Even if my hotel is a certified sustainable paradise, I push myself to visit local businesses, museums, wildlife centers and national parks, and to enjoy tours by local entrepreneurs. This is not only to enjoy an authentic travel experience, but also to support area communities. Some hotels also offer volunteer programs that let you help at a baby turtle nursery or join a beach cleanup for a couple of hours. Many hotels also participate in the Pack for a Purpose initiative, which encourages tourists to bring school supplies to be donated to local schools.
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Buy responsible souvenirs. I stopped purchasing mass-produced T-shirts as souvenirs ages ago. Now I go home with jars of fruit and veggie preserves, shampoos and soaps made by local women, as well as handmade bags and other sustainable handicrafts. Investing my money in the right place makes me a happy traveler! Our travel and purchase choices can leave a positive social, economic and environmental footprint in the destinations and communities we visit.
And at the end of a long day of responsible sightseeing, I pour myself another glass of organic, sustainably produced wine. I mentioned that I’m on vacation, right?
Yessenia Soto is a Rainforest Alliance communications consultant based in Costa Rica.
This content is paid for by AMResorts in association with the Rainforest Alliance
