4 Tips to Be a Conscientious Tourist
You and your family may practice recycling and doing your part for the environment when you are at home, and that is great. However, do you do enough when you travel to help keep the planet clean and healthy for years to come?
Becoming a conscientious tourist is not a difficult task, even if you are traveling halfway around the world. Of course, what you do is dependent on what type of traveling you are doing, but you can make a difference with small changes.
Here are four things you and your family can do to become conscientious travelers. If you would like more information than that listed below, visit sanetraveller for additional ideas and advice.
1. Avoid flying
If you can, avoid flying. If you need to fly to your destination, choose a single trip rather than having to get on and off several aircraft. This may be a bit more expensive, the decrease in the environmental impact will be worth it.
If you fly overseas from the United States, consider taking a bus or train for other parts of your trip. This will take a little more time, but you will enjoy the view and the extra time with your traveling companions.
2. Choose eco-friendly hotels
Staying in a hotel can be costly, not only to your budget but to the planet as well. The amount of water, electricity and plastic waste is an alarming in different areas of the world. To limit the impact hotels have on these resources, look for eco-friendly hotelseco-friendly hotels and places to stay.
You will be able to reduce your carbon footprint when you use less water, less electricity and produce less waste. If you are staying at a typical hotel, you can request the sheets and towels to be left unchanged for your entire visit. This will reduce water and electricity usage.
3. Say no to bottled water
You may not find the same kind of water you drink at home, but the water out of the faucet in most areas is perfectly fine to drink. By not using bottled water, you are reducing the amount of plastic waste that ends up in the landfills and oceans.
You may also want to try a drink that is native to your destination. If it is a beer, try to get it on tap rather than in a can or bottle. You can still be conscientious and enjoy drinking water or other beverages, you simply have to choose your drink with care.
4. Go off-season
If you can, schedule your trip during the off-season. This will help to reduce the overpopulation and waste created during peak travel seasons. There are many places around the globe that are overcrowded with tourists, and this is not good for the people who live there year-round or their environment.
You may also want to avoid the typical tourist trapstourist traps as they are also overcrowded and put undue stress on the local resources. With a little planning, you can make your next trip one that will not put too much strain on the planet and still have a great time.
Article written by Jane Davies
This article was written by the guest author listed at the end of the article.