Going on holiday? Sometimes the fun and games of vacation can be less-than-friendly to the environment, but it doesn’t have to be the case. If you’d like to travel in a more eco-friendly way, we have some tips to help keep your holiday nice to nature.
Exploring native flora and fauna is one of the best parts of travel. Seeing lions in Africa, elephants in Thailand, kangaroos in Australia… it’s all part of the fun and on the bucket list of most travellers. But unfortunately, a lot of native animal encounters can come at the expense of the animal’s welfare. To travel sustainably, animal encounters have to be ethical and responsible.
People flock towards coastal areas for tropical holidays, but the world’s beaches can’t always handle the swarms of tourists who come for vacations. Overtourism and a lack of understanding how to travel sustainably can pollute waters and damage sea and coral life over time. We already see this happening in many places around the world, and some of the most stunning reefs can easily be ruined by overtourism. Don’t let this discourage you! There’s plenty you can do while travelling to protect oceans and nature from being spoilt by tourism:
If you’re flying a long distance to arrive to your travel destination, don’t fret. Airplanes may not necessarily be the most sustainable mode of transport, but there’s plenty you can do on the ground to offset those carbon emissions.
You’ll hopefully already be doing this at home, but since vacations are all about taking a break, try not to take a break from this good habit. Here’s how you can reduce plastic use when travelling, for a more sustainable holiday:
Shopping for an upcoming holiday can be one of the most fun parts of travel prep. But when buying items, try not to skimp out on quality in favour of something more affordable. Avoid buying cheap quality plastic products that won’t last long, and try to splurge on higher quality gear that will be with you year after year. This will reduce the amount of waste you accumulate over your lifetime.
So there you go, travelling sustainably doesn’t have to mean missing out on fun! There are plenty of small things you can do to make your snorkelling holidays and tropical getaways easy on mother nature. If we can all travel sustainably, then the planet will keep on letting us enjoy its pristine beauty for centuries to come!