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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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This Travel Trend Is The Key To A Guilt-Free Vacation

Senior Reporter, HuffPost Life

As we become increasingly aware of the impact our actions have on the environment, more and more people seek ways to reduce their carbon footprint. This approach is important both in our everyday routines and during the times when we deviate ― like when we’re on vacation.

Fortunately, there are ways to travel more sustainably and minimize the negative effects of our tourism on the environment. It’s all part of a growing lifestyle movement called “green travel.”

HuffPost spoke to experts in tourism and sustainability about the growing world of “green travel” and how to incorporate this approach into your next itinerary.

What is green travel?

“Green travel is traveling in a way which is more sustainable than conventional travel,” said Anna Dacam, environment program manager at the Sustainable Hospitality Alliance . “It’s about minimizing the negative impacts on the natural environment as much as possible.”

She noted that taking a green approach to travel might entail curbing your carbon footprint, the amount of water you use, the waste you generate or any impact on local species and ecosystems.

“At its best, green travel goes beyond just minimizing harm, to actively contribute to the prosperity of people, planet and place,” Dacam said.

Indeed, this type of tourism is about thoughtfulness. It’s seeking to lessen your environmental footprint while positively impacting the local communities you visit during your travels.

“Travel can negatively impact local communities in destinations by driving up costs of living, promoting cultural commodification, or causing congestion at popular sites,” said Kaitlyn Brajcich, senior manager of communications and training at Sustainable Travel International . “Sustainable travel aims to minimize any negative impacts and maximize the positive by improving career opportunities, promoting the equitable distribution of tourism benefits, improving local quality of life, ensuring respectful interactions and celebrating the local culture.”

Make sure your tourism dollars go to the people and ecosystems most impacted by your presence. Focus on how your travels can help fund conservation efforts, raise environmental awareness and support the restoration of vulnerable habitats.

“There are many words to describe sustainable tourism these days,” noted Rachel Dodds , a sustainable travel expert and professor at Toronto Metropolitan University’s Ted Rogers School of Hospitality and Tourism Management. “Green travel is one of them.”

She explained that terms like “regenerative travel” or “sustainable travel” have come into popular usage in recent years, as experts emphasize going beyond reducing harm and actually benefiting the environment and locals during your visit. But nomenclature aside, the message of highly conscious, eco-friendly tourism is consistent.

“Green travel should really be thought of more holistically as ‘responsible travel,’ taking into account not just the environment but also the local community, the economy, and travel culture,” said Brian McMahon, travel curator at Origin . “They’re all interconnected, so you can’t talk about one without discussing the others. Thankfully, travel is trending more and more in this direction and it’s now commonplace to see hotels, airlines and travel companies proudly show off their sustainability commitments. The hard part for travelers is sifting through all of that information and deciphering between real action and lofty language.”

Why is it getting so popular?

“Green travel in various forms has been around for a long time ― there were ecotourism lodges as far back as the 1980s,” said Rebecca Benner, deputy director of the global climate team at The Nature Conservancy . “But there is now an increasing focus on the many aspects of the environment that travel can impact. It is hard to ignore the twin crises for climate change and biodiversity loss. The public consciousness about humans’ impact on nature has risen substantially in the last few years as has considerations of sustainability.”

For this reason, she believes green travel has become even more popular in recent years and will continue to grow in prominence.

“Humanity is facing some huge challenges,” Dacam said. “Fossil fuel usage, globalization and mass production have reached a point where humans are using far more of the Earth’s resources than can be replenished, generating greenhouse gases which are warming the planet. The tourism industry is no exception, contributing roughly 8% of global emissions each year. Climate change is causing increasingly extreme weather, rising sea levels and ecosystem breakdown.”

This reality is particularly relevant to tourism, which relies on the existence of safe, diverse, accessible destinations that attract people from all over the world.

“As the impacts of these actions begins to become more visible, individuals and businesses are increasingly waking up to the need to act now, to address the impacts we’re already experiencing and to safeguard future generations,” Dacam added.

She pointed to a 2023 report from Booking.com that found 76% of travelers say they want to travel more sustainably over the coming 12 months. Compared to the 2022 report, there were also big increases in the percentage of travelers taking sustainable steps on vacation, like turning off air conditioning when they aren’t at their accommodations, reusing the same towels and bringing their own refillable water bottles.

As travelers seek to minimize their negative environmental impact, many tourism-related businesses are working to make sustainability a major focus.

“Destinations trying to attract visitors realize that eco-aware consumers have the same concerns when they travel as they do at home, so work with hotels, restaurants, tour and transport operators to have high environmental standards in place,” said Tom Hall, vice president of Lonely Planet . “Of course, in many cases host communities already have specific programs in place, so it is a matter of communicating them to visitors.”

Recent inflation and economic woes also play a role in the rise of more sustainable travel.

“Things are getting more expensive, which often helps encourage more low-carbon activities,” said Charlie Cotton, founder of the carbon consultancy ecollective . “Lastly, there is better understanding that travel done well can have a lower carbon footprint and be a more authentic, enjoyable experience.”

How can I engage with green travel?

“The first thing is to know why you’d like to take a greener approach to travel,” said Paula Espinoza, creative director at Naya Traveler . “By making this personal to you and your values, you will be more inclined to research and make decisions that will positively impact the environment.”

Commit to planning ahead so that you can learn about your options for eco-friendly lodging, transit, food and more and choose the ones that will minimize your negative impact. Espinoza also recommended purchasing carbon offsets to mitigate potentially unavoidable emissions like air travel.

“When you’re packing your bag, consider what you put inside,” advised Eloisa Lewis, the founder of New Climate Culture . “Are you traveling with reusable options, or single use? Do the single-use items have biodegradable options?”

Again, a little research goes a long way, especially in the area of sustainability.

“If plastic waste is difficult to avoid, for example, come prepared with reusable eating utensils and other items,” said writer and sustainable travel expert Sarah Reid . “If local tap water isn’t potable, pack a water-purifying device. Once you start taking these small steps, it soon becomes second nature.”

“Every effort, no matter how big or small, can make a difference,” said Jan Louise Jones , coordinator for hospitality and tourism management at the University of New Haven. “Choose companies that include sustainability in their mission and goals. Recycle when you can, choose transportation with low carbon emissions, spend money at local businesses and interact with locals in a positive and meaningful way.”

Select activities with minimal carbon footprints, like hiking, biking and kayaking. Ensure any interactions with wildlife are handled responsibly. Take public transit.

“Think local,” echoed Theresa Jackson of Enlightened Journeys Travel . “Really explore in depth one region, or combine two destinations in one trans-Atlantic or -Pacific flight. I think an approach of contributing to culture, conservation and community through commerce, wisely placed, is the best way to go. Choose accommodations that practice environment-regenerating measures, support micro enterprises to raise up women to economic parity ― which, in turn, builds community and educates children ― and make sure your money is correctly going to support local people or conservation efforts.”

Prioritize hotels and activities that directly support the community and environment, like restaurants that source local food or tour operators that promote authentic cultural exchange.

“Be careful to look out for greenwashing ― claims that a company is ‘green’ or ‘sustainable’ which are not supported by robust action,” Dacam said.

When booking hotels, she recommended looking out for environmental certifications from trusted providers like EarthCheck, Green Key, and LEED. Major platforms like Booking.com are increasingly displaying sustainability information, and there are also a number of smaller booking companies with an eco-conscious mission.

If all this research and pre-planning seems daunting, there are also green - minded travel agencies that can help you find and book accommodations, activities and other impactful aspects of your next trip.

“Communication is key,” Dacam added. “Hotels are more likely to embrace sustainability if they know that customers are interested in it. If you come across a particular measure that you are impressed by ― e.g. the property collects and reuses rainwater for the garden ― let the hotel know that you’re impressed by it. This will motivate them to embrace further measures.”

Similarly, you can offer feedback to hotels, tour operators or other travel companies you encounter on ways they might improve their sustainability.

“My advice would be to really consider the destinations we visit as places we hope future generations can visit,” said Kelly Bricker, director of the Center for Sustainable Tourism at Arizona State University.

She called on travelers to support local businesses, respect every destination’s culture and contribute to protect the natural environment and thus help people live healthier and more fulfilling lives.

“Our dollars that support travel should benefit local communities and cultural and natural assets for the long term,” Bricker added. “We are all stewards of this planet, and therefore must think about how we move about and how we can work to support amazing places around the world.”

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Sustainable Travel Trends: How to Explore the World While Protecting It

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Imagine a world where every traveler leaves a positive impact on the places they visit. Where we can explore our planet’s wonders without harming it. This is the future of sustainable travel.

Sustainable travel is about more than just reducing your carbon footprint. It’s about being mindful of your impact on the environment, local communities, and cultures . It’s choosing to travel in ways that support responsible tourism and sustainable development.

In this article, we’ll explore the latest sustainable travel trends and show you how to explore the world while protecting it. From choosing eco-friendly accommodations to supporting local businesses, there are many ways to travel more sustainably.

Let’s dive right in.

Eco-Friendly Accommodations

The first step to a sustainable adventure comes down to where you choose to stay. Gone are the days when eco-conscious travelers had to choose between roughing it in a tent or staying at a luxury resort that isn’t exactly earth-friendly.

Today, you can find a wide array of eco-friendly accommodations that combine comfort with sustainability . From treehouse hotels perched in lush forests to cozy, solar-powered cabins overlooking pristine lakes, there’s an option for every type of adventurous traveler.

Slow and Mindful Travel

Today’s sustainable adventurers embrace the philosophy of “slow travel.” It’s all about taking your time to savor every moment and minimize your environmental impact. Whether you’re hiking through rugged terrains or exploring quaint villages, this approach allows you to immerse yourself in local cultures and truly appreciate the beauty of your surroundings . 

Slow travel encourages you to tread lightly on the planet while forging meaningful connections with people and nature.

Sustainable Transportation

Getting from one breathtaking destination to another doesn’t have to compromise your commitment to sustainability. Green travel is on the rise, and eco-friendly transportation options have become more accessible. 

Electric bike tours, carpooling, and even electric camper vans are all the rage. These modes of transportation reduce your carbon footprint and offer unique opportunities to explore the world at a slower, more intimate pace.

There’s more: EVs are becoming the responsible choice when hitting the road for a travel adventure. With expanding charging networks, they offer reliability and convenience. Beyond preserving the environment, EVs save on fuel costs, making them cost-effective for long journeys.  Learn How to Plan an Epic Electric Car Road Trip here.

Culinary Adventures with a Twist

For many travelers, food is an essential part of the adventure. Sustainable food tourism is a growing trend , allowing eco-conscious explorers to taste local delicacies while supporting environmentally friendly practices. 

From farm-to-table experiences to foraging tours led by expert guides, sustainable foodies have endless options. 

Plus, you can even join local communities in cooking classes or help harvest fresh produce. It’s a mouthwatering way to dive deep into the culture of your destination while promoting sustainability.

Giving Back with Responsible Tourism

Sustainable travel isn’t just about what you take; it’s also about what you give back to the places you visit. Responsible tourism practices have become a fundamental part of every eco-adventurer’s journey. 

Engaging with local communities and participating in volunteer activities or conservation efforts allows you to leave a positive mark. By supporting local artisans, learning about the culture, and contributing to conservation initiatives, you’ll make your travel experience even more meaningful.

Pack Light and Smart

With sustainable travel, what you pack—and what you leave behind—matters. Minimalism is key, and packing light makes your adventures more manageable and reduces your environmental footprint. 

Opt for eco-friendly travel gear, like reusable water bottles, solar chargers, and versatile clothing that can adapt to various weather conditions. Plus, it’s always a good idea to bring your reusable shopping bag and cutlery to minimize waste and reduce single-use plastic consumption.

Go Off the Beaten Path

Traditional tourist hotspots are often overrun and suffer from the environmental strain caused by massive visitor numbers. Sustainable travelers have turned to uncharted territories, seeking hidden gems that offer unique experiences and remain untouched by mass tourism. 

Off-the-beaten-path destinations are more sustainable because they’re less frequented, which helps preserve their natural beauty and cultural authenticity.

Consider Bhutan, a Himalayan kingdom with stunning landscapes and a strong focus on sustainability. Or explore Madagascar, known for its biodiversity and otherworldly landscapes. Albania, in the Balkans, boasts pristine beaches and historical sites. 

Head to the Faroe Islands for dramatic cliffs and remote villages. Namibia’s desert landscapes are otherworldly, and the Far North of Sweden offers the Northern Lights without the crowds. 

These destinations provide adventurous travelers with unforgettable experiences far from the tourist masses.

Sustainable Adventures for Everyone

You might think that sustainable travel is exclusively for rugged backpackers or seasoned environmentalists, but that couldn’t be farther from the truth. 

Sustainable adventures are accessible to everyone, from families with young children to solo travelers looking for a unique experience. Many travel agencies and tour operators now focus on eco-friendly trips, ensuring that the less adventurous can embark on sustainable journeys with ease.

The Future of Sustainable Travel

As technology advances, eco-conscious travelers can look forward to even more efficient, sustainable, and innovative options. From electric planes to cutting-edge eco-accommodations, the possibilities are endless.

Emerging trends and advancements are already reshaping the way we explore the world while treading lightly on the planet.

1. Electric Aviation: Electric aircraft are on the horizon, with companies like Boeing and Airbus developing electric propulsion systems for short-haul flights. This technology could significantly reduce aviation emissions and noise pollution.

2. Hydrogen-Powered Transportation: Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles are gaining traction, offering longer ranges and quicker refueling times compared to traditional electric cars. Hyundai’s NEXO is a prime example, emitting only water vapor.

3. Sustainable Accommodations: Smart hotels and resorts are incorporating cutting-edge energy management systems, IoT technology, and renewable energy sources, ensuring eco-friendliness without compromising guest comfort.

4. Green Mobility Apps: Advanced mobility apps provide travelers with real-time information on eco-friendly transportation options, making it easier to choose low-emission options, from electric bikes to shared electric scooters.

5. Virtual Reality Tourism : Virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) will enable immersive, eco-conscious travel experiences without physical travel, reducing the environmental footprint.

As these technologies mature, travelers will have a wealth of options to explore the world while minimizing their impact on the environment.

As we conclude our exploration of sustainable travel trends, remember this: every adventure you embark on is an opportunity to leave a positive legacy. By choosing eco-friendly accommodations, slow travel, responsible tourism, and embracing sustainable technologies, you’re preserving the planet for this and future generations. 

Every footprint you leave should tell a story of responsibility, connection, and the enduring beauty of our shared planet.

Luke is a passionate environmental advocate based in upstate New York. When he's not sharing tips on sustainability and wellness, you can find him hiking with his dog, Max.

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How 4 environmentalists travel with the climate in mind

Less (or no) flying, long road trips and a lot of exploring on foot.

Kim Cobb, a climate scientist at Georgia Tech , used to be an elite-level frequent flier, racking up more than 150,000 miles a year.

But a few years ago, after a crisis of conscience, she started scaling back her air travel. First she cut it by 30 percent, then 60 percent, and then made the call to stay on the ground in late 2019.

“Of course, lo and behold, our entire lives were turned upside down, and almost nobody flew for many months of 2020,” she said.

Despite avoiding flights, Cobb loves to travel — especially with her family, which includes four kids between the ages of 10 and 14. They just go about it in a different way.

“It’s changed the way my family has approached our time together and our priorities, and what we do in terms of investigating what’s available on the ground,” she said.

As representatives from global superpowers meet in Glasgow for the United Nations’ COP26 summit on how to avert climate catastrophe, concerned citizens all over the world are making changes in their own lives to lessen their impact on the planet. That often means traveling in more deliberate ways. Here’s how four travelers — climate scientists or academics in environmental fields — see the world.

Air travel was down significantly in 2020. Climate activists hope it stays this way.

Kim Cobb, climate scientist

Cobb said she is a big fan of the overnight train to D.C., as well as Greyhound and other bus services. But often, she and her family will pile into their “aging minivan” — though she would love an electric vehicle instead — to visit family in D.C. or Massachusetts, or to explore the Georgia coast or nearby states.

They typically stay in vacation rentals or with friends or family instead of hotels. A big benefit: Those options include kitchens, making it easier to feed Cobb’s family, which includes vegetarians and vegans.

The family is considering a “massive camping trip” to Yellowstone National Park in the future, which would double as a trip to visit Cobb’s brother in Montana.

“It’s nice to have a reason to go someplace that connects us to people,” Cobb said. “If you’re going to go through that level of effort, you might as well have a destination that affords connection. That comes at a steep premium when you’re staying on the ground.”

Cobb said she finds traveling “incredibly joyful,” even if the time spent getting to destinations is longer and the trip is more complicated than hopping on a flight.

“Let’s remember that flying around with four kids was never too much of a picnic either,” she said, laughing as she recalled a catastrophe of the diaper variety in the airport security line.

Cobb can’t say she will never fly again, and she wants people to feel welcome to explore what kind of eco-friendly changes they can make individually.

“An individual move like that can hasten collective action to think about how and why we fly to weigh the climate damage and climate injustice of flying,” she said.

How to actually make your travel better for the planet

Aseem Prakash and Nives Dolsak, environmental academics

The married couple writes frequently about the climate and sustainability issues. Both work at the University of Washington, where Prakash is founding director of the Center for Environmental Politics and Dolsak is director of the School of Marine and Environmental Affairs.

Dolsak said that when she thinks about flying, she considers the carbon budget every person in the world needs to limit warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius — 2.1 tons of carbon dioxide equivalent.

“That just means I have to think very carefully when I fly and how I fly,” she said, and opt for local getaways or vacations by train or car when possible. Prakash describes the approach as going on a “carbon diet.”

The couple’s last flight was to Paris the summer before the pandemic. They stayed in Europe for a month and a half. Aside from a flight to Slovenia, where Dolsak is from, they got around by train and public transportation on a trip that included time in Normandy, Rome, Naples and more.

“When we do fly, we make it not a monthly event but once in a couple of years,” she said. “If it is an overseas flight, then that is combined with a lot of local travel and spending time in the places that we visit, spending time with people, learning cultures, rather than just fly in for two days then hop on to the next flight.”

Prakash and Dolsak also purchase carbon offsets — investments in projects that reduce or remove greenhouse gases from the atmosphere — for twice the amount of their emissions for air and road trips.

Despite COP26 pledges, world still on track for dire warming

For their most recent vacation, they drove to national parks in Utah and Northern Arizona in March. In their plug-in hybrid, a Toyota Prius Prime, they get about 42 miles per gallon, they said. The trip took about 10 days, and they spent two to four days in each location. They booked far in advance for the off-season, which meant they were able to get hard-to-find rooms close to everything they wanted to see without driving more. Once there, they got around by foot or the park’s electric shuttles.

“You get familiar with the smells, with the sounds, with the culture,” Prakash said. “It’s a different way of traveling. It’s a different way of taking a vacation. And I think we have to, as the world enters into a very serious phase of the climate crisis ... have to rethink travel.”

He said they also largely avoid social media, which he sees as “fueling this epidemic of consumerism where people don’t go in depth.”

‘Green’ travel stunts by airlines can’t erase the environmental impact of flying

Peter Kalmus, no-fly advocate

Kalmus, a climate scientist in Los Angeles who founded the site NoFlyClimateSci , is approaching 10 years of not flying. He acknowledged that individual decisions like his are not a solution to climate change — policies that lead to everyone using less energy, he said, are needed — but believes cutting back on carbon-intensive activities is still a good thing to do.

Kalmus said he knows the movement to reduce flying is controversial and that people feel like travel is a virtuous thing. He agreed with that last point.

“When I say we should be flying less, people hear we should be traveling less,” he said. “There are ways to travel without flying. Travel is incredibly precious and good ... it’s worth spending a little more time on and going slower, for example, and trying to shift society to make slower travel more acceptable.”

He and his wife have parents in Illinois, so they and their two teenagers visit often by taking Amtrak or driving the family’s Tesla Model 3 — an electric vehicle that he said is as easy as any other car.

“You have to stop a little bit more than you would if you had a conventional gas car,” Kalmus said. But on the two-day drive, they try to time longer stops to charge while they eat, or while parked overnight. Kalmus is vegetarian, but he said finding meals on the road has been simple.

He said they also like to stop along the way and visit friends, or camp in national parks and cook food at the campsite. This summer, Kalmus said, they went to Portland, Ore., and through Montana, fitting in a Yellowstone visit in Wyoming.

“It can be a lot of fun to meander your way and see the sights and see your friends,” he said.

Sometimes, the road trips gave them a close-up view to the kind of natural disasters that Kalmus has been trying to avert. They had to avoid one route this summer because of a mudslide in an area that had burned in a wildfire. Their alternate routes had fires and smoke along the way.

“One of the main considerations we have is whether a place is burning, how likely it is to burn,” he said.

The family also enjoys long hiking trips in the Sierra Nevada mountains — which, again, does not provide a true escape. On a hike this year, Kalmus said, he was shocked by dead trees everywhere.

“It’s getting harder for me to go into nature as a vacation as a way to recharge my batteries from doing climate work because I’m so confronted with climate breakdown in these wild places,” he said. “I’m in kind of this constant low-level, or sometimes not-so-low-level, state of grieving while I’m hiking.”

More on climate change

Understanding our climate: Global warming is a real phenomenon , and weather disasters are undeniably linked to it . As temperatures rise, heat waves are more often sweeping the globe — and parts of the world are becoming too hot to survive .

What can be done? The Post is tracking a variety of climate solutions , as well as the Biden administration’s actions on environmental issues . It can feel overwhelming facing the impacts of climate change, but there are ways to cope with climate anxiety .

Inventive solutions: Some people have built off-the-grid homes from trash to stand up to a changing climate. As seas rise, others are exploring how to harness marine energy .

What about your role in climate change? Our climate coach Michael J. Coren is answering questions about environmental choices in our everyday lives. Submit yours here. You can also sign up for our Climate Coach newsletter .

8 sustainable travel tips from expert green travelers

Editor's Note

If you've recently taken a bucket-list trip or visited an iconic city, you know the need for sustainable tourism has never been more pressing.

Beloved destinations — including Bora Bora, the Maldives , Barcelona and Venice, Italy, among others — are facing existential challenges, either from climate change or sheer overcrowding.

However, it's one thing to recognize the importance of eco-friendly tourism; it's another to put principles into practice.

There's no doubt the travel industry has played a part in creating economic stability and driving positive growth in locations across the globe, but the downsides are clear. Overcrowding, environmental damage and a strain on resources are just a few ways an increase in tourism can have a harmful impact on a destination.

As a result, many locales are taking significant steps to reverse course in order to save their fragile ecosystems before it's too late. From bans on megaships and vacation rentals to strict visitor limitations, governments worldwide are taking drastic measures.

At TPG, we know travel is an essential part of life and overall a great experience — one we never want to give up. That has become even more true in recent years as we've all dealt with extended periods of time when we could not travel due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Related: Updated: A country-by-country guide to coronavirus reopenings

However, we should not (and cannot) let traveling be an occasion or excuse for us to disregard concerns for our planet. It's vital that we do our part to be more mindful about the decisions we make when we travel.

To help you minimize your impact on the planet when you travel, we've asked experts at TPG and Red Ventures sister sites Lonely Planet , Platea and Elsewhere , plus experts at the United Nations Environmental Program, to weigh in on what you can do to be an eco-conscious traveler. Here are eight strategies they suggest to make your next trip more sustainable.

For more TPG news delivered each morning to your inbox, sign up for our daily newsletter .

Explore under-the-radar locations

Overtourism is one of the biggest threats facing the travel industry. About 80% of all travelers visit the same five to 10 spots in each country, according to data from the World Economic Forum .

During peak season, popular cities experience as much as a 70% population increase, resulting in strains on everything from infrastructure to the environment.

"A low-season visit can help offset the boom and bust cycle many destinations endure, and it'll give you a more solitary, intimate look at the place itself," shared Alexander Howard, managing editor at Lonely Planet.

To avoid adding to overtourism concerns, travelers can get creative when deciding where to go next.

"Skip Machu Picchu and opt for Choquequirao — these Incan ruins only draw 20 visitors per day," said Alexis Bowen, founder of sustainable travel startup Elsewhere and CEO at Lonely Planet.

Or, consider a trip to a smaller European destination instead of one on everyone's bucket list. Oftentimes, the experience will prove far more authentic and memorable than what you'd experience in tourism hot spots like Paris and London .

"Last month, I took a weekend trip to Procida, a small fishing island off the coast of Naples ... far from the bling of Italy 's Amalfi Coast," Bowen said. "We were told about an 'agriturismo' [a sustainable farm] with incredible food on the neighboring island of Ischia, so we hopped on a ferry to check it out. ... When the food started coming, it was whatever Giuseppe [the owner] was cooking that day using ingredients from his farm. The food was simple but delicious ... and this moment was our definition of pure luxury."

Related: From theme parks to power plants, why Denmark is our sustainable destination of 2022

Choose every aspect of your itinerary wisely

"Ethical travel is also about being mindful of what you consume on the road," said Sarah Reid, Lonely Planet writer and sustainable travel expert. "This includes everything from the food you eat to the activities you sign up for. Ideally, you should opt for experiences that have a low environmental footprint, such as kayaking instead of Jet Skiing, and have a positive impact on the local community."

Being eco-friendly doesn't mean you have to severely restrict what you do, though. Enlist the expertise of an adventure company that combines thrilling experiences with environmental preservation. Award-winning travel outfitter ROW Adventures, for example, offers an array of low-impact adventures worldwide, including sailing excursions in Croatia; kayaking outings in La Paz , Mexico; and hiking trips in Peru and Corsica , France.

Also consider destinations that foster ethical tourist consumption like Puerto Rico . By embracing sustainable farming techniques and highlighting local businesses and tour operators after Hurricane Maria's devastating impact on the island in 2017 exposed its over-reliance on mainland exports, Puerto Rico has emerged as a top spot for sustainability in the U.S.

Puerto Rico offers "so many ways to give back to the community" through sustainable businesses like bed-and-breakfast accommodations and shops, shared Adriana Serrano, brand manager for San Juan-based travel website Platea. You'll also find many farm-to-table options where locally sourced ingredients are on the menu, helping cut down on greenhouse gases while improving the overall quality of what you're eating.

Embrace slow travel

When Greta Thunberg stopped flying as part of her crusade against climate change in 2015, she triggered a surge of interest in train travel , as well as the adoption of a couple of catchy Swedish concepts: "tagskryt" (train-bragging) and "flygskam" (flight shame).

Sebastian Modak, Lonely Planet's editor-at-large, advises travelers to avoid thinking faster means better. "Slowing down can be better for the planet, and it will also allow you to really soak in every sensation and experience instead of rushing through a checklist," he said.

Train travel is essential to the art of slow travel. It allows you to connect with off-the-beaten-path towns and cities that you'd normally miss if you flew a direct route. Plus, it has a smaller carbon footprint than other modes of transportation.

"As part of the UN's sustainable travel agenda, we recommend all journeys of less than 600 kilometers (or 373 miles) be taken by train," United Nations Environmental Program officer Helena Rey de Assis told TPG.

But don't assume that traveling by train means you have to sacrifice on comfort.

"You can still travel in style and lower your impact," Rey de Assis said. "There have been massive rail investments in luxurious services, especially in Sweden, Italy and Austria ."

By allotting a little more time for the journey, you'll discover more charm and character than what you may find in more common transit hubs, all while lessening your impact on the environment.

Reduce your carbon dioxide emissions

Of all the ways you can get from point A to point B, traveling by air is by far the most harmful to the planet.

The airline industry is responsible for roughly 3% of global industry emissions, according to the World Economic Forum. However, its convenience makes it a transportation option that won't fall out of favor any time soon. So, to reduce the environmental harm flights cause, experts are increasingly encouraging travelers to offset their carbon footprint.

Carbon offsetting involves donating money to environmental projects around the world to make up for your carbon output. But does paying to offset greenhouse gasses emitted during air travel merely enable people to continue choosing less sustainable options?

"There's some truth to that," said Katie Genter, a senior writer at TPG. "But if you're going to fly, offsetting your carbon emissions is better than doing nothing."

Know, though, that not every organization that says it offsets carbon emissions is created equal.

"You'll find many companies and organizations willing to take your money, but not all of these companies provide high-quality carbon offsets," Genter explained. "One of the easiest ways to donate ... is to choose a project listed on Green-e Climate or Climate Action Reserve, or donate directly to a project through Gold Standard."

You can also make strategic choices about routes, aircraft and airplane cabins that will lessen your impact. Since takeoffs and landings consume considerably more fuel than the rest of the journey, travel by the most direct route when possible. Remember, too, that traveling in premium cabins (like business or first class) will increase your carbon footprint.

Give back to the local community

Around 80% of low-income countries rely on tourism revenue, yet 90% of tourism dollars earned are pocketed by foreign-owned businesses, according to a Brookings Institute report .

As a result, a considerable amount of money coming from tourism does not end up going back into the local economy , which is essential to supporting local communities and ensuring their cultures, traditions and more can thrive for generations to come.

"Traveling responsibly and supporting the local economy means different things to different travelers," said Daniel Fahey, a Lonely Planet guidebook author and editor. "This might mean choosing a family-owned lodge instead of a chain hotel, dining in a restaurant that sources its produce locally or taking a paddle boarding trip with a local guide."

Wherever you travel, look for opportunities to make a difference through volunteer opportunities, wildlife rescue programs and beach cleanup events. Hands-on experiences in destinations across the globe (including Alaska , South Africa , Thailand and Bhutan) are easy to find through travel companies like Discover Corps, which specializes in grassroots, off-the-beaten-path travel.

For example, voluntourism trips in Costa Rica may include stays at high-end ecolodges and monitoring wildlife along key biological corridors in the rainforest.

Pick accommodations with good environmental credentials

You don't have to be a backpacker who camps every place they visit to be an eco-conscious traveler .

In recent years, there's been a spike in interest for quality eco-friendly lodging that marries environmental consciousness with style and comfort. In fact, 81% of travelers plan on looking for sustainable accommodations in the next year (up from 62% in 2016), according to Booking.com's 2021 Sustainable Travel Report .

TPG writer Lori Zaino is one of those travelers.

"I consider many things beyond just if the hotel recycles or has ditched single-use amenities," Zaino said. "Sustainable tourism is also about supporting the local community whenever possible, so whenever I can, I stay with Fairbnb, a vacation rental website that gives 50% of its proceeds back to a community project local to my destination. I like to support family-owned hotels, too, especially in places overrun with large hotels."

Related: The Brando: A sustainability leader in the hotel industry

Be a responsible wildlife tourist

Any time you are offered the chance to ride an animal, take a selfie with one or participate in any kind of animal "show," odds are the creature's welfare is not front and center.

TPG contributor Melanie Haiken advises travelers to "see wildlife in the wild or in highly rated sanctuaries that take only animals that can't be returned to the wild. While there are ethical private animal rescue facilities and preserves, there are also many (like the one exposed in the 'Tiger King' documentary) where animals are treated poorly or obtained by underhanded means. Many operations also stress the animals by not giving them enough space and privacy and allowing too much visitor contact. This goes for sea life, too — there is no dolphin that likes to be ridden!"

Several options are available if you wish to see wildlife in a thrilling yet humane way. Tour operator G Adventures works with World Animal Protection and the Jane Goodall Institute to design ethical wildlife-focused experiences for travelers. Additionally, there's small-group tour company Intrepid Travel, which is renowned for its commitment to sustainable travel, as evidenced by its decision in 2014 to remove elephant rides from its tours before other major international travel providers.

Eliminate single-use plastics

In many destinations, the sight of plastic bottles strewn across beaches , parks and waterways has become disturbingly common. Plastic waste is a major health hazard for living organisms, particularly marine life. Billions of tonnes of plastics made from 1950 to 2017 are discarded, and of that waste, roughly 75% ends up in landfills or ecosystems like rivers, forests and oceans, according to reporting by The Guardian .

"The pandemic has exacerbated problems with single-use plastics and disposable masks," Rey de Assis said. "With smaller island nations that don't have effective waste management systems, it becomes a plastic storm. In the Mediterranean Sea, 40% of waste can be attributed to tourism."

Following the sustainable trifecta (reduce, reuse and recycle) can dramatically help preserve the environment. Miniature shampoo, conditioner and lotion bottles are a major source of plastic waste and are especially problematic for small island nations.

Lonely Planet's senior news editor, Melissa Yeager, avoids using travel-size bottles whenever possible. "Reuse/refill previous containers or look around your house and repurpose things like contact lens cases or other small containers and fill them," she said.

Hotel groups, including Marriott and IHG , have already switched to single-use refillable toiletry bottles, and other brands look set to follow suit. Some destinations like Hawaii are even aiming to eliminate them completely.

Whenever possible, try to refill and bring along your own travel-size containers. If you must use small containers provided by the hotel, always save what's left for your next trip.

Related: What is the Malama Hawaii program — and why is it a model for the tourism industry?

Bottom line

As travelers and frequent flyers, we need to strike a balance between reducing our carbon footprint and supporting destinations that rely on tourism. Sustainability begins when you choose your destination and consider who is going to benefit from your tourism dollars.

By committing to being more mindful of how we travel and visiting places where fragile ecosystems are cared for and local communities are supported, we can all help preserve our beautiful planet.

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Green Global Travel

World's largest independently owned Ecotourism / Green Travel / Sustainable Travel / Animal & Wildlife Conservation site. We share transformative Responsible Travel, Sustainable Living & Going Green Tips that make a positive impact.

40 Green Travel Tips (The Ultimate Guide to Sustainable Travel)

Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links. All hosted affiliate links follow our editorial policies .

[Updated 12/16/2019]   If you took a poll asking people whether they’d prefer to be responsible or irresponsible travelers, most would likely choose the former over the latter.

But what does “Green Travel”   even mean? How do you do it? Do you have to sleep in a tent and cook on a solar-powered camp stove in order to be considered eco-friendly?

And how do you recognize it when a company that offers “Green Travel” experiences is, in fact, just greenwashing? 

The truth is that sustainable travel (a.k.a. ecotourism) is all about making simple choices in order to lessen your negative impact on a given destination.

Individually, each one of these choices makes only a small difference in the big picture. But collectively, becoming more conscious about these little things can have a huge cumulative impact.

So here’s an in-depth look at what Green Travel is, why it matters, and an extensive array of easy tips designed to help you travel more responsibly and sustainably.

READ MORE: What Is Ecotourism? (History & Principles of Responsible Travel)

WHAT IS GREEN TRAVEL?

When we started Green Global Travel back in 2010, the field of ecotourism was largely unknown to average travelers. It had not yet become the buzzword it is today, and was primarily a term used by insiders in the fields of responsible travel and conservation.

But green energy – renewable energy harnessed from sustainable natural sources such as sun, wind, tides, and geothermal heat– was gaining steam as a movement thanks to thought leaders such as Al Gore . Green living– the lifestyle that aspires to conserve and protect the Earth’s natural resources, habitats, and biodiversity– was beginning to grow in popularity.

“Green” became synonymous with “eco-friendly” or “environmentally conscious.” So green travel came into vogue as a broad term used to encompass ecotourism and responsible travel practices, which generally strive to benefit the environment and the social and economic well-being of the local people.

When done well, green travel is the antithesis of mass tourism. It’s all about trying to make smarter choices that help to mitigate the negative impacts we create when we travel.

We cannot control the carbon emissions of the planes we fly in, the chemicals used by the hotels in which we stay, or the plastics used in the souvenirs sold in the destinations we visit. But we can choose more eco-friendly transportation, hotels, tour operators, and shopping tactics that do less damage to the environment, and create more benefits for local people.

According to a recent TripAdvisor survey, nearly two-thirds of all travelers are increasingly inclined to make more environmentally sound choices and travel green. The problem is, how do we tell the difference between green travel and greenwashing?

READ MORE: How Mass Tourism is Destroying Destinations Travelers Love

GREEN TRAVEL VS. GREENWASHING

A play on the term “whitewashing,” greenwashing is defined as “disinformation disseminated by an organization so as to present an environmentally responsible public image.” In other words, greenwashing is about using marketing strategies in an effort to deceive customers into believing that a company’s products, activities, or policies are genuinely eco-friendly when they really aren’t.

As the green movement gradually began to enter the mainstream, countless companies proved willing to greenwash if it brought them the green they wanted most: Money. Adjectives such as “all natural,” “organic,” and “post-consumer recycled content” were rendered meaningless, as claims were rarely substantiated or verified by impartial third parties.

The travel industry was no different. Tour operators who promoted themselves as being eco-friendly still offered irresponsible activities such as walking with lions tours, elephant rides, and visits to Thailand’s Tiger Temple. So how are travelers to know whether a company is truly green, or just greenwashing?

• Truly responsible travel businesses will put the needs of the local people and environment before the needs of travelers, always striving to make a positive impact.

• If there is a voluntourism element involved, truly responsible travel businesses will work directly with local NGOs to ensure the program meets the needs of the community and are not just “feel good” experiences for travelers. Again, the primary goal should be long-term positive impact.

• Truly responsible travel businesses may be affiliated with international organizations such as World Wildlife Fund, the  Nature Conservancy , Rainforest Alliance, etc. They may also have certification from organizations such as the Global Sustainable Tourism Council or the Center for Responsible Travel, which prove that they have met certain recognized standards for sustainability.

• Truly responsible travel businesses pride themselves on openness and transparency. Most will have details on their sustainability and corporate social responsibility initiatives clearly placed on their website. And any “green” company should be more than happy to answer any questions you may have about these initiatives.

READ MORE: Why Responsible Travel Matters (and Why It Doesn’t)

40 GREEN TRAVEL TIPS

What we’ve assembled below are 40 tips that EVERY traveler can use to make their adventures more friendly to the environment and the people and animals who inhabit it.

Most of them are ridiculously simple, such as using a refillable water bottle, putting a “Do Not Disturb” sign on your hotel room door, and buying locally made products rather than imports.

But if every one of our 90,000+ unique monthly visitors gradually began incorporating these Green Travel tips into their trips , our collective impact could be amazing!

GREEN TRANSPORTATION TIPS

1.  Try to book non-stop flights whenever you can: It’s the takeoffs and landings that create most of an airplane’s carbon emissions.

2. If you’re traveling with family or friends and the destination is within driving distance, perhaps you should consider taking a road trip . But if you’re traveling by yourself, it’s actually much more eco-friendly to fly!

3. If you do fly, consider doing so with one of the 30+ IATA (International Air Transport Association) member airlines who offer carbon offset programs to neutralize the aircraft’s carbon emissions by investing in carbon reduction projects.

4. If you decide to drive to your destination and your car isn’t eco-friendly, consider renting a hybrid or electric vehicle, which use less fuel and produce less carbon emissions than gas-guzzlers.

5. If you have the time, traveling via bus, train, or ship generally has less negative environmental impact than traveling by plane.

READ MORE: List of National Parks By State (Epic Guide to “America’s Best Idea”)

  TIPS FOR CHOOSING GREEN HOTELS

6. When traveling in the U.S., check to see if the hotel has LEED Certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.  The program judges hotels on sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, material selection, indoor environmental quality, and innovation in design.

7.  When traveling overseas, look for seals of approval from other certification programs, such as EarthCheck (Australia), Green Globe , Rainforest Alliance (Latin America, Caribbean), and Green Tourism Business Scheme (UK). Some countries, including Costa Rica, have their own certification programs to rate sustainability initiatives.

8. Ask if the hotel has a recycling program. If not, encourage them to start one when you leave suggestions on comments cards at check-out.

9. Ask questions about the hotel’s sustainability initiatives, such as solar power, wind turbines, rainwater harvesting, energy-efficient lighting, and low-flow toilets.

10. Find out what percentage of the hotel’s resources are local. Do they hire mostly local staff? Do they get most of their foods locally, or even grow them on the property? Do they use locally sourced materials in the décor? Companies that utilize indigenous resources tend to be more sustainable, as they’re investing in the local economy.

READ MORE: What is an Eco Lodge? (The Top 10 Eco Lodges in the World)

  WATER-SAVING TRAVEL TIPS

11. Take a BPA-free water bottle you can refill over and over again. Many international airports have free water dispensers, which saves you money and wasting plastic bottles.

12. Take showers, not baths. Showers use just 10-25 gallons of water, while baths use up to 70 gallons. Feeling frisky? Shower with a friend and save even more water!

13. Try to take shorter showers, turning the water off while you lather up, shampoo, shave, and/or brush your teeth.

14. Never use the hotel laundry, as they typically wash every guest’s clothes separately (even when there are only a few items). We usually wash our clothes as we shower, then hang them up overnight so they’re dry the next day.

15. Hang up your towels after each use, which is the universal sign that you’d like to use them again. You don’t wash your towels every day at home, so why do it when you travel?

READ MORE: How To Save Water (15 Conservation Tips)

ENERGY-SAVING TRAVEL TIPS

16. When you leave your room, always turn off all lights, heat/AC, and television. Closing the curtains and blinds can help keep out the heat of the sun in summer .

17. Leave the “Do Not Disturb” sign on the door of your room for the duration of your stay. This cuts down on chemical cleansing agents, electricity used in vacuuming, and the washing of bed linens.

18. Walk, bike, or use public transportation to get around whenever possible, which cuts down on gas usage and saves you money.

19. Return maps, brochures, and other tourist info once you’re finished with them so that they may be reused by future travelers.

20. Take any leftover soap, shampoo, or toothpaste with you. Unused portions are often thrown away, and you can reuse the plastic bottles in the future.

READ MORE:   Ted Turner on Saving the World With Alternative Energy

  GREEN HIKING TIPS  

21. Marked hiking trails are there for a reason. Stick to the path to avoid harming native flora and avoid any creepy-crawlies that may be lurking in the underbrush.

22. Bring along a small bag and pick up any trash you spot along your hike. Have a friendly competition to see who can clean up the most unsightly waste!

23. Never feed or touch wildlife, for any reason. Feeding animals makes them habituated to and reliant on humans, and often leads to attacks. If you get bit, the animal will most likely be killed.

24. Research weather conditions and terrain before you go hiking. You don’t want to be that guy (or girl) who got lost and required a ranger rescue, which drains public resources.

25. Keep a respectful distance from wildlife. Yes, we understand that you want to Instagram your encounter with a grizzly bear. But if you’re close enough to attract an animal’s attention, you’re too damn close!

READ MORE: 10 Best Hikes in the World (World Travel Bucket List)

  GREEN SHOPPING TIPS

26. Buy locally made (preferably handmade) products, rather than those that have been imported. Items that are flown or shipped in have a much larger carbon footprint, and who wants a cheap, cookie-cutter souvenir made on an Asian assembly line?

27. Don’t buy anything made from endangered plants/animals, unsustainable hardwoods, or ancient artifacts. Not only is it wrong, but you probably won’t be able to get them back through customs.

28. Take your own reusable bag when you go shopping. Plastic bags are SO 20 th century…

29 . Seek out indigenous artisans when you can. When you buy directly from an artist, you’re not only helping them feed their family, but in many cases you’re helping to preserve their culture. We’ve also heard some pretty amazing stories by chatting these artisans up.

30. Do not buy souvenir photos from anyone exploiting wildlife, such as the famous performing elephants of Thailand .

READ MORE: 50 Fascinating Facts About Elephants (For World Elephant Day)

ECO-FRIENDLY TOUR TIPS

31. Travel with small group tour operators, which tend to have less of an environmental impact. Membership in an organization like the Global Sustainable Tourism Council  is a good sign that the tour operator tries to conduct itself in a responsible, sustainable manner.

32. When snorkeling or Scuba diving , don’t touch/step on the coral or stir up sediment, as it can damage the reef’s fragile ecosystem.

33. Ask your snorkel or scuba diving tour operators if they chum the water to attract marine life. Doing so can change the behavior of marine species, or possibly make them sick.

34. Find out how the tour operator gives back to the local community. Do they lease the land from locals? Do they hire local guides? Do they take a leading role in preserving the area’s natural resources? Community-based tourism   is the most sustainable.

35. Don’t take any tour that promises hands-on encounters with wild animals, such as riding elephants or walking with lions . If you do, you’re supporting an industry that illegally captures, transports, and abuses millions of animals each year.

  READ MORE: 7 Harmful Traditional Practices that Tourists Should Never Support

  TIPS FOR BEING A GREEN TRAVELER

36. Honor local customs. Do a little research before you travel to learn about the destination’s local cultural traditions, so that you can speak and behave appropriately.

37. Ask for permission before taking a photo of someone. In some cultures, taking a person’s picture is like stealing their soul. and in general it’s just common courtesy.

38. Learn the language, or at least a few important words. You don’t have to do a full Rosetta Stone course. But you’d be amazed by how knowing simple phrases such as “Thank you,” “My name is,” and “Please help me” will impact the way locals will treat you.

39. Give back. Whether you sign up for a full-on voluntourism vacation or work with a non-profit like Pack For A Purpose to provide much-needed supplies to local schools, it doesn’t take a lot of extra effort to make a huge difference in the local community when you travel.

40. Immerse yourself in the local culture. Be a participant, not just an observer. Half the fun of traveling is getting an opportunity to step outside your comfort zone and try different foods, listen to different music, and explore different cultures. So, seriously, don’t be that guy who goes to India and insists on ordering a hamburger!   – Bret Love; photos by Bret Love & Mary Gabbett

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About the Author

Green Global Travel is the world's #1 independently owned ecotourism website encouraging others to embrace sustainable travel, wildlife conservation, cultural preservation, and going green tips for more sustainable living.

We've been spotlighted in major media outlets such as the BBC, Chicago Tribune, Forbes, The Guardian, Lonely Planet, National Geographic, Travel Channel, Washington Post and others.

Owned by Bret Love (a veteran journalist/photographer) and Mary Gabbett (business manager/videographer), USA Today named us one of the world's Top 5 Travel Blogging Couples. We were also featured in the 2017 National Geographic book, Ultimate Journeys for Two, for which we contributed a chapter on our adventures in Rwanda. Other awards we've won include Best Feature from both the Caribbean Tourism Organization and the Magazine Association of the Southeast.

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Five of the best sustainable holidays across Europe

From a spa-and-cycling trail across Slovenia to the coolest energy-saving hotels in Berlin, these getaways tick all the eco boxes

Green Wellness Route, Slovenia

This summer the country’s tourist board launched a new Green Wellness cycling route . A looping cycle trail of nearly 200 miles linking natural spas, it starts in Ljubljana and heads north towards the Austrian border and then south-west towards Croatia, winding through mountains, plains and vineyards. There’s a castle on an island, a beer fountain and miles of wild flowers. The first leg ends in medieval Kamnik, a red-roofed town of castles and monasteries with a view of the mountains, Slovenia’s biggest arboretum (sporting 2m tulips in April) and the Terme Snovik spa in the forested Tuhinj valley.

Resorts along the route are all certified by Slovenia Green , which encourages recycling, renewable energy, arriving car-free, eco-friendly cleaning, locally grown food, natural building materials and so on. The spas offer pools fed by thermal springs, mineral waters to drink and wellness experiences involving salt, saunas, massage and barefoot paths.

Along the route cyclists can visit the world’s oldest noble vine at Maribor or sip a crystal glass of magnesium-rich water at Rogaška Slatina. Slovenia’s temperate Mediterranean climate means good cycling for most of the year, though April to October is recommended. The Wellness route has several companion trails , including a Green Gourmet cycling route or a three-day Pannonian route through the Pomurje region. The Gourmet trail starts with a train ride on the Bohinj railway under the Julian Alps . A free pass encourages public transport use in the area for those who want to linger.

Sustainable city break in Berlin, Germany

When luggage storage company Bounce recently surveyed sustainable hotels and transport, Berlin emerged as Europe’s most eco-friendly city. According to its analysis, 84% of tourists and residents get around on bike, foot or public transport. And Germany’s summer scheme , offering unlimited travel on local and regional trains for €9, has got even more people out of their cars.

Berlin joined the Global Sustainable Tourism Council in August 2021 and Visit Berlin lists eco hotels, restaurants and sights. They include places like SPRK Deli , which makes everything from surplus food. Klub Kitchen is popular with Mitte’s hipsters, serving up salady bowlfuls of sweet potato, ginger, pumpkin seeds, edamame and other tasty things. From upcycled east German caravans in a former vacuum cleaner factory in Neukölln’s Hüttenpalast to the hammock-strung 25 Hours Bikini hotel overlooking the zoo, the city is full of cool places to stay.

To explore Berlin’s wilder corners, buy an all-zone travelcard (€10 a day, including Potsdam with its parks and palaces). Buses 100 and 200 are good sightseeing routes, running from Alexanderplatz to Zoo through leafy Tiergarten. Head into the Grunewald on bus 218 to find Berlin’s best hike, the cliff-top Havelhöhenweg. Follow this six-mile waymarked walk past sandy beaches for wild swimming and leisurely woodland cafes.

YHA Festival of Walking

Those lonely months of strolls during the Covid lockdowns sparked a lot of interest in walking. The UK’s Youth Hostel Association hopes to tap into that with its new Festival of Walking . There will be group walks, routes to download, free tea or coffee for walkers, and 25% off at various youth hostels. There’s a guided Snowdon dark skies challenge – climbing up the mountain by torchlight and down as the sun rises for breakfast in the hostel. Lots of hostels, such as Eskdale in Cumbria and Blaxhall in Suffolk have been pioneering sustainable practices: energy-efficient lighting, solar hot water, and community recycling schemes.

The festival runs from 4 September to 20 October. “We want more walkers to discover our hostels and all they offer,” says YHA chief executive James Blake. “Whether it’s a bed for the night, a day visit for a cuppa, filling up a bottle at a refill station, using a drying room or just grabbing a loo break.”

Individuals and groups can log their miles on the festival website to tramp round the world in 46 days. Blake points out that if 5,000 people walk five miles each, together they will have walked around the world. The YHA was set up in 1930 to help foster a “greater knowledge, love and care of the countryside – an aim that feels as fresh and necessary as it did 92 years ago.

Bird watching in Extremadura, Spain

Extremadura is one of Europe’s top birding destinations, with everything from bee-eaters to honey buzzards. The birds of prey are particularly dramatic, with 23 breeding species including 1,200 pairs of black vultures. More common cranes overwinter here than anywhere in Europe. Covering 16,000 square miles, Extremadura is bigger than the Netherlands, with a human population of just over a million and a huge range of habitats.

As most visiting birders get here independently, the Extremadura tourist board set up the world’s first bird tourism club, following the model of wine or whisky routes, to help travellers find information, guides and places to stay. Travel can actually help conserve biodiversity because the bird-watching cash provides a sound economic reason to preserve habitats.

A magnet for visiting birders since it opened in 2005, the Casa Rural El Recuerdo (three nights from €216 room-only) is a converted farmhouse with an organic olive grove and vegetable garden. The guesthouse generates half its energy from solar panels. Owners Claudia and Martin Kelsey encourage year-round wildlife trips for the large number of migrant birds, plus summer butterfly and dragonfly tours. As a local guide, Martin can take visitors to see species they want to find without having to drive too far, meaning less fuel and more time in the field.

Green Velo, Poland

With more than a thousand miles of linked cycle paths and quieter roads through wild natural landscapes, Poland’s longest fully-signed bicycle trail tours the country’s eastern areas. Five regions, with funding from the European Regional Development Fund, cooperated to create the epic Green Velo trail. Miles of cycle path have been designed to be low-maintenance with no impact on water supplies or vegetation; there are benches, refill points, bike racks and rubbish bins. Accommodation varies from campsites to castles.

The trail meanders through 12 areas or “bike kingdoms”, such as the Świętokrzyski national park , with its huge forests and mountains. In another kingdom, the marshes around the Biebrza and Narew rivers are great for birdwatching and elk spotting, for cycling past gold marsh marigolds and purple Siberian iris. The waymarked Green Velo route circles the edge of protected valleys, with views across the spring-flowering marshes. There are bats, beavers and lots more wildlife along the Narew valley towards Łomża with its convent and cathedral.

Other attractions along the route include the mysterious Krzyżtopór castle near Ujazd, and the city of Kielce, with its palaces and galleries. The Green Velo loops through the centre of Kielce, passing the Kadzielnia Reserve in a limestone quarry; there are concerts here in a natural amphitheatre among fossil-filled rocks.

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Green Travel Trends 2020: Gen Z and Beyond

Today’s consumers are more aware of their impact on the environment than ever before. And that’s affecting their buying decisions.

Criteo’s Global Green Traveler Study

Here at Criteo, we wondered how all of this might be influencing the way people plan and book travel. We surveyed over 13,000 travelers around the world to learn more. Here’s what we discovered:

Explore CTV advertising predictions for 2023 and gain insights for retail success.

1. Germany boasts the most green travelers.

According to our research, Germany leads the pack when it comes to eco-conscious travel. Twenty-two percent of the German travelers we surveyed were “green travelers” by our definition: Travelers who, at least once in the last six months, decided not to book travel in order to reduce their carbon footprint. France, Spain, and the United Kingdom were also among the top five countries with the highest percentage of green travelers.

Source: Criteo Travel Study, May-June 2019. N=13,188 — Green Travelers: N=783

Given the variety of domestic and intercontinental holiday destinations that Europe provides, combined with the ubiquity and relative ease of train travel, look for even more travelers across EMEA to choose greener options.

2. Younger generations are the greenest travelers.

Our study indicates that Gen Zers and Millennials may be more acutely aware that travel behaviors need to change now, as other research also shows. 1 Of the travelers Criteo surveyed, 62% of those who’d cancelled a trip in the last six months were Gen Zers or Millennials.

According to a study by Booking.com, 54% of Gen Zers say that the environmental impact traveling has on destinations is an important factor when deciding where to book travel, and 56% would want to stay in a green or eco-friendly accommodation. 2

If the rise of international phenom and environmental activist Greta Thunberg (who refuses to fly) is any indication, the travel industry will feel mounting pressure in 2020 to appeal to young travelers in earth-friendly ways.

3. Green travelers are a small but mighty group.

Green travelers are a minority, but a significant one. A study by Mandala Research found that travelers who seek out and book accommodations marketed as more “sustainable” stay, on average, three days longer than other guests. 3

If you’re a travel provider, along with rethinking your overall travel loyalty program , consider special incentives that attract and retain a growing audience of climate-conscious jetsetters — those who are trying to reduce their carbon footprint. They’re on track to have outsized influence on their peers and the industry at large in the future.

Takeaways for Travel Marketers

1. eco-conscious travel is trending..

According to the same survey by Booking.com, 87% of all tourists want more sustainable travel options , and 67% are willing to spend at least 5% more on their travel to ensure it has as low of an impact on the environment as possible.

So no matter what size or kind of travel and hospitality marketer you are, take this as an opportunity to reimagine your offerings and cater to the preferences of people who like to travel with a clear(er) conscience.

2. One-size-fits-all marketing falls flat.

The small but growing cohort of carbon-conscious travelers won’t be compelled by general awareness campaigns. If you’re a travel marketer, take extra care to develop messages that appeal to their values to ensure they’re striking a chord.

Our Why We Buy research shows that 46% of US consumers and 51% of UK consumers dislike when ads show them products they’re not interested in. 4 Our Why We Book study shows that only 25% of Gen Zers are members of a travel loyalty program, indicating there’s room for improvement on creating incentives that matter to them. 5

3. Get green traveler traffic through targeted campaigns .

Take steps now in order to identify who these people are in your CRM database and cookie pool, and launch ad campaigns that understand their sustainable travel preferences.

When it comes to travel, many people are looking for ways to reduce their impact. With its ability to target different audience types and bring them back to your site, the Criteo Ad Platform can help you create a loyal base of green travelers. Learn more here .

About the data

• Definition of Green Travelers: Travelers who, at least once in the past 6 months, decided not to book travel in order to reduce their carbon footprint.
• For the graph by country: Travelers who, at least once in the past 6 months, decided not to book travel for any reason (weather, regional politics, the economy, etc).
• For the graphs by demographics: All (travelers having done at least one personal trip for personal reasons within the last 6 months).
• Our survey defines age groups as follows — Gen Z: born after 1994 (under 25), Millennials: born between 1981 and 1994 (25-38 years old), Gen X: born between 1965 and 1980 (39-54 years old), Boomers: born between 1946 and 1964 (55-73 years old), Silent: born before 1946 (74+).

1 https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2019/01/10/1686144/0/en/CGS-Survey-Reveals-Sustainability-Is-Driving-Demand-and-Customer-Loyalty.html 2 https://www.travelagentcentral.com/running-your-business/stats-87-travelers-want-to-travel-sustainably 3 https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/travel/with-eco-friendly-travel-more-popular-than-ever-approach-green-claims-with-skepticism/2017/05/18/617cfef2-358f-11e7-b373-418f6849a004_story.html?noredirect=on 4 Criteo “Why We Buy” Survey, US, February 2019, N=1003​ and Criteo “Why We Buy” Survey, UK, March 2019, N=1020. 5 Criteo “Why We Book” Travel Study, Global, May-July 2019, N=13,000.

Explore the Tableau Workbook, with even more green traveler findings, here:

As Global Head of Content at Criteo, Michelle leads a high-performing, multi-disciplinary team of marketers packaging insights, copy, design, and video into integrated campaigns. Her own writing has been featured in Entrepreneur, Business Insider, AdWeek, eMarketer, and more. Before joining the ...

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Passing Thru Travel

Green Globetrotting – 12 Must-Have Sustainable Travel Apps for Conscious Adventurers

Posted: February 28, 2024 | Last updated: February 28, 2024

In a world increasingly aware of its environmental footprint, sustainable travel is not just a trend but a necessity. As eco-conscious travelers, you have the power to make a positive impact on the planet while exploring it. This guide delves into a selection of innovative, sustainable travel apps essential for the modern, environmentally-minded wanderer. From carbon footprint trackers to eco-friendly accommodation finders, these apps are your digital companions in making travel choices that align with your green ethos.

1. Good on You

Good on You is an indispensable tool for fashion-conscious travelers prioritizing sustainability. This app offers comprehensive ethical ratings for over 2,000 fashion brands, focusing on their impact on the environment, labor rights, and animal welfare.

Whether you need a new backpack for hiking or a comfortable pair of shoes for city walks, Good on You helps you make informed choices that align with your eco-friendly ethos.

The app also features tips on sustainable fashion. It highlights ethical brands, making it easier for you to find stylish and responsible attire. It’s a great way to ensure your travel wardrobe doesn’t come at the cost of the environment.

Insider’s Tip: Use the app to discover local, sustainable brands in your travel destination, supporting local businesses and reducing your carbon footprint.

2. Eco Companion

Eco Companion transforms how you plan your trips, focusing on eco-tourism and sustainable accommodations. This app curates a selection of the world’s most environmentally responsible eco-tours and lodgings, emphasizing wildlife and conservation experiences. It offers an in-depth look into each option’s sustainability efforts, from energy efficiency to community engagement.

This ensures that your travel choices minimize negative environmental impact and actively contribute to conservation and local well-being. With Eco Companion, you’re not just traveling but making a difference.

Insider’s Tip: Look for experiences that include interaction with local conservation experts to better understand the area’s ecological initiatives.

3. Green Globe

Green Globe is your digital guide for finding sustainable travel options worldwide. This app lists hotels, attractions, and even conference centers that adhere to rigorous sustainability criteria. Each listing includes detailed sustainability profiles and reports, making choosing accommodations and activities that meet your green standards easy.

Whether you’re looking for a sustainable city hotel or an eco-friendly beach resort, Green Globe helps you make travel choices that are responsible, ethical, and environmentally sound.

Insider’s Tip: Use the app’s map feature to find certified sustainable stays near your destination, ensuring convenience without compromising your green standards.

Almond is an app for the environmentally conscious traveler looking to understand and mitigate their carbon footprint. This innovative app lets you scan product barcodes to reveal their carbon footprint, suggesting more sustainable alternatives.

It also rewards your eco-friendly choices with “conscious coins,” which can be used for future sustainable purchases or donated to environmental causes. Almond is a tool that empowers you to make travel choices that are better for the planet, from the food you eat to the products you use.

Insider’s Tip: Use Almond to scan food and drink products while traveling, helping you make more eco-friendly choices.

5. HappyCow

HappyCow is a lifesaver for vegan and vegetarian travelers, offering a worldwide comprehensive directory of plant-based dining options. Adopting a plant-based diet significantly reduces your environmental impact, and HappyCow makes it convenient, even in unfamiliar places.

With its extensive database of vegan, vegetarian, and veg-friendly restaurants, complete with user reviews and ratings, finding sustainable and delicious dining options has never been easier.

Insider’s Tip: Use HappyCow’s trip planning feature to create a list of must-visit eateries in your destination.

OLIO connects you with local communities to share surplus food, reducing waste and fostering a sense of connection. This app is perfect for travelers who want to minimize food waste while traveling.

Whether staying in self-catering accommodations or simply having excess food, OLIO allows you to share it with others rather than letting it go to waste. It’s a great way to experience local cuisine, meet locals, and contribute positively to the community you’re visiting.

Insider’s Tip: If staying in a self-catering accommodation, use OLIO to source local ingredients and reduce food waste during your stay.

7. Litterati

Litterati is an app that tackles global littering in a creative and community-driven way. As a traveler, you can contribute to keeping the destinations you visit clean and pristine by using the app to photograph, tag, and dispose of litter.

It turns environmental responsibility into a fun and engaging activity, allowing you to be part of a global effort to clean up our planet. This app helps improve the places you visit and fosters a sense of global community and shared responsibility for our environment.

Insider’s Tip: Join or organize a litter clean-up in your travel destination through the app, making a tangible difference in the local environment.

8. Ecosia Travel

Ecosia Travel extends the tree-planting mission of the Ecosia search engine to your hotel bookings. Most of the commission is directed towards global reforestation projects when you use this platform to book your stay. It’s an effortless yet impactful way to ensure that your travel accommodations contribute to crucial environmental efforts.

By choosing Ecosia Travel, your journey supports the planting of trees around the world, aiding in carbon absorption and ecosystem restoration.

Insider’s Tip: Use Ecosia as your primary search engine while planning your trip to maximize your contribution to their tree-planting initiative.

9. MyClimate

MyClimate is a comprehensive app for calculating and offsetting your carbon footprint. This tool allows you to measure the environmental impact of your flights, car travel, and daily activities. MyClimate offers a transparent and effective way to mitigate your travel impact by providing options to contribute to climate protection projects.

It’s an essential app for those committed to responsible travel, ensuring that your adventures don’t come at the planet’s expense.

Insider’s Tip: Regularly track your carbon footprint during your trip to stay conscious of your environmental impact and offset accordingly.

10. Water-Refill Stations

The Water-Refill Stations app is a game-changer for reducing single-use plastic during your travels. It helps you locate nearby water refill stations, allowing you to refill your reusable bottle easily.

This is particularly useful in destinations where tap water isn’t potable. By using this app, you contribute to lessening plastic pollution and promoting a culture of sustainability in the places you visit.

Insider’s Tip: Carry a collapsible water bottle to save space in your luggage and refill it at these stations.

11. REI Co-op National Parks Guide

The REI Co-op National Parks Guide is an indispensable tool for the eco-conscious explorer venturing into the U.S. national parks. This comprehensive app offers detailed maps, trail information, and sustainability tips for visiting these natural wonders.

It ensures that your natural adventures are respectful and informed, helping you enjoy the parks responsibly while minimizing your environmental impact.

Insider’s Tip: Utilize the app’s offline feature to access park information without needing mobile data or Wi-Fi. 12.

JouleBug is an interactive app that makes sustainable living fun and engaging, even when you’re traveling. It turns eco-friendly actions into a game where you can earn badges and compete with friends for being the most environmentally conscious.

The app includes challenges for energy conservation, waste reduction, and sustainable habits, perfect for travelers who want to maintain their green lifestyle. JouleBug also offers tips and how-to videos, making it easier to adopt sustainable practices in your daily routine, no matter where you are in the world.

Insider’s Tip: Participate in community challenges on JouleBug to connect with other eco-conscious travelers and locals, sharing tips and experiences.

The Bottom Line

As an eco-conscious traveler, these sustainable travel apps are your allies in making responsible choices. They empower you to make a positive impact through ethical fashion choices with Good on You, eco-friendly accommodation bookings with Ecosia Travel, or contributing to local communities with OLIO.

Remember, sustainable travel is about more than just seeing the world; it’s about leaving it better than you found it. Let these apps guide you towards a more conscious and responsible way of exploring, ensuring that your adventures today contribute to a greener and more sustainable world tomorrow.

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The post Green Globetrotting – 12 Must-Have Sustainable Travel Apps for Conscious Adventurers republished on Passing Thru with permission from The Green Voyage .

Featured Image Credit: Shutterstock / GaudiLab.

For transparency, this content was partly developed with AI assistance and carefully curated by an experienced editor to be informative and ensure accuracy.

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Green Travel Tips

Sarah Schlichter

Deputy Executive Editor Sarah Schlichter's idea of a perfect trip includes spotting exotic animals, hiking through pristine landscapes, exploring new neighborhoods on foot, and soaking up as much art as she can. She often attempts to recreate recipes from her international travels after she gets home (which has twice resulted in accidental kitchen fires—no humans or animals were harmed).

Sarah joined the SmarterTravel team in 2017 after more than a decade at the helm of IndependentTraveler.com. Sarah's practical travel advice has been featured in dozens of news outlets including the New York Times, the Chicago Tribune, USA Today, Budget Travel, and Peter Greenberg Worldwide Radio. Follow her on Twitter @TravelEditor .

The Handy Item I Always Pack: "A journal. Even years later, reading my notes from a trip can bring back incredibly vivid memories."

Ultimate Bucket List Experience: "Road tripping and hiking through the rugged mountains of Patagonia."

Travel Motto: "'To awaken quite alone in a strange town is one of the pleasantest sensations in the world.'—Freya Stark"

Aisle, Window, or Middle Seat: "Aisle. I get restless on long flights and like to be able to move around without disturbing anyone else."

Email Sarah at [email protected] .

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Many people hear the terms “green travel” or “ecotourism” and picture someone sleeping in a treehouse in the jungles of Borneo or canoeing down the Amazon . But this type of eco-adventure is just one end of the green travel spectrum. You don’t need to sacrifice creature comforts or go off into the middle of nowhere to be a green traveler; you can visit big cities or small villages, and stay in small ecolodges or luxury hotels. All that’s required is an effort to preserve and protect the environment of the place you’re visiting — and it’s easier than you might think.

Want to learn how? Read on….

What is Green Travel?

“Green travel” is one of many catchphrases — like ecotourism, sustainable travel , and responsible travel — that are bandied about with increasing frequency these days. But what exactly do these terms mean?

There are various shades of difference among all these terms, but at the heart of the matter is the importance of protecting the natural and cultural environment of the places you visit. That means conserving plants, wildlife, and other resources; respecting local cultures and ways of life; and contributing positively to local communities.

WATCH: 5 Amazing Wildlife Vacations

Why Go Green?

With over 1 billion tourists crisscrossing the globe every year, it’s more important than ever for travelers to minimize their individual impact on the earth’s natural and cultural treasures. The potential negative effects of tourism are both local and global; oceanfront hotels contribute to beach erosion in Hawaii, rising numbers of visitors threaten the fragile ecosystems of the Galapagos Islands, and carbon dioxide emissions from planes are a growing contributor to global warming.

Taking a green approach to travel is an easy and essential way to protect the places you love to visit, not just for yourself but for the travelers who come after you and for the people who will continue to live there long after you’ve flown home. As an added bonus, it often makes for a more rewarding, authentic travel experience, encouraging deeper connections with the people and places you visit.

Contrary to popular belief, you don’t necessarily have to pay more in order to travel green. While offsetting the carbon emissions from your air travel will set you back a negligible amount (usually between $10 and $40 per flight, depending on the length), you can find green lodging options in all budgets, from hostels to luxury hotels. And earth-friendly transportation options like biking, walking and taking public transit are often cheaper than taking a cab or renting a car.

Choosing a Green Hotel

There are a number of Web sites that list environmentally friendly hotels, B&B’s and lodges around the world; these are a good place to start. Keep in mind that each site has its own guidelines for rating properties, so you’ll want to do your homework to make sure that the hotel meets the standards you’re looking for. And don’t forget to check out our top ecolodges and green hotels .

A few questions to ask before booking your hotel:

• Is the hotel locally owned and operated? If not, is it at least staffed by local employees?
• What kind of recycling programs does the hotel have (aluminum, plastic, paper, gray water, composting)?
• Do guests have the option to reuse towels and sheets instead of having them changed every day?
• What programs does the hotel have to reduce consumption? Examples include energy-efficient lighting, low-flow toilets and showers, and alternative energy sources like solar or wind power.
• How does the hotel contribute to the local community?

During Your Stay

Even if you’re not spending the night in an eco-lodge or green hotel, there are still several easy steps you can take to make your stay more eco-friendly.

• Keep your showers short, and shut off the water while you’re brushing your teeth.
• When you leave the room, turn off the air-conditioning, heat, television, lights or any other electric devices.
• Reuse your sheets and towels instead of having them changed every day. Many hotels will not replace your towels if you leave them hanging up neatly; if you’re not sure, write a note for the housekeeping staff or notify the front desk.
• Bring your own toiletries and drinking cup rather than using the prepackaged ones provided. If you do use the hotel’s toiletries, take them with you and use them at home or during the rest of your trip.
• Know your hotel’s recycling program and sort your trash accordingly. If your hotel doesn’t recycle, consider taking your empty bottles or other items home with you to recycle them there.
• Give your hotel feedback. Express your appreciation for any eco-friendly programs it currently offers, or if it doesn’t, encourage the management to go green in the future.

Getting Around

Transportation, particularly air travel, is where most travelers have the biggest environmental impact. According to USA Today, a flight from New York to Denver produces as much carbon dioxide per passenger as an SUV produces in a month. To minimize your environmental footprint, try the following steps:

• Offset the carbon emissions produced by your flight.
• For shorter trips, take the train instead of flying — especially in Europe or other regions where train service is fast and frequent.
• When renting a car, choose the smallest vehicle that can comfortably accommodate you. Decline any “free” upgrades (which will cost you more in gas).
• Rent a hybrid car.
• Taking a long road trip ? If your personal vehicle is large and not very fuel-efficient, consider renting an economy car instead. You’ll save gas and avoid putting miles on your own vehicle.
• Whenever possible, use public transportation instead of taxis or rental cars. Better yet, walk or bike.

Responsible Sightseeing

When it comes to visiting the world’s most beautiful places, the old adage rings true: Take nothing but photographs, and leave nothing but footprints.

Travel with an environmentally friendly tour operator . Before you book, be sure to ask about group size (smaller groups tend to make less of an environmental impact), whether the tours are led by locals, how the tour operator gives back to the community, and what kind of lodging is included.

When hiking, always stay on marked trails and maintain a safe distance from any animals you encounter. Deposit your trash in marked receptacles or take it with you when you leave. Light campfires only in established fire rings and be sure they’re completely extinguished before you leave.

When snorkeling , do not touch the coral or stir up sediment, as these actions can damage the reef’s fragile ecosystem. Also, choose a reef-safe sunscreen ; chemicals found in most sunblock lotions are harmful to coral.

  Destinations With Sunscreen Bans, and What You Need to Know

Try to buy local products whenever possible instead of those that have been flown or shipped in from overseas. You’ll support the local economy and get a taste of native cuisine. Do not, however, buy souvenirs or other products made from endangered animals or plants, in most cases you can’t get them through U.S. Customs anyway.

Treat the locals with respect. Learn a few words in the native language , be open to cultural differences, and read up on the area before your trip so you’re sensitive to issues of dress and behavior.

Consider taking a volunteer vacation to give back directly to the place you’re visiting.

More from SmarterTravel:

• How This Tiny Island Could Change Sustainable Travel
• 5 Unique Travel Fabrics That Are Ethically Sourced
• 13 Best Places to Travel Alone

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Moscow using ‘green bonds’ to finance sustainable transport projects

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Posted: 23 September 2021 | Intelligent Transport | No comments yet

The green bonds have been live on the Moscow Stock Exchange since May 2021 and have already helped to build a new station on the city’s Big Circle Line.

Moscow Metro has used the green bonds to open the new Nizhegorodskaya metro station

Moscow will use so-called ‘green bonds’ to raise funding to develop urban transport infrastructure which will help reduce emissions of pollutants and greenhouse gas. That’s according to Moscow Deputy Mayor for Transport Maksim Liksutov, who hopes the scheme will help the city continue the redevelopment of its extensive transport network.

“The money from the green bonds will help build 18 new stations and more than 43 km of the Big Circle Line of the Moscow Metro , as well as reconstruct three  more stations and 4km of Moscow Metro lines,” said Liksutov.

The Deputy Mayor added that the launch of the Big Circle Line will allow some Muscovites to abandon personal transport, underlining the fact that 10 thousand less cars in Moscow would result in 20 thousand tons less CO2 per year. In addition, Moscow is using the bond funds to purchase 400 e-buses, 100 of which are already in operation.

“Replacing one bus with an electric bus reduces air emissions by 190-260 kg per year, and CO2 emissions by an average of 60 tons per year. This means that we will breathe even cleaner air in Moscow, which is very important for the health of both adults and children alike,” added Liksutov.

On 22 September, Moscow unveiled an installation at Nizhegorodskaya metro station (Big Circle Line) dedicated to the Green Bonds project. The construction of the station was financed with funds obtained from the placement of green bonds, with its passenger flow is expected to reach more than 40 thousand people per day by 2023.

“The metro is an ecological transport that does not pollute the air, and that is safe for the environment. The funds from the bonds are channeled into important urban projects that significantly improve the living standards of Muscovites and make urban mobility even safer,” stressed the Deputy Mayor.

In May 2021, the placement of the first issue of Moscow’s green bonds worth 70 billion rubles began on the Moscow Exchange. The volume of purchase orders exceeded the supply by 1.2 times, with funds from the bonds used for further environmentally friendly projects.

Related topics Air Quality , Alternative Power , Business Models , Infrastructure & Urban Planning , Public Transport , Sustainable Urban Transport , Transport Governance & Policy

Related modes Bus & Coach , Metro

Related cities Moscow

Related organisations Department for Transport Moscow , Moscow Metro

Related people Maksim Liksutov

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A Remote Island Draws Thousands of Turtles Each Year. Could It Attract Tourists?

Green sea turtles swim hundreds of miles to nest on a spectacular West African archipelago. Getting there is quite a journey for humans, too.

By Ricci Shryock

Ricci Shryock is a writer and photographer based in Dakar, Senegal.

Each year, thousands of baby green sea turtles clamber across a beautiful, white-sand paradise that is one of the largest hatching sites of this species in the Atlantic, adorably making their way to the sea. There’s one noticeable absence: people.

The spectacular hatching events take place between August and December on Poilão Island, a tiny, uninhabited speck off the coast of Guinea-Bissau in West Africa. It is the southernmost island of the 88 that make up the Bijagós archipelago, a UNESCO biosphere reserve . Last year, turtles laid more than 44,000 nests on its 1.4 mile-long beach.

While the masses of turtles seem to have little trouble finding the spot to lay their eggs — some swim more than 600 miles across the North Atlantic — it’s hard to imagine somewhere more challenging for human turtle-lovers to reach.

The country’s tourism minister, Alberto Demba Touré, said that access is a main challenge. “We want to increase the tourists who go to the Bijagós,” he said. Last year, UNESCO declared its support for the Bijagós Islands to seek World Heritage List status , which, if successful, would increase its visibility and strengthen its environmental protections.

Turtle conservation programs have become a staple of resorts in many popular destinations, including in Hawaii, Mexico and throughout the Caribbean. Guinea-Bissau may like to capture a meager sliver of that pie, but it would be with steep challenges.

Politically fragile Guinea-Bissau has very little infrastructure and is one of the world’s poorest and least touristed nations. Most flights to Bissau, the country’s sleepy capital on the mainland, require a connection in Lisbon or Dakar, Senegal. Then, from Bissau, it’s a bumpy one-hour drive to the coast, and five to seven hours in a speedboat (depending on the route) to Poilão Island.

A limited number of tourists, usually no more than a dozen at a time, are allowed to visit the Poilão Island, which is part of the João Vieira and Poilão Marine National Park. The island is considered sacred by the archipelago’s residents and no construction is allowed on it.

A plane, to a truck, to a speedboat

Last fall I traveled to Poilão at the height of hatching season to witness the baby turtles make their way from nest to sea, and to see how the local workers monitor and ensure the survival of the tens of thousands of hatchlings each year.

I started in Bissau, a riverside city of half a million, after flying there from my home in Dakar. A few blocks from the presidential palace, people sat at plastic tables under mango trees, listening to music and eating grilled oysters plucked from the roots of the nearby mangroves. Women walked by selling cashew fruit, which has a sour, fermented aroma.

Visitors to Bissau might visit the war museum, in an 18th-century fort and an active military base, to see the mainly Soviet-sponsored weapons used by Bissau-Guinean fighters during the independence war against their Portuguese rulers that ended in 1974.

The next morning, another visitor and I climbed into a truck that took us to the coast. I had booked my Poilão trip with a hotel on one of the islands, Orango Parque Hotel, which arranged boat transport, park fees, meals, a guide and simple accommodations for three nights. The whole arrangement cost about $1,470.

We left the capital’s main paved avenue for potholed small lanes. An hour later, we reached the dock, near an abandoned hotel among the mangroves, where I climbed into a white speedboat.

For three hours, we sped through the open ocean, passing small, mostly uninhabited islands of the Bijagós. We occasionally passed fishermen — half a dozen men in brightly painted, long wooden boats — who waved as we buzzed by.

A stop to meet the priestesses

Eventually, we landed on a beach at the hotel on Orango Island, the largest in the archipelago, where we would spend two nights before continuing the journey. We were shown to our small round houses that contained a single comfortable room, and given a lunch of fresh fish and rice.

Eduardo da Silva, a boat captain and guide at the hotel who grew up on the island, said tourists can learn a lot from the way Bijagós residents interact with nature.

“On Orango, we have always been conservationists,” he said.

One day during my stay, Mr. Da Silva took me to meet the local priestesses . Orango is a matriarchal society; today the priestesses still make decisions about when certain harvests take place and what is allowed to happen on sacred grounds. I offered the women two unlabeled, neon-green bottles of cana, alcohol made from sugar cane, which I had bought for this purpose from a roadside stand when leaving Bissau. After a short ceremony with the cana, the priestesses spoke about how they base their community decisions on what will ensure a continued balance with the environment.

“Conservation can protect what is ours, so that we don’t lose it and so that our children who are born tomorrow can know it,” said Nene Ecane, one of the priestesses, in the Bijagós language via a translator.

Landing on Poilão

When it was time to leave Orango, another speedboat — smaller than the one the day before — drove us through clear waters for two hours. We spotted dolphins and Mr. Da Silva banged his hand on the side of the boat. The dolphins came closer and jumped alongside us.

While most of the speedboat journey from Bissau had been smooth, near Poilão the boat hit rougher waves. It was just before sunset when we landed. Occasional patches of volcanic black rocks, vital for green sea turtles, dotted the small beach.

As we unloaded the boat, a half-dozen workers from the João Vieira and Poilão Marine National Park greeted us, including Tumbulo Garcia Bamba, the park’s adjunct director.

“It’s good for tourists to come and learn and see how we work here for the turtles,” he said. He said he hopes that more attention to the turtles of Poilão will lead people outside of the region to respect the environment.

Mr. Bamba said he had noticed more trash washing up on the island’s shores; the Orango hotel scheduled a clean-up crew for the following week, which is not normally needed. Workers on the islands said many of the products seen among the trash — including bottled water and cosmetics — were not available in Guinea-Bissau and may have come from other parts of West Africa.

“The ocean knows no borders,” said Mr. Bamba.

A mad dash to the sea

Other than our individual tents, which were set up a few dozen feet from the beach, there were few other signs of human life. There is no cell reception.

But we were not alone. All along the beach lay thousands of buried turtle eggs. Every few steps there was another underground sea turtle hatchling family, the park workers told us. Many nests had markers, but not all. We walked gingerly.

The workers, many of whom are from the Bijagós Islands, not only count and monitor the hatchlings, but also help them make their way safely to the sea.

Even though the nests are just 20 or so feet from the ocean, the two-inch-long hatchlings are susceptible to many threats during their brief journey to the water — specifically birds, which wait in the nearby trees ready to snatch them.

We followed the workers throughout the early evening as they dug up nests — sometimes they were chest-deep in sand. They gathered dozens of just-hatched turtles into buckets and held them at the campsite until nightfall and high tide, when it was safer to release them.

A few hours later, in the darkness, the workers took the buckets of turtles back to the beach and let them go. All at once, a few hundred small hatchlings made their mad dash for the safety of the sea. Under the starlight, they used their small front flippers to quickly — and adorably — push their way through the sand to the water.

After the sea turtle release, we sat down for a fresh fish dinner, grilled over an open fire by the hotel staff. The park workers ate next to us, all of us using headlamps and flashlights in the dark.

A laptop, powered by solar panels, blasted a playlist of ’90s and early 2000s love ballads as our dinner soundtrack, giving the evening a surreal feel. It was just us, Usher, Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey and, beneath a few feet of sand, thousands of baby turtles waiting for their first swim through the waves.

Follow New York Times Travel on Instagram and sign up for our weekly Travel Dispatch newsletter to get expert tips on traveling smarter and inspiration for your next vacation. Dreaming up a future getaway or just armchair traveling? Check out our 52 Places to Go in 2024 .

Open Up Your World

Considering a trip, or just some armchair traveling here are some ideas..

52 Places:  Why do we travel? For food, culture, adventure, natural beauty? Our 2024 list has all those elements, and more .

Mumbai:  Spend 36 hours in this fast-changing Indian city  by exploring ancient caves, catching a concert in a former textile mill and feasting on mangoes.

Kyoto:  The Japanese city’s dry gardens offer spots for quiet contemplation  in an increasingly overtouristed destination.

Iceland:  The country markets itself as a destination to see the northern lights. But they can be elusive, as one writer recently found .

Texas:  Canoeing the Rio Grande near Big Bend National Park can be magical. But as the river dries, it’s getting harder to find where a boat will actually float .

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Hilton lifts 2024 profit forecast on international travel demand

(Reuters) -Hotel operator Hilton Worldwide raised its annual adjusted profit forecast on Wednesday, banking on international travel demand to offset normalizing domestic travel in the U.S.

The company forecast 2024 adjusted profit of between $6.89 and $7.03 per share, up from the previously forecast $6.80 to $6.94 per share.

International travel demand is expected to remain strong this year as global air connectivity increases and travelers flock to Asian and Latin American countries, while demand for domestic travel plateaus in North America.

Hilton, which also owns brands such as Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts, reported quarterly revenue per available room (RevPAR) of $104.16, up 2% from the same period last year.

(Reporting by Aishwarya Jain in Bengaluru and Doyinsola Oladipo in New York; Editing by Milla Nissi)

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Here's when you need (and don't need) a passport to cruise.

It's the type of sailing – closed-loop or open-loop – that largely determines whether or not you need a passport to cruise.

Do You Need a Passport for a Cruise?

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A passport isn't always required for cruising.

To determine whether or not you need a passport to cruise, you first need to figure out if the itinerary is closed-loop or open-loop (also known as open-jaw).

Closed-loop cruise: A closed-loop cruise typically doesn't require a passport since it begins and ends in the same U.S. port (though there are some exceptions to this rule).

Example: Royal Caribbean International 's seven-night Western Caribbean & Perfect Day cruise stops in several countries – the Bahamas, Jamaica, Haiti and Grand Cayman – but the itinerary is considered closed-loop because it starts and ends in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Open-loop cruise: An open-loop cruise begins in one U.S. port and ends in a different U.S. port.

Example: Carnival Cruise Line 's 16-day Panama Canal from Seattle itinerary is not considered closed-loop because it departs from Seattle and completes its journey in New Orleans.

All of the above regulations have been determined by the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative: a plan by the departments of State and Homeland Security that determines which documents are acceptable for proving identity and citizenship when entering the United States.

Where to cruise without a passport

There are several destinations where you can cruise without a passport on a closed-loop sailing. They include the following:

• The Bahamas

When looking at cruises to these locations, be mindful of the home ports. The Bahamas, Mexico, Bermuda, the Caribbean and Canada are all foreign ports, which means they only qualify for the passport exception if they are a stop along your cruise itinerary . If the cruise originates in any of these countries, it is likely you will need a passport.

Since Alaska, Hawaii and New England are all U.S. destinations, any closed-loop routes departing from these locations will not require a passport. However, keep in mind that it can be hard to find closed-loop cruises originating in Hawaii or Alaska.

To find closed-loop itineraries for a Hawaiian voyage or Alaskan cruise , try searching for sailings departing from major cities on the West Coast, like Seattle or Los Angeles . By contrast, quite a few closed-loop cruises leave from New England ports, but they are often marketed as Canadian cruises.

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When you need a passport for closed-loop cruises

Some cruise itineraries include foreign ports that require a passport for disembarkation. This is most commonly an issue for travelers on a closed-loop Caribbean cruise. Barbados , Guadeloupe , Haiti, Martinique , St. Barts , and Trinidad and Tobago all require U.S. citizens to present a valid passport to disembark and enter the country, despite WHTI regulations not requiring a passport for these destinations. Labadee, Royal Caribbean's private island , is an exception and does not require a passport despite its location in Haiti.

If your itinerary includes a country requiring a U.S. passport, your cruise line will require you to have the passport at check-in. Note that your passport must not expire within six months of your arrival in a foreign country or else it won't be considered valid for international travel.

Read: The Easiest Way to Renew Your Passport

Acceptable forms of ID

All travelers – U.S. citizens and foreign nationals alike – must present documents that show identity and citizenship when entering the United States. A U.S. passport can show both. If you don't have one or don't want to bring one, be aware that you may need to present more than one document.

U.S. citizens 16 and older

If you're a U.S. citizen age 16 or older sailing on a closed-loop cruise without your passport, you will need a government-issued photo ID like a driver's license. In addition, you must present a document that proves your U.S. citizenship. These include:

• Passport card
• State-issued enhanced driver's license (EDL)
• Government-issued birth certificate
• Trusted Traveler Program card (NEXUS, SENTRI or FAST)
• American Indian Card (Form I-872) or Enhanced Tribal ID Card

The Trusted Traveler Programs are risk-based programs to facilitate the entry of travelers who have been vetted and preapproved. Most of these programs will provide you with a machine-readable card that allows you to pass through border checkpoints quickly. Keep in mind, some of these IDs are only available to travelers 16 and older.

Read: TSA Precheck vs. Global Entry

U.S. citizens younger than 16

U.S. citizens younger than 16 are only required to present proof of citizenship, such as one of the following documents:

• Original, notarized or certified copy of their government-issued birth certificate
• Consular Report of Birth Abroad issued by U.S. Department of State
• Certificate of Naturalization issued by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services

Read: How to Get a Passport for Kids

Non-U.S. citizens

If you are a lawful permanent resident (or LPR) of the United States, you are required to present a permanent resident card or other valid evidence of permanent residence status.

Non-U.S. citizens, with the exception of Canadians and Mexicans, are not subject to passport exceptions, so a valid passport will need to be provided. Canadian citizens can present a valid passport, Enhanced Driver's License or Trusted Traveler Program card. Mexican citizens must present a passport with a visa or a Border Crossing Card.

Unacceptable forms of ID

While most common forms of identification are accepted, there are a few exceptions. U.S. military identification cards and U.S. Merchant Mariner documents are valid forms of identification, but only when traveling on official orders or in conjunction with official maritime business, so it is unlikely they will be accepted when traveling on a cruise.

Here are some other documents that will not be accepted as proof of citizenship:

• Voter registration cards
• Social Security cards
• Baptismal papers
• Hospital certificates of birth (for anyone older than a newborn)

It is important to note that many of the permitted forms of identification, such as a passport card or EDL, are only accepted at land and sea border crossings. Unforeseen circumstances, such as a medical air evacuation, may cause you to return to the U.S. by air travel. In this case, these documents won't be accepted when you try to reenter at the border crossing.

To avoid extra delays in your return to the U.S. following unforeseen travel complications, the Department of State recommends that everyone taking a cruise from the United States carry a valid passport book in case of emergency.

Why Trust U.S. News Travel

Erin Vasta has traveled extensively to international destinations, gaining a deep knowledge of travel regulations in the process. Her expertise in this area has saved her family and friends from unnecessary travel delays and ensured stress-free trips through border security in nearly 15 countries. To write this article, Vasta used her international travel experience and research skills.

You might also be interested in:

• The Top Passport Holders
• Cruise Packing List: Essentials to Bring
• Safe at Sea: The Best Cruise Insurance

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Moscow extends a warm welcome to Indian travellers with enhanced infrastructure and hidden gems

Russia actively promoting moscow as a tourist destination for indian travellers, improving infrastructure and visa process..

Russia is making an active bid to attract Indian travellers to visit Moscow -- a huge megalopolis and the historical, political and spiritual heart of the Russian Federation. The Moscow City Tourism Committee is promoting the city not only as a cultural capital but also as a business hub as it plans to onboard trade partners, tourists and vacationers. Moscow has also strengthened cooperation with the tourism sectors of allied nations, hosting familiarization tours for delegates and arranging business trips to showcase the city's tourism potential.

To accommodate visitors, Moscow is improving its infrastructure: signs are now available in English and Chinese, all announcements on public transport are repeated in English, and hotels are also adapting to cater to the needs of guests from various countries and ensure a comfortable stay. "We are still on our way to restore the flow of Indian tourists in Moscow like it used to be before the pandemic," said Bulat Nurmukhanov, Head of International Cooperation Division of Moscow City Tourism Committee.

Bulat further said that before the pandemic, there was a steady growth of 12-15 per cent on a year-on-year basis. In the first half of the year, Moscow received about 20,000 Indians, compared to the same period a year ago, it is about 56 per cent higher. In a bid to make Moscow a must-visit destination, the committee is actively working on improving the infrastructure for international travellers. Moscow is spearheading the development of innovative standards in catering to the needs of foreign travellers.

Tourists arriving in the capital can stay in hotels of various price segments. They can savour traditional Russian cuisine, and can also indulge in a diverse culinary experience, with options ranging from authentic Indian delicacies to continental dishes prepared to the highest standards. In 2022, the number of foreign tourists who visited Moscow increased by 6.3 per cent compared to 2021, reaching a total of 1.7 million.

Travelling to Moscow has now become easier as tourists from India and 54 other countries can apply for an electronic visa to enter Russia from August 1, 2023. The impact of e-visa rollout would be available by October this year after the quarterly data from the Russian border control agencies is analysed, Bulat said.

Moreover, the Russian government is planning to come out with a virtual 'Foreign Tourist Card' that will enable cashless payments for various services. "The idea behind this card is, a person back home in India can remotely apply for this card and then he/she can transfer money from the personal bank account to this bank account," Bulat added.

Meanwhile, sources in the Indian Embassy in Moscow told reporters that the Indian tourism ministry as well as the governments of Goa and Kerala are slated to participate in roundtable discussions this month. There are also plans to engage social media influencers to improve the inward traffic to India. Before the pandemic, around 3 lakh Russian tourists visited India annually. The numbers are down to around 80,000-90,000 of late.

To facilitate easy visitor movement across the city, there is "Discover Moscow" -- a navigation and travel web portal about Moscow and "RUSSPASS travel service" -- a digital platform designed for planning trips across Russia. The Discover Moscow portal features descriptions of over 1,200 architectural landmarks in Moscow. The site provides news, digests with festival and event information and curated lists of exhibition venues.

By availing the RUSSPASS travel service, tourists can access all essential information for a trip to Moscow on the site, including visa and currency matters, accommodation and transportation options in the capital. The site also offers a trip builder feature, allowing tourists to select pre-designed city routes or create their own itinerary from their favourite locations. There are versions of the site in Russian, English, Spanish and Arabic.

On the cultural scene, Moscow boasts 10,000 cultural venues including theaters, museums, libraries, parks, cinemas, concert halls, and more. In the last decade, around 900 parks and green spaces have been renovated.

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Volunteers help travelers in serious situations at Tampa International Airport

TAMPA, Fla. — The Tampa International Airport is highly ranked, with a solid reputation among travelers. Some of that is thanks to the hundreds of volunteers who help the airport run.

What You Need To Know

 tampa interational airport currently has 454 volunteers   volunteers are split between uso center, welcome ambassadors and travelers aid   want to get involved volunteer with tpa  or travelers aid.

According to the airport’s Manager of Communications, Beau Zimmer, the airport has 454 volunteers as of mid-April. Those volunteers spend their time as a welcome ambassador, at the airport’s USO Center assisting military members, or in Travelers Aid.

Travelers Aid, which is currently run by the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay, has a long history both at Tampa International and a network of airports across the country. Travelers Aid is one of the nation’s oldest social welfare movements that dates back to the mid 1800s and was formed to provide protection for women who traveled alone, usually in train stations.

Today it’s morphed into a network of volunteers who are ready to help in any situation, from easy fixes to crisis.

Ellen McCormick decided to begin volunteering with Travelers Aid roughly eight years ago after she retired from her job as a scientist with a pharmaceutical company. She says she missed the routine working provided and wanted to do something impactful with her time, beyond what typical hobbies could offer.

“I think it’s the diversity of what we do here that really draws me in,” she says.

On a typical day, Ellen does everything from answering traveler’s questions, provide emergency supplies like diapers or band-aids, or help problem solve and get solutions for stranded travelers. Other days, the situations are far more serious.

Ellen says she’s worked with travelers who were scammed while buying a plane ticket or arrive at the airport with no resources.

“Sometimes there’s no money, there’s no phone, there’s no friends, so they’re really in a pickle,” she explained.

Through the partnership with the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay, the Travelers Aid volunteers then call a shelter, find them a place to go, and give the person a bus pass and toiletries.

“It’s really sad. But sometimes it happens and at least there’s someone here to help,” Ellen said.

Travelers Aid is staffed by volunteers from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. 7 days a week. Roughly 50 volunteers rotate to keep the location fully staffed. 

Ellen says the loves the community the airport has become for her and recommends that other new retirees consider volunteering for a cause they are passionate about.

“I think if anything I’ve learned is at the core of us, we all want the same thing. We’re all very much the same and every once in a while, we need a helping hand,” she said.

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Why Moscow is the greenest city in the world

A house at Nezhinskaya street, Moscow

According to WorldAtlas, 54 percent of Moscow’s territory is covered by public parks and gardens, making it the greenest city in the world .

There are 20 square meters of trees and shrubs per inhabitant in Moscow – many times more than in Tokyo, London or Beijing. This happened because of the combination of two factors: first, Moscow was initially built amongst the forests of the North-Eastern Russia, second, landscaping and greening started in Moscow as early as the 18th century.

Fortress on a forest hill

Apollinaryi Vasnetsov. The Trubnaya Square in Moscow in the 17th century.

Borovitsky hill, upon which the Moscow Kremlin stands, is named after the word ‘bor’ – ‘forest’ in Russian. And indeed, in the 11th century there was an oak grove here, where the central streets of Moscow are now. Another example is the Church of St. John the Evangelist under the Elm Tree, now on Novaya Square, not far away from the Kremlin. Historian of Moscow Pyotr Sytin believed this church had its name in honor of the dense forest that protected the eastern part of the Kremlin until the 15th century.

Church of St. John the Evangelist under the Elm Tree

In these places, spruce and pine trees predominated, which were actively cut down and used by the city's population for construction. The city was expanding, and the forest was being cut down at its outskirts for building new houses. But these ‘outskirts’ were so close to the Kremlin that it’s now the very center of the city – even in the 17th century, places like Trubnaya Square (a 20 minute walk from the Kremlin) were still largely green, and until the early 19th century, bushes and trees grew right beside the Kremlin wall, in the now obsolete Aloisios’ Ravine, constructed in the 16th century under the supervision of Italian architect Aloisio the New. However, the city’s greenery wasn’t organized in a systematic way.

The Boulevard Ring

Tverskoy Boulevard in Moscow, early 19th century

Catherine the Great, who wanted to update the old capital, ordered the construction of the Boulevard Ring. It took the place of the obsolete Belyi Gorod (‘White City’) fortification wall.

“Moscow is encircled by boulevards – they are not only an ornament, but also an important benefit,” Vladimir Odoevsky, a 19th century Russian journalist, wrote. “When foreigners, looking at the plan of Moscow, see this green ring, we are proud to explain to them that in winter and summer, both sick and healthy, and the elderly, and children can walk around the city, walk between the trees and not be afraid of being hit by a carriage.”

The Kremlin ravine, the 1800s

After the fire of 1812, another green ring appeared – the Sadovoye (‘Garden’) ring, a wide street encircling the fast-growing center and covered in private houses’ gardens.

Greened by the Reds

Sokolniki Park, Moscow

Rapid urbanization starting after the 1917 revolution brought swarms of new inhabitants to Moscow, and the old city had to adjust to the needs of the industrial state. Unfortunately, with the 1930s Stalinist plan of Moscow reconstruction, many historical buildings were demolished, and main streets turned into highways.

Sadovaya-Kudrinskaya, Garden Ring, Moscow, 1928

In the 1930s, the Garden Ring was paved, trees at many squares and streets were cut down, there even were plans to destroy the Boulevard Ring, but fortunately they were not carried out. Georgy Popov (1906-1968), a Moscow Communist Party official, remembered that after WWII, in 1947, Stalin personally supervised the plans for re-greening the city center: “I remember how quickly we were deployed. We planted greenery on Dzerzhinsky Square (now Lubyanka Square), and in Okhotny Ryad, restored the garden on Sverdlov Square (now – Teatralnaya Square), and planted on Bolotnaya Square. Gorky Street was preplanted from Manezhnaya Square to Belorussky railway station. This was the first step in the greening of the central part of the city,” Popov wrote.

Sadovaya-Kudrinskaya, Garden Ring, Moscow, 1936

In 1951, the Moscow government chose from as many as 272 projects for re-greening Moscow. By 1961, forestry workers had planted over 500,000 trees and shrubs in the city. Small-leaved linden, blue spruce, fir, western thuja, irga, golden currant, barberry, and roses.

Gorky Park, Moscow, 1979

The 1950s-1960s also saw the reconstruction of Moscow’s biggest public parks. Gorky Park, transformed in the 1930s from Neskuchny (‘Merry’’) Garden, a 19th century public leisure space, has seen over 2,000 trees and 25,000 shrubs planted annually. The total space of the park expanded to 2.2 sq km, and the total length of the park’s alleys reached 30 km.

In the 20th century, more big parks were organized in Moscow: Sokolniki (5.16 sq km), Izmailovsky (16 sq km), Pokrovskoye-Streshnevo (2.22 sq km), Bitsevski Park (22 sq km), and, most importantly, Losiny Ostrov National Park (116 sq km), the largest urban park in Europe.

Felling a tree, planting two

Japanese garden in Main Botanical Garden in Moscow

Currently, Moscow’s green affairs are under strict control from the city’s government. In 2010-2016, 432,000 trees and 3.5 million shrubs were planted, and since 2013, a government initiative called “A Million Trees” has been implemented, meant to plant vegetation inside the inner yards of apartment buildings, with the plants being chosen on a digital app platform by locals.

Cutting down a tree in Moscow (for example, during a house construction) is very difficult, and if you still have to resort to such a measure, then the developer is obliged to compensate for this by planting two trees. However, these rules do not yet apply to other Russian regions, even in close proximity to the city – for example, the Moscow Oblast’. In 2007-2012 in Khimki, a suburb in Moscow Oblast’, a part of forest containing ancient oaks was being cut down for a road construction project. The project was eventually implemented, and a section of toll road was organized, causing air pollution near the highway, and in addition, noise pollution in the forest.

According to Moscow government’s official portal , by the end of the year, over 5,000 trees and 136,000 shrubs will be planted in Moscow, so the city is not going to lose its status as the greenest capital of the world any time soon. However, the indexes of the air pollution in Moscow are still unfortunately high – the city is still Russia’s largest trade and industrial center. The World Air Quality index places Moscow in 27th place in the air pollution ranking.

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EU proposes youth mobility agreement with UK to help youngsters travel, work and live in both areas

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen addresses a media conference at the conclusion of an EU Summit in Brussels, Friday, March 22, 2024. European Union leaders on Friday discussed plans to boost investment and the economy. (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert)

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BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Commission proposed Thursday to start negotiations with the United Kingdom to allow young people to move freely, work and study in both regions after Brexit — the U.K.'s departure from the EU four years ago.

According to the EU, the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the EU following a referendum in 2016 has damaged mobility between the two areas.

“This situation has particularly affected the opportunities for young people to experience life on the other side of the Channel and to benefit from youth, cultural, educational, research and training exchanges,” the Commission said.

When the U.K. was still a member of the economic and political bloc, its nationals had the right to live and work freely in the EU, with reciprocity for EU nationals in the U.K. Under the agreement proposed by the EU’s executive arm, EU and UK citizens between 18 and 30 years old would be eligible to stay up to four years in the destination country.

The deal would also allow equal treatment of EU and UK students in the field of university tuition fees. Most EU students must now pay international tuition fees if they want to study in the U.K. The Commission says these vary between 11,400 and 38,000 pounds ($14,200-$47,300) per year and are a strong deterrent for EU students who generally don’t have to pay as much within the bloc.

The Commission’s recommendation will be discussed by EU member countries who must give the green light before the executive arm can start negotiations with the UK.

“We have successful Youth Mobility Schemes with 13 countries, including Australia and New Zealand, and remain open to agreeing them with our international partners, including EU member states,” the British government said in a statement.

The U.K. has its own Youth Mobility Scheme, which it has offered to some EU member states. The Commission believes the British plan is less ambitious than its own proposal.

“Our agreements provide a valuable route for cultural exchanges providing partner countries are also willing to offer the same opportunities for young British people,” the British government added.

Follow AP’s coverage of Brexit at https://apnews.com/hub/brexit