There can be no doubt that governments and corporations have the major role to play when it comes to reforming the travel and transport industry to make it more Eco-friendly. However, that doesn’t mean that we as individuals should absolve ourselves of any responsibility and continue as normal whilst waiting for sweeping institutional change. On the contrary, each of us should take steps to make our travels greener, in fact for the sake of future generations, one could argue that we have an obligation to do so!
According to the World Tourism association there were 1.4 billion international tourist arrivals in 2018 (conservatively estimated to reach 1.8 billion by 2030). If each person had taken a small step to make their trip more Eco-friendly, cumulatively that would be more than a billion small steps. That’s got to add up!
Here are top 5 suggestions for small steps we can each implement to make our travels more Eco-friendly! Try and build at least 1 into your next trip:
- When possible forego the flight and travel by train, coach or car. Air travel is by far the most un-environmentally friendly mode of travel (although, often the most convenient and sometimes the only way). If you do travel by air. Check out our top tips on Going Greener when you fly.
- Once you reach your destination walk or bike short distances and take public transport for the longer trips. If you have to hire a car, try to take the greenest option available.
- Take a travel cups and avoid buying plastic bottles. If water quality is an issue think about taking a life straw or water purification tablets. If you must buy bottled water try to buy the biggest bottle and then decant from it into your travel mug each day; this could mean less plastic waste overall. It goes without saying that you should always try to throw away any plastic bottles into a recycling bin.
- At your destination, eat and drink local food. The local beer may pleasantly surprise you (ask a local to recommend one), and if on holiday isn’t the time to be a little bit adventurous with your taste buds, when is?
- Choose accommodation that has eco-friendly credentials (check out our places posts for inspiration), or at the very least book your accommodation through a site such as B’n’Tree which will plant a tree for every booking you make through to a major booking site e.g. Booking.com.