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Recently, climate change is increasingly on people’s minds, and rightfully so. As reports flood in speaking of the many possible catastrophic changes that can soon occur, many people are changing their lifestyles to try and reduce their carbon footprint. Reducing and recycling waste and food waste, as well as converting to sustainable forms of energy are good options, but are they enough?
Vacations are often seen as a break from regular stressors, but end up creating the most waste. To relax in an environmentally friendly way, try eco-traveling!
What is eco-travel?
Eco-travel is a responsible form of enjoying natural environments while conserving or restoring them and supporting local and small businesses. Eco-travel makes it possible to enjoy exploration and luxury while also doing your part to save the world. For example, visiting a sustainable resort in the Maldives (yes, this does really exist).
Why should I eco-travel?
Eco-travel promotes standards of living that call for a shift in every aspect of our life. In other words, it’s pretty great. Eco-travel allows you to:
- Conserve wildlife and ecosystems
- Help alleviate climate change
- Lighten poverty impacts on the community
- Support small businesses
- Indulge and learn about the nuances of foreign cultures
- Create great connections with the local community
All the while enjoying a relaxing and rewarding vacation. The latter points are also great for your mental well-being! By making new connections with local communities and doing your part to help the environment, your feelings of self-worth can increase and so can your self-esteem. Reconnecting with nature can potentially relieve any build-up of stress and anxiety as well.
How can I eco-travel?
In order to minimize your carbon footprint, be sure to do your research and carefully choose your eco-travel locations and activities. Here are some choice options to look into for great eco-tourism experiences:
- Nepal
- Bhutan
- Tanzania
- Peru
- Finland
- Costa Rica
- Colombia
- New Zealand
- Cambodia
- Italy
- Sri Lanka
- Malaysia
These locations are either actively trying to conserve the environment, or provide great activities or resorts that allow great fun with none of the waste!
Regular Travel VS. Eco-Travel
We’re not trying to give pampering a bad name. Indeed, pampering and self-care are always great! But there are ways to do it that’s not at the planet’s expense. Sometimes, the way to pamper yourself is letting yourself grow, which is what Eco-travel does. Regular travel has a certain disregard for the place you are visiting, so eco-traveling allows you to be more aware of the environment, and in turn, be more self-aware.
As well, another aspect of awareness comes with cultural sensitivity to foreign vacation destinations. Helping local attractions thrive by pushing your business towards them can not only sustain a cultural history and limit tourist impact, but also deepen your personal understanding and broaden your worldview! This is a way better option than what regular traveling entails; flocking to tourist-flooded standard attractions. For these reasons, eco-tourism is the better choice, as it includes the benefits of relief, relaxation, and luxury, all the while creating a deeper personal cultural understanding and giving back to nature.
Eco-Travel on a Budget
One potential drawback to eco-travel is the price; is it affordable to pay for protecting the planet as well as your own relaxation? Here are a few ideas on how to enjoy an environmentally friendly vacation without emptying your wallet:
- Instead of paying a fortune for a flight, try carsharing or traveling by rail! Traveling by land is a lot better than using an airplane
- Pack lightly
- Stay at an airbnb or hotels that are dedicated to sustainable living
- Eat local
- Use public or sharing transportation
- Don’t buy bottled water
- Pay for local experiences, not commercialized attractions
In summary, eco-tourism is an amazing new way to protect the environment (and your wallet), explore remote destinations and cultures all the while helping your own mental health! Be sure to implement some of these eco-tourism strategies during your next vacation! [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]