Eco-tourism or green travel is becoming a new catchword in travel.  But this doesn’t mean you need to rough it.  You could stay in a tent or go backpacking or canoeing, but just little everyday things can make any trip more eco-friendly.  You can stay in cities or in the countryside; sleep in a big hotel or a B&B…. but you do need to think about what you can do to protect the environment.  I’m talking conserving plants and wildlife but also other resources like electricity and water.

There are more and more of us traveling every year.  With so many of us out there, it’s more important than ever to think about how travelers impact the environment.

Making your travel “green travel” is a great way to protect the environment for people who visit after you do and for our children.  You don’t necessarily have to pay more to travel this way.  You might even find that your travel will be more rewarding, more authentic… let you get closer to the people and places you travel to…. and cheaper!

So let’s list some green travel tips….

Try to choose a green hotel.  See if you can find out what kind of recycling program they have.  Do they use energy efficient lighting?  Low flow toilets?  Water saving shower heads?

Check to see if guests have the option to reuse hotel towels and sheets instead of having them laundered everyday… then reuse them!  Keep your showers short.

Turn off air-conditioning, lights, heat, television, etc. when you leave the room.

Bring your own toiletries rather than using the prepackaged ones at the hotel.  Leave theirs behind.  All those little bottles use lots of plastic, and who needs a whole drawer full of these once you get home?

Pack a water bottle that you can reuse.  (Don’t keep buying them.  Most plastic water bottles don’t get recycled.)

When renting a car, get the smallest most fuel-efficient car that you can be comfortable with.  (Even consider a hybrid… it’s more and more possible to rent hybrids these days.)  And try driving slower.  If you go 60 mph (100 Kilometers per hour-KPH) or less, you’ll use less fuel… and just maybe you’ll see more.  Get maps and directions for the most direct route.  No reason do drive around lost and waste gas.

Walk to use public transportation when you can.  Stay at a centrally located hotel.  Walk around to see the sights; in the countryside, hike or bike if possible.

If you’re walking a beach, consider picking up trash along the way.  If all visitors did this, all of our beaches would be so much cleaner.

You don’t even need to follow all of these suggestions for green travel.  If you just choose one or two during your trip, the earth will thank you.

For sustainable tourism, we need to protect the cultural environment as well as the natural environment.  We need to respect local cultures and ways of life, and contribute positively to local communities.

The potential negative effects of tourism are both local and global… but if we practice sustainable tourism, we can keep the negative effects to a minimum.

If we’re not careful, we’ll degrade the environment and the cultures we travel to see.  Where ever we travel, we need to keep in mind that the local people have to profit from our visit.  If you go someplace because there are wonderful native handicrafts, you need to buy some of those handicrafts from locals, so they get the money.

If you’re visiting a national park, you need to employ locals as guides so they will continue to value and protect the park.  Those are the kinds of things that make for sustainable tourism.

Here are some more things to think about when choosing a hotel, a tour group or activity…..

Is the hotel locally owned and operated so that the profits stay in the community?  If not, is it at least staffed by local employees?

How does the hotel contribute to the local community?  Do they buy local produce for their restaurant?  Do they sell local handicrafts in their gift shop?

If you’re taking a tour, travel with a tour operator who is environmentally responsible.  Smaller group sizes make less of an impact… and make for a more enjoyable tour for you!

Is the group lead by a local guide?  Does the tour company contribute to the local community in some way?  To have sustainable tourism, the local community needs to benefit; not just some global tour company.

When hiking, stay on marked trails.  Maintain safe distances from any wildlife you encounter… for your safety AND for theirs.  “Leave only footprints”… carry your trash out or use trash bins.

If you’re snorkeling or diving, don’t touch the coral.  Be careful with your fins, it’s easy to kick the coral if you’re not paying attention or to stir up sediment.  Either way you can damage the reef’s fragile ecosystem… and most reefs are in trouble now, so they need all of our help.

Try to buy local products…  You’ll support the local economy… and we all need that now no matter what country you’re visiting.  Foods will be fresher, give you a taste of local cuisine and save fuel because they haven’t traveled half way around the world… only YOU have!  Fewer imported products will be needed.

Don’t buy souvenirs or other products made from endangered animals or plants.  You probably can’t get it through customs, and if you believe in sustainable tourism, you don’t want to contribute to the extinction of another species!

Treat locals with respect.  You went there to learn about their culture!  Learn a few words… at least hello, good-bye and thank you.  Be open to our cultural differences.  Read up on the area you’ll be visiting so you’ll know how to dress so you don’t offend anyone.  Check to see if there are any behaviors or gestures that will offend your hosts.

Rejoice in our positive differences.  Support them, and you’ll be contributing to sustainable tourism.