The last post highlighted the major environmental weight of travelling, whether that is through the increased Green House Gas emissions through flying or visitation site degradation. This post will outline ways you can be a better traveller:
Flying:
Did you know not all airlines are the same in carbon efficiency? Depending on the length of your flight here are some top airlines that are the most efficient.
Short Haul <800 km
LATAM Brasil
Japan Airlines
Air France
Nippon Airways
Medium Haul 800 km-3800 km
LATAM Brasil
TUI Airways
Thomas Cook
Long Haul >3800 km
TUI Airlines
Air Canada
KLM
Avianca
Xiamen Airlines
LATAM Brasil
Choose flight companies pushing for more sustainability including biofuels and new and more efficient planes.
Book Better Hotels
There are hotels all over the world that will not only be relaxing for you as a traveller but also reduce your own impact on the environment. These hotels can have a variety of sustainable projects like being LEED certified, have grey water (recycled water) systems, green roofs, locally grown produce, on-site composting, solar panels and much more. I have chosen a few gems in Canada for you to look into for your upcoming trips.
Quebec:
Saint-Paulin: on site recycling, reforestation of the land, and converts cooking oil into biodiesel.
Ontario:
Algonquin Eco Lodge: completely off grid hotel.
Alberta:
Banff Aspen Lodge: low flow toilets, biodegradable amenity containers and 100% vegetable soaps.
British Colombia:
Kipika Mountain Resort: Off grid and uses lumber that has been damaged by the current Mountain Pine Beetle outbreak in BC.
I have only listed a few but for more information check out this website: https://www.expedia.ca/travelblog/eco-friendly-hotels/
Just because you're on vacation doesn't mean you leave the Good Habits at home
House keeping: When travelling don't just throw out your towels after one use, re-use them as much as you would at home. Cleaning all those towels we use while travelling costs 16% of more of the total energy used at hotels.
Water: Don't forget your re-usable water bottle when travelling. You can usually find a water fountain at the hotel, but if not simply ask the front desk or restaurant and they will happily fill it up for you.
Food: Let's not forget my favourite part of travelling the food. Try to eat locally and what is in season for the region you're travelling to!.
Recreation: Planning on going to the beach, a beautiful hike or a unique tourist destination? Keep this in mind: Stay on the path and take great photographs but don't try to bring home a souvenir. It's so tempting to bring home some sand from a white beach in the Caribbean but imagine now the millions of other visitors that do the same. These small things build up and degrade the natural landscape. This is the same for staying on the path, I have definitely bush-wacked in my time but reality is when walking off the path you are damaging the sensitive natural ecosystem around you. Whether you're stepping on rare plants, eroding the soils, or disturbing the habitat of a local animal all these actions can depreciate the native wildlife and the experience for future visitors.
I hope this post can inspire you for your next trip! Bon Voyage!
