5 Travel Tips on How Be a Conscious Traveller

Travel? What’s that? At this point it feels like a foreign concept or a former luxury from a past life. As hard as it is to believe, international travel will be possible again! Until then, I’m sure most of us are still happy with the idea of local travel in the coming spring and summer months. I know I am!

With that being said, how many of us are spending the time and effort to ensure when we travel (whether locally, domestically or internationally) that we are doing it in a sustainable, low impact way?

In a sense, it does feel like travel is difficult to make “sustainable”, especially as one traveller, but it is possible to make small changes that can have a large impact on the environment and its wellbeing. Here are a few tips for local and international travel that you can use during and post-pandemic!

1. Shop Local and Respect the Culture

Although respect may seem like a no-brainer to some of us, many people travel like they’re just passing through and don’t think about the consequences they leave behind. If you are going to buy that souvenir necklace, why not buy it from the handmaid jewelry stand of a woman who’s been coming to the market with her products for years?. Always remember to give what you can to the local economy, since it’s more than likely that you can spare the extra dollar here and there and it could make a huge difference. “Respect” can also refer to the local customs and ways of life. Make sure you look into these before you travel to international destinations to show as much reverence as possible.

2. Avoid Caged/Trained Animal Activities 

Yes, we’ve all seen the amazing pictures of that girl you knew back in high school riding an elephant in Thailand. It may look like SHE is living her best life, but what’s going on behind that photo? How is the elephant being treated? More often than not, these tourist traps don’t treat animals humanely and they are taken from their natural habitats at a young age. If you are an animal lover, instead opt for an animal sanctuary and support conservation efforts for these endangered species.

3. Carry a Travel Kit

This is easy and efficient since you’ll be using these products at home and during travel! A good travel kit can often include a reusable water bottle, a quick-dry towel, bamboo utensils, a biodegradable toothbrush, reusable bags, etc. This allows you to avoid single-use plastics on the road (or in the air) and a small kit can be lightweight to fit in a carry-on bag.

4. Travel Slow

Keeping your carbon footprint small during travel can be difficult, but there are ways to lessen your impact. Travelling to five different destinations in one trip creates a lot more emissions than staying put for a week, so if you can do this on at least one trip per year, it helps a lot! Try travelling by different means of transportation, such as a train instead of the car or a plane. This can actually reduce your CO2 by over half, even if it can take twice as long, it’s a fun experience!

5. Choose an Eco Destination

There are so many countries and destinations around the world that offer amazing environmentally friendly ways to travel, so why not try them out? Costa Rica for example is extremely biodiverse and they have ecotourism at the forefront of their economy. Locally, you could try an organic winery or maybe hiking a conservation area. There are so many options available now and many of them offer unique experiences that you’ll never forget.

I hope these sustainable travel tips get you excited to get out there on your next adventure with sustainability in mind! Safe and happy travels.

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