Do you know what is sustainable tourism? Sustainability means avoiding depletion of resources either culturally, environmentally or economically. Therefore, we can practice sustainability in various fields. For instance, sustainable tourism.
Sustainable tourism means traveling and exploring destinations while at the same time respecting the people, environment and culture of these destinations. It’s unfortunate that most people don’t practice sustainable tourism.
It’s important to practice sustainable tourism as a way of carrying out safe travels. People should be able to travel so that the communities and people in the destinations at hand can benefit from the travels. There should be fewer negative travel impacts on the environment. Sustainable travel revolves around showing care while traveling.
Travel and tourism might be the solution towards making the world a better place. You can do this by boosting the economies of some sustainable destinations, cultural exchange and self-growth.
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5 Tips how to make sustainable tourism
As a traveller, if you love traveling, then you should love taking good care of the planet. Traveling can be very harmful to the environment. This does not mean that you should stop traveling. With the 5 tips discussed below, you can follow them to save our planet when you head to your next destination.
Choose a sustainable destination
One of the most important things you should do while practicing sustainable travels is choosing sustainable locations. However, before you make plans for your next travel, ensure to buy travel insurance that offers 24/365 medical assistance and coronavirus coverage, for you to enjoy your trip, as Heymondo does.
Nations such as Norway, Finland, Canada, Australia, Estonia, Austria, New Zealand and Peru are leading the world’s most sustainable nations. As a traveller, choosing a destination is the most important thing that you can do. Destinations that value their environment and cultural heritage will elevate a tourist’s experience and provide support for workers in the tourism industry. Below is a list of some sustainable nations that you can visit as a traveler.
Sweden
This is the most sustainable country globally. It gained this rank as it uses renewable energy sources. Besides that, it also utilizes low carbon dioxide emissions. It also uses governance practices such as education and institutional framework and labour participation.
Finland
It’s expected to lower its dependency on imported fossil energy and ban the use of coal for energy production by 2030. It also has a strategy laid down to produce 250,000 electric cars by 2030. This will lead to service-based mobility that will lead to easy access to public transport.
Austria
Sustainability is a constitutional state goal in Austria. This was a decision that was decided by the Austrian council of ministers in 2016.
Estonia
It is quite successful when it comes to implementing its sustainable development goals. In 2019, it was ranked 10th globally in the global Sustainable development report. Based on its actions, it is worth noting that it has since been successful in implementing some of its sustainable development goals.
Norway
It’s among the most sustainable nations in the world. It has since launched a scheme to speed up carbon dioxide emissions reductions and carbon offsetting to lower emissions in the country’s most populated areas.
Bolivia
Bolivia has achieved sustainability goals that aim to promote social, environmental and economic sustainability. It has done this through collaboration with local initiatives.
New Zealand
New Zealand does not only display its commitment to sustainability through conservation. It produces 0.2% in total of the world’s greenhouse emissions. It is among the first countries to pledge to achieve a carbon-neutral future.
Canada
When it comes to achieving sustainability, it can also involve using renewable resources. Canada is wealthy in natural resources. It includes renewable resources such as trees, crops and hydropower. There are also non-renewable resources like minerals, oil and gas. Canada has come up with policies to reduce greenhouse gases. Such policies include carbon pricing and emissions targets. When you travel to Canada, be sure to promote its sustainability policies.
Australia
To promote its sustainability, Australia came up with a renewable energy target of about 50% by 2030. It hopes to achieve a renewable energy target of 100% by 2050. It has also imposed a moratorium on its new local mines. There is also a moratorium imposed on all new fracking and that includes coal seam gas. You will surely enjoy your tour as you travel to Australia.
Peru
Peru is considered the only country to have achieved sustainability as the levels of ecological developments and human development are sufficient in relation to resource consumption levels. With that said, you will enjoy your travel to Peru.
2. Choose sustainable transportation
Plane travel is the most popular means of reaching some of the world’s greatest destinations. However, one of the safest ways of reducing carbon footprint is by using airlines that utilize eco-friendly means in their travels. Go for airlines that use sustainable aviation biofuel and go for direct flights if you can.
You can also go for a train as traveling by train produces fewer carbon emissions than traveling by plane. High-speed trains such as Eurostar are more energy-efficient compared to regional trains. If your wish is to travel by ship, consider traveling in economically efficient small ships.
3. Prefer eco-friendly accommodations
Before planning for your next trip, keep in mind how your stay will affect the local ecosystem. Some hotels use renewable energy like solar panels, rainwater filtration systems and the hotels are built using renewable materials like thatch, grass and recycled composite. Some hotels are also reconstructing natural areas. For instance, there are hotels in Mexico that cut down fewer trees during its construction and, in the process, replanted 3,000 new palms. Also, you can look for hotels adhered to a zero-plastic policy.
4. Support local economies
The World Tourism Organization indicates that for every $100 spent on a trip, only $5 goes to the destination. This means that there is a huge missed opportunity for the local economies to benefit from the travel. There are brands that offer trips that local leaders lead and it works to make sure that the tourism money goes to local communities instead of big chain businesses. Some companies work towards providing environmentally friendly activities like low-impact hiking or biking itineraries. This is a perfect balance of immersion and exploration. For instance, while on tour, you can choose to explore your destination by using a bike as this will enable you to reach deep into the countryside. You will also get to reach remote villages and its travel meets the level of local people. The best part of traveling on a bike is that it has zero impacts on the environment.
5. Don’t waste water and avoid plastic use
According to research, only 9% of plastic waste is recycled. On the other hand, we approximately produced 8.3 billion metric tons worth of plastic for the last six decades. If these trends continue, then by 2050, the numbers will be at 2 billion.
Countries such as Ethiopia and South Africa tax or ban plastic bags. In Kenya, the production, sell or use of plastic bags is illegal. Single-use bottles are the most harmful of all plastic waste. It’s critical that we reduce plastic waste during travels as plastic mostly ends up in nature and thus poisoning the environment and killing wildlife. You can greatly reduce the production of plastic waste by using filtration systems and reusable bottles.
Travel Sustainable and Safe
The world will benefit greatly from sustainable tourism and more exchange between cultures. By practising safe tourism, we end up preserving the world and the culture surrounding us. A traveller who practices sustainable tourism is a conscious traveller that respects the environment and stands in solidarity with the environment, the heritage of several communities and believes in social equality. If we practice sustainability while traveling, then the world will benefit greatly as we will all be evolving as one society that is working towards making the world a better place.
It’s also important to ensure you have travel insurance before planning for your next trip. Travel insurance will cover you from travel risks like stolen or lost luggage, cancellation cover and unexpected medical costs while at your destination. Lastly, remember to practice sustainable traveling and don’t forget to leave without good travel insurance covering Covid-19. Ensure that your travel insurance also provides 24h/365 days medical assistance worldwide just like the one Heymondo offers.
