Travelling is an experience we all love & enjoy! Meeting new people, experiencing new cultures, tasting new foods and escaping from the daily work routine. It is honestly a privilege to be able to explore this beautiful land & sea the way we do. We can be across the world within a day!
This is all so, so wonderful! We do however need to keep in mind the impact we have on the trail we use, either one blazed or off the beaten track. Our impact, even in our daily lives at home, however whilst visiting our hosts daily lives, is needing of refurbishing. We need to respect and honor those homes we visit, as we would expect them to do the same.
‘Every year, more than 1 billion people travel the world. That’s 1 billion opportunities to create change and leave a lasting impact.
But in order for this change to be positive, we must be conscious and intentional in the way we travel. When we travel without care or concern, we can cause irreparable damage to the environments and communities we visit. But if we harness our explorations as a force for good and embrace sustainable practices, we can combat some of the world’s most pressing issues and protect the destinations and communities that are the heart of travel. ‘
-TTC
There are programs in place with many suppliers to off set your carbon footprint. For example, airlines offer you an option to pay towards off set by planting trees to cover your flight journey. With hotels, look for the LEED certification, cruises Green Award* certification and EARTHCHECK.
There are many companies out there making a stand for becoming more GREEN and working towards sustainability. Here are a few whom we work with that are leading the way in the hospitality industry:
- TTC – hotels, tours, safari, cruising and much more!
- Commitment and progress: chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://ttc.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/How-We-Tread-Right-2025-1.pdf
- Iberostar hotels
- https://waveofchange.com/
- Sandals & Beaches
- https://www.sandalsfoundation.org/
- Club med
- https://www.clubmed.ca/l/happy-to-care
- Intrepid tours
- G adventures
-
Natural Habitat Adventures
- Explora Journeys
- Cruise lines are making an effort, here is an article on the cruise lines – https://www.cruisecritic.com/articles/green-cruising
Travelling is a life-altering experience, which we all love & enjoy! Meeting new people, experiencing new cultures, tasting new foods and escaping from the daily work routine. It is honestly a privilege to be able to explore mother earth’s beautiful land & sea the way we do. We can be across the world within a day!
This is all so, so wonderful! It is however important how we travel and the choices we make can dramatically impact the people and places we visit. We do need to keep in mind the impact we have on the trail we use, either one paved or off the beaten track. Our effect on the planet, even our choices at home, impact our host countries daily lives, which exploring them needs some refurbishing. We need to respect and honor those homes we visit, as we would expect them to do the same.
Choosing conscious supplies that value supporting the local community as well as us as a whole. By providing local jobs to support the residents, in all areas of the industry is sustainable as well as choosing to use local supplies, companies and most importantly food & waste!
Food is a universal language from exploring your 5 senses, connecting with strangers, imprinting your memories to storytelling which is central to the travel experience. The production to the disposal of food is a massive contributor to our global carbon footprint, while responsible sourcing is a critical way to support local businesses and destinations.
Find out more about your impact with food here, quizzes, tools and resources https://www.earthday.org/
Hotels have a major role in making conscious decisions that effect their community and guests.
‘According to the Sustainable Hospitality Alliance, hotels need to reduce per-room carbon emissions by 66% by 2030. Many major hotel chains have already implemented environmentally friendly practices to conserve energy and water and minimize waste.
Single-use plastic is one of the largest sources of waste, so many hotels have switched to bulk toiletries as well as reusable silverware and recycling whenever possible. Additionally, many hotels are using composting to reduce food waste and have altered their on-site menus to be more environmentally friendly.
When selecting hotels for your trip, look into their sustainability practices and use of renewable energy sources like solar, wind, and geothermal power. For example, many hotels will now only provide new towels and sheets upon request to reduce the amount of laundry they do each day. Many modern hotels also use smart technology that automatically shuts off the lights or turns down the thermostat to cut back on electricity usage.
Environmentally friendly hotels will usually have a detailed sustainability plan on their website. Certifications from LEED and other sustainability organizations are also a positive sign to watch for. ‘
-https://sustainabletravel.org/how-to-make-business-travel-more-sustainable
A natural occurrence said to be caused by humans and climate change, is taking over the beaches in the Caribbean is sagarssum. Many beaches are effected by this algae that is washing up.
‘Its existence is very important in terms of biodiversity, since it is part of the ocean’s ecosystem. In the sea of sargasso live different marine species, such as turtles and fish. It also is used as a “refuge” or stop-over for migratory species such as fish and birds.
The problem is not the sargassum, but that something has changed to make these algae grow excessively.
Scientists say that global warming, increased water temperature, and pollutants discarded by humans contribute to the excessive growth of sargassum.’
– https://www.todopuntacana.com/en/sargassum-in-punta-cana/
It’s not all so bad, even though you may be unhappy if it disrupts your swimming in the ocean. There are some amazing companies using the washed up sargassum for biofuel, cosmetics, sunscreen, moisturizer, pharmaceuticals and fertilizer!
By consciously choosing suppliers who support and are making changes that impact the environment during ones travel and to visitors. This does not mean you will lose out or compromise on excellent service, or have to miss out on life time experiences. It is simply supporting and making conscious choices that have a more positive effect on the environment.
We are in this together, if you feel inspired to take action in a small or big way, I encourage you to get involved locally or by reaching out to any of these companies. It starts with you, making a simple action has a ripple effect that has a big impact.
Great organizations:
Off set carbon calculator: https://sustainabletravel.org/our-work/carbon-offsets/calculate-footprint/
Canadian founded environmental resource: https://davidsuzuki.org/our-work/sustainable-communities/
BECOME A MEMBER AND PROTECT THE PLACES YOU LOVE- https://sustainabletravel.org/our-work/responsible-travel/
Support wildlife: https://www.worldwildlife.org/
Projects to get involved with:
