12 Tips for Eco-Friendly Trips for Sustainable Adventures

Traveling is the best way to broaden the mind, experience new things, and reconnect with the world. However, while traveling offers all those things, it’s often not eco-friendly. Everything from plane emissions and environmental degradations at famous tourist attractions to single-use plastic toiletries and bottles negatively impacts the world.

Luckily, there is a growing trend to reduce our negative impacts on the environment. Therefore, we can now do many things to travel more sustainably. To learn more, here are 12 tips for eco-friendly trips to travel sustainably. These tips will allow you to help the planet by reducing your carbon and ecological footprint.

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Travel to a Sustainable Destination

One of the best ways to travel sustainably and protect the environment is to visit a more sustainable destination. While finding a sustainable travel destination might sound complicated, it’s very easy to find tourist destinations that prioritize conservation.

For example, for the last 50+ years, Singapore has implemented many initiatives and schemes that aim to improve the nation’s sustainability, including eco-friendly tourist attractions, the construction of green spaces, and the Singapore Green Plan. Meanwhile, places like Iceland, an island nation famed for its sustainability, produces 100% of its electricity and heating and has more than 120 protected areas.

Travel Off-The-Beaten-Path

Traveling off the beaten path is another great way to travel more eco-friendly. Overtourism is a major issue at many famous tourist attractions. The excessive footfall and pollution left behind put a toll on communities and ecosystems. For example, Maya Bay, Thailand, has been closed multiple times due to environmental damage caused by overtourism.

With this in mind, it’s time to travel to less-traveled destinations. These locations typically don’t encounter the same problems more popular destinations experience. Furthermore, traveling to these places is often more affordable as accommodation is cheaper. It also helps support smaller communities. Some fantastic lesser-traveled tourist destinations include Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Laos, and Kazakhstan.

Opt for a Staycation Instead

12 Things Not To Do on a Plane Put Your Feet on the Seat in Front — © Soloviova Liudmyla / Adobe Stock

One of the most environmentally unfriendly aspects of travel is flying. Aviation emissions are a significant contributor to climate change. Planes burn fossil fuels, which releases CO2 emissions. To make matters worse, airports can cause water pollution due to their handling of vast amounts of jet fuel.

Luckily, you can help the environment by flying less, and one of the best ways to do that is to choose a staycation instead. Staycations are one of the most eco-friendly ways to vacation because you dramatically cut your carbon emissions. You don’t have to travel far to find somewhere beautiful to spend your holiday. You can discover hidden gems in your country in just a few hours.

Visit Tourist Destinations Outside of the Peak Season

One of the best things about travel is visiting the world’s most iconic places. Therefore, it would be foolish of us to expect you only to visit lesser-traveled destinations or go on a staycation. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t see the world’s most famous destinations more sustainably.

Traveling in the off-season comes with many benefits. Firstly, you’ll often find cheaper flights and accommodation. Secondly, and more importantly, traveling outside the peak season supports sustainable travel. In the off-season, tourist destinations can better cope with waste management and consumption because there are fewer people. Travel in the off-season also promotes economic growth and job security.

Stay in Eco-Friendly Accommodation

A great way to travel sustainably and reduce carbon footprint is to stay in an eco-friendly hotel. Eco-friendly hotels have grown in popularity in recent years, with many travelers preferring to stay in sustainable accommodation. Admittedly, finding eco-friendly accommodation isn’t always easy, but there are key things to look for in accommodation descriptions and reviews.

Eco-friendly hotels usually have sustainable energy management systems, furniture made from recycled materials, eco-friendly or plant-based cleaning products and toiletries, and refillable water stations. Some hotels might also claim to follow the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) hotel criteria, which ensures accommodation complies with environmental and social standards.

Avoid Using Complimentary, Single-Use Items

We all appreciate it when a hotel leaves us complimentary items like soaps and lotions or when flight attendants hand out free headphones, but the environment hates it. The environment doesn’t like these freebies because they usually come in single-use plastic, which creates a lot of waste.

Therefore, leave these complimentary items for the next person unless you desperately need that free pair of headphones or left your shampoo at home and need to wash your hair. It may only seem like a minor thing to do, but it can make a substantial positive impact if everyone does it. If you use complimentary shampoos or lotions, take the unfinished bottle with you so it doesn’t go to waste.

Pack Reusables

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If you’re committed to living sustainably at home, there’s no reason you can’t continue living like that when traveling. Start by packing reusable items that you can use time and time again. Packing reusables will help you avoid using single-use plastics. It can also help you save money.

For example, if you don’t pack a reusable water bottle, you’ll likely buy a plastic bottle of water every day. The cost will quickly add up, and the environmental impact will be extremely negative. If you pack a reusable water bottle, you can fill it up daily. Other reusable items you can pack in your luggage include shopping bags, cutlery, and shampoo containers.

Don’t Buy a New Wardrobe To Go on Vacation

Not To Do When Visiting Greece Wear Inappropriate Clothing at Historic or Religious Sites — © EdNurg / Adobe Stock

There’s no denying how exciting buying new clothes and accessories for a vacation is. However, we should all avoid doing it if we want to protect the environment. Most travelers, myself included in the past, buy many new clothes and goodies to take on vacation, but the most eco-friendly clothes you can take on holiday are the items you already own.

Go through your closet before heading to the shops to buy new clothes, accessories, and shoes. You’ll likely be surprised by what you find there. If you have enough clothes to pack without going to the shops, pack them instead. We recommend only buying things if you don’t have them or they no longer fit.

Use Water and Electricity Sparingly

Affordable Living Destinations Tropical islands Bali — © R.M. Nunes / Adobe Stock

This next eco-friendly tip is something you can do everywhere, whether at a 5-star hotel or home. Using water sparingly and turning off electronics when you’re not using them is one of the most basic ways to reduce energy usage and protect the environment.

To use less water, turn the tap off in between brushing your teeth and cleaning your brush, take shorter showers, and avoid having baths filled to the brim. Meanwhile, save electricity by turning off devices when you’re out, keeping lights turned off if you’re not in the room, and only using air conditioning when necessary. You can also save energy in hotels by reusing your towels and bed sheets.

Use Public Transport

Generally, driving is much more eco-friendly than flying. However, fuel emissions are still one of the most significant things that impact the environment negatively. Therefore, reduce your fuel usage when traveling to make your trip more eco-friendly and sustainable.

Luckily, you can quickly reduce your fuel usage by using public transport. As you might at home, taking the bus or train slashes fuel usage, reducing your carbon footprint. Public transport is usually a more affordable form of transport, too. If you need to travel from A to B quicker, carpooling is another fantastic way to cut down your fuel usage.

Leave Behind No Trace

It doesn’t matter where you’re traveling to or what you’re doing; you should always take what you bring with you when you leave. This is a super simple tip, but you’ll be surprised by the number of people we’ve seen leaving behind traces when traveling.

We’ve often seen people throwing trash on the floor and leaving things like disposable barbecues and dog waste on beaches. There is no excuse for littering, so simply don’t do it. If you can’t find a bin at your location, take it and dispose of it elsewhere. Also, don’t forget to recycle any trash when possible. You can quickly reduce your waste by using reusables.

Get Involved in Local Initiatives

Getting involved in local initiatives is one of my favorite ways to travel sustainably, be more eco-friendly, and give back to the places I visit. In most areas, you’ll find schemes, programs, and initiatives designed to protect the environment. This could be as simple as recycling plastic or using reusable bags and bottles in some places.

In others, there could be local events you can participate in. For example, many local organizations, groups, and companies in Bali organize beach clean-ups. Anyone can grab a bag and help clean the coastline. Many places in Asia also run animal welfare initiatives that tourists can get involved in, such as turtle releases and voluntary animal care.