6 Good Ways to Travel More Sustainably

Did you know, around 8% of the world's carbon emissions are attributed to tourism, which may also have other detrimental effects on the environment and society. Tourism undoubtedly has a significant negative impact on the environment. This leads us to wonder, what can you as a traveler do? We’ve lined up some helpful, good tips, to help you minimize your environmental impact while travelling.

1. Stay At Eco-Friendly Hotels or Resorts
   In our last post we suggested our top 5 eco-resorts to stay at.
   Big chain hotels probably typically don’t prioritize sustainability and environmental ethics. But if you do your research, there are many eco-friendly choices that minimize harm to the environment while still improving consumer experience. There are many possibilities for innovative and eco-friendly lodging, and you'll almost likely find one in your holiday destination as this is a movement that is already well underway. These options range from sustainable wooden tree huts to Huge, LEED-certified skyscrapers!
   
   
   
   
2. Consider How to Get There
   It's time to rethink how we travel. According to the 2018 Environmental Performance Index, air quality poses the greatest environmental risk to human health. Although choosing an environmentally friendly airline is one of the simplest methods for tourists to reduce their carbon footprint, flying by plane is frequently the only practical option to reach some locations. Fly direct whenever you can by choosing a carrier that utilizes sustainable aviation biofuel, such as KLM, United and Qantas. Travellers should fly in economy class and book direct flights wherever possible (first class can have a substantially higher carbon footprint). Many sustainable companies such as us at The Good Tee take this into consideration and opt to ship in orders overseas instead of flying them in. A lengthy process but more beneficial long term.
   
   
   
3. Avoid Geotagging To Avoid Over-tourism
   

   Geotagging is the process of adding geographic data, typically in the form of latitude and longitude coordinates, to websites, photos, and videos. Social media is fantastic for connecting people and sharing ideas in so many ways, but it faces a lot of criticism in the area of over-tourism. It causes terrible over-tourism in many locations across the world that are not set up to handle that number of tourists. It significantly influences nearby communities, makes cities more costly and drives people from their homes.
   
   
   

4. Support Local.
   

   You can have a positive impact if you stay in locally owned hotels, eat at independent restaurants, buy locally made goods, and choose local activities. We draw a correlation between the fact that more tourists seek for authentic travel experiences and the fact that many locals in Asia and Africa do not profit from tourism in their countries. You can interact with locals and earn 100% of the money they charge you for the experience as a traveller.
   
   

   
   
5. Pack Reusable Items
   Producing less is the best method to reduce your waste output. To prevent single-use plastics, stick to the essentials and pack reusables like a water bottle, coffee cup, steel or bamboo straw, food container, and bamboo cutlery or a spork. Bring reusable shopping bags, produce bags, and zero-waste items like shampoo bars, deodorant paste, and tooth pills so you can buy without using plastic. You won't have to worry about liquids or aerosols, and you'll produce significantly less waste.
   
   
   
   
6. Visit Parks and Protected Areas
   

   Natural resources and biodiversity on our planet are preserved through national parks, marine sanctuaries, and other protected places. In order to protect these unique locations and creatures, several nations rely on tourism-related costs like bed levies, operator permits, or admission fees.  Over 8 billion people visit the world's protected areas annually, spending $850 billion in total. These funds support the conservation efforts required to save these sites while also generating income for local communities.
   
   

No matter where you are going, keep an eye out for anything you can do, big or small, to lessen your impact and promote sustainability. What are you going to do to travel more sustainably?

We, at the Good Tee, take into consideration, our effect on the environment as well! From shipping instead of flying products to highlighting the best eco friendly accommodations on our blog.