5 Easy Travel Tips for An Eco-Friendly Vacation
With the matter of global warming and sustainability reaching every country in the world - more and more travel businesses are amending their services to become more “eco-friendly” - for instance: Singapore Airlines, Finnair and Emirates have replaced single use plastic with greener alternatives. In addition, there is the emergence of ‘Green Tourism’, where people are trying to reduce their carbon footprint and supporting the environmental, economic and socio-cultural aspects of the country throughout their travels. If you are interested in reducing your carbon footprint while on vacation, check out our 5 Easy Tips below!
Pack Light
During travel preparation, there is usually the temptation to pack unnecessary items that you don’t actually need on vacation. Yes, I’m taking about the excessive amount of clothing, shoes and towels. It is best for your own convenience, but also the environment to try and reduce the amount of items you are packing in your luggage or carry-on. By packing light, it will minimise the fuel expenditure needed to lift the aircraft to the sky – just imagine the mass bulk of luggage an airplane needs to carry. If you are travelling with others, try and convince them to carry less items also! It will improve the overall carbon footprint of the plane.
2. Ditch the Single-Use Plastic
If you aren’t familiar with the term ‘Single Use Plastic’, then it is worth knowing now. Single Use Plastics are particularly harmful to the environment, especially to animals and sea life - what makes single use plastic terrible is the fact that it doesn’t biodegrade, instead it breaks down into tiny pieces called ‘Microplastics’. According to the U.N. environment reports, just 9% of the world’s 9 billion tonnes of plastic has been recycled. All that microplastic will damage habitats, hurt animals and even enter our digestive system. Some items you can opt for instead are:
Reusable Water Bottles (instead of Plastic Water bottles)
Metal Straws (instead of Plastic Straws)
Bamboo Toothbrushes (instead of Plastic Toothbrushes)
3. mOBILE tickets are the Future
In an increasingly digital world, everything can be done on mobile. From keeping your cards, online banking and booking tickets. Not only is this highly convenient for users, but can also mean a more sustainable and eco-friendly process for booking flights and accessing the airport. Instead of printing a piece of paper, you can easily show and scan the documents on your mobile rather than wasting materials. Just make sure that your airline accepts mobile tickets, so you don’t end up stranded!
4. Transport
Try, as much as possible, to opt for public transport. Though it would be nice to manage your own travel through hiring a vehicle – it would be better for the environment if you settle for trains, trams and buses. Using public transport can help reduce air pollution and create cleaner air. According to National Express, buses emit 20% less carbon monoxide than if you drive as a single occupant, this is likely due to the fact that public transport can convey more people in less space. But of course, if the destination is far, you may prefer to hire your own vehicle – but if the option is there, try and use it.
5. Travel to eCO-fRIENDLY pLACES
To really reduce your carbon footprint, just travel to a place that really advocates eco-friendly practices– making it significantly easier to be kinder to the environment. Here are some ways to determine whether you are travelling to an eco-friendly location:
Locally-Sourced Food
Locally-sourced food refers to fruits, vegetables, dairy products or meats that are produced locally. This is great for the environment because it reduces the dependency on fossil fuels and reduces air pollution. Furthermore, there is an increased understanding of where the food comes from. Our Restaurant Menu holds many recipes that have locally-sourced ingredients.
Preservation of Nature and it’s Animals
Some places use its animals as a form of tourist attraction, but in reality, some of these animals are being harmed due to lack of preservation and care for these animals. For example, the infamous scandal of Thailand’s Tiger Temple in which tigers were allegedly trafficked – and in result caused it to close down. A location is truly eco-friendly if it attempts to preserve its nature through creating reserves and ensuring the population of animals and nature is maintained. For example, in the location of our Alpine hotel, Corteno Golgi, there are certain regulations for over-harvesting mushrooms, fishing and more – to ensure that the area is well-kept.
Source of Energy (Waste-to-Energy)
Check how the area you are travelling gets its energy. In many countries such as Iceland, Sweden and Costa Rica, they utilise renewable energy sources rather than fossil fuels. Another example is the Province of Brescia - where our hotel is located - has a waste-to-energy plant where they convert waste to energy in efforts to reduce carbon emissions. Other ways are from wind turbines, solar panels, geothermal and hydropower.
We hope that these tips can help you become more eco-friendly on your next holiday or vacation!
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