Year by year, awareness of sustainability grows around the globe as people start to really take into consideration how they can minimize their impact on the environment. Travel, in particular, has been an area in which people have put a lot of thought into reducing their carbon footprint, with the goal of “sustainable travel” becoming increasingly popular. If this is important to you, here are three sustainable travel tips you may not have heard yet.
Think Local
One golden rule to keep in mind when traveling is to patronize local businesses as much as you possibly can. From the restaurants you visit to the places you stay to the entertainment choices you make, choosing local businesses increases the likelihood that the economic benefit from your tourism goes to local people, not international corporations.
Say No to Plastic
If you care about the environment, you’re probably already making an effort at home to use less plastic. But that effort shouldn’t stop once you get abroad. So even while traveling, use that reusable water bottle, utensils, fabric totes, and travel mugs. And say “no” when people offer your plastic straws and the like. This is a powerful action that models sustainability for others.
Use Public Transport
It’s pretty common for people to allow themselves to splurge on taxis and Ubers when traveling abroad, but public transport is not only a more sustainable option, but it’s also a great way to see more of the places you visit. Because it’s not just about the way you get to the country you’re visiting, but also how you get around it.