Respect for the environment and sustainable tourism have become an inseparable pair, especially for those who, even on holydays, continue to have green behaviors, starting with the choice of destination up to the attention for they eat during the trip.
Ecotourism means traveling in a responsible way, in places where the environment is respected and the attention to nature is maximum, without forgetting the economic and social aspects of the place you are going to visit.
WHERE TO GO? – The sustainability of a journey starts already from the choice of the destination. Planning a trip well and finding out about the destination is the first step for an eco-friendly vacation. Among the European capitals, we remember two particularly attentive to the environment: Stockholm, which won the title of Green Capital of Europe in 2010, and Amsterdam, which is aiming to eliminate cars within the historic center.
Wanting to choose exotic destinations, such as Mexico, Kenya or Thailand, it is important to privilege structures born from a sustainable tourism perspective, which offer their guests an ecological vacation. These structures use resources in respect of the environment – using for example solar energy, waste reduction and water purification – and guarantee fair salaries to their employees, with a strong positive impact on the local economy.
USE DIGITAL TICKETS – A good practice to respect the environment is to avoid printing tickets and travel documents, preferring digital versions. You can easily download them your smartphone and you can have everything at your fingertips with a significant reduction in paper waste.
DON’T WASTE – Even on vacation it is important to minimize electricity and water consumption, especially in developing countries where energy resources are still scarce. Among the behaviors you can adopt, use air conditioning as little as possible, or at least keep it to a minimum, avoid changing sheets and towels every day, turning off the lights when leaving a room and avoiding a long shower. In fact, all these actions have a very high environmental impact.
AVOID DISPOSABLE PLASTIC – you should avoid disposable plastic, already banned in many tourist locations. Prefer reusable water bottle, preferably in aluminum, and use paper bags to store your purchases.
PREFER LOCAL GASTRONONY – A fundamental part of the journey is linked to the local flavors and culinary traditions. For this reason, you should choose local products, taste the local specialties and prefer local food and drinks.
MOVING IN AN ECOLOGICAL WAY – The conscious choice of means of transport is the first step to take. Go ahead, therefore, to the use of public transport or bike sharing to the detriment of the car. Some local tourist organizations meet travelers and offer interesting itineraries to discover the city exclusively by walking.
SUPPORTING LOCAL PRODUCERS – Good rule is to buy local handicraft products, avoiding objects produced for mass tourism, and above all not to buy souvenirs with protected animals or plants (shells or carved tropical woods).
DON’T LEAVE WASTE – Where it is possible and practiced, it is important to separate the waste, or in any case don’t leave rubbish around when you visit a place.
Everybody has a responsibility to protect the environment and safeguard nature by promoting sustainable tourism. Every action, even the smallest, can contribute to saving resources, reducing natural exploitation and therefore reducing the environmental impact.
