April 6, 2026
The sustainable travel movement has been gaining momentum for a few years. No more so than now, amid the coronavirus pandemic. Whilst the humans retreated and disappeared, we all witnessed some incredible side effects – Nature began to reclaim the world.
We’ve seen images of dolphins at empty cruise ports, smog-filled skies now clear over China, India, and Los Angeles, swans in the canals of Venice, and goats roaming the streets of Welsh towns. It’s clear there is are many environmental impacts of tourism.
Responsible Tourism
The extraordinary scenes during the global lockdown will change tourism going forward. I believe travellers will become even more mindful of their impact on the planet. Travel decisions will hopefully begin to respect and protect the local environment, economy and culture.
Here are 10 sustainable travel tips and eco-friendly tricks for your next travel adventure:
Make the most of your local surroundings
Reduce environmental footprint
A simple way to reduce our carbon footprint is to stay local and explore our own country. During lockdown, we’ve all discovered beautiful corners closer to home.
Staycations have always featured in my travel plans, you don’t need to board a plane and fly thousands of miles for meaningful travel experiences. One of our favourites is a weekend in the Cotswolds and a recent discovery the Quantock Hills.
READ NEXT: UK Staycations that will make you feel like you’re abroad!
Travel by train, bus or ship
If you have time you should always consider other modes of transport that have a far less negative environmental impact than flying. Travelling by train, bus or ship can completely change your experience and add a deeper sense of place whilst decreasing your carbon footprint. Visit Paris on the Eurostar or hop to Holland on the ferry and explore the Hague, Delft or some must-do things in Amsterdam.
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Say no to animal tourism and Book Sustainable tours
Do not take part in any tour that offers hands-on encounters with wild animals. Look for tours that don’t disturb wildlife and ensure you’re a certain distance away from any animals. This means avoiding riding elephants, walking with lions or visiting tiger enclosures.
Research thoroughly before booking tours and be aware of green washing – when a company makes unsubstantiated claims about their green credentials to appear more environmentally friendly than it really is.
Book a small local company that uses local experts and gives back to the community. Travelling with small group tour operators tends to have less of an environmental impact. I find they also provide a more personal experience, like exploring the Clabony Sulphur Springs with Hidden Treasures Hikes tour with a Grenada travel guide. Having a local guide certainly added to the experience.
READ NEXT: 7 TIPS FOR AN INCREDIBLE FAMILY SAFARI
Swap Your Hotel for a Campsite
While I love staying at hotels – especially The Fish Hotel. Plan a real adventure and swap your hotel for camping or glamping. In terms of water and energy usage hotels can be quite damaging to the environment. Counteract this with a stay outdoors, there so many unusual places to stay. Sleep in a glamping pod on a wildlife safari in Bristol or get cosy in a gypsy caravan in Devon.
READ NEXT: NORTH DEVON GLAMPING – VINTAGE VARDOS STYLE
Carbon offset your flight
When you have to fly use the carbon offset programmes. Passengers have the option to invest in carbon reduction projects to help neutralize or reduce their carbon footprint caused by travel, such as tree planting, renewable energy or conservation.
Opting to fly direct is also another way to help reduce the excess emissions caused by landing and take off.
ZERO WASTE products
Say no to plastic abroad. Many countries around the world don’t even have the means of recycling plastic bottles, coffee cups or plastic in general. Opt for locally purified water in recyclable glass bottles wherever possible. Tourism is a major contributor to the rubbish clogging up the land and oceans and a huge problem for local communities.
Another easy and simple practice to adopt is to download your plane or train boarding passes on your phone. Reduce paper waste with a tap of a button!
walk or cycle to get around
Choosing to hop on a bike or use your own feet to get around on holiday instead of using taxis limits petrol usage and saves money. Not only is it eco-friendly and would contribute greatly to the sustainable travel movement, but it also allows the opportunity to interact with and meet local people. Plus the exercise will help work off the extra calories from all the local cuisine you’ll be eating.
READ NEXT: Romantic London Walks
Avoid places suffering from overtourism
Our insatiable appetite to explore the world’s most beautiful destinations means many countries are now struggling with overtourism. Our holiday choices can place a strain on the infrastructure, damage the local environment and lead to overcrowding.
So think out of the box for your next adventure swap out exploring Bruges for fun things to do in Ghent; Barcelona must-see sights for Seville holiday adventures; Venice for the beautiful region of Trentino in Winter.
Read Next: Winter Family Break in Andalo, Italy
Support the local economy
There’s no denying tourism produces a lot of money for countries. Often you’ll find this doesn’t always benefit the local communities and instead only lines the pockets of big global, corporate tourism operators.
Support the local economy by eating and shopping locally. Staying in local accommodation, perhaps by booking an Airbnb and travel with local transport providers where deemed safe.
Choose slow travel
The emerging trend of slow travel where travellers go to fewer places and spend more time in each destination helps to minimise their carbon footprint. Think of it as quality over quantity. The concept allows you to absorb the culture in a way that traditional holidaymakers miss. Rather than visiting destinations as a checklist, choose a place, stay there, and immerse yourself in local life.
These are changes we can all make before we enter the world of travel again. Do you have any other sustainable travel tips? Let me know in the comments below.
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Bejal Gosai says:
Sustainable travel really resonates with me and very glad that this time has lead us all to this positive way of thinking. There are some great ideas here for everyone Sima. I usually choose small abodes which take part in lots of social responsibility projects and before selecting where I’m staying, asking for their sustainability policy to look through.
Sima Sthanakiya says:
We’re now more open to staying at smaller properties now that the girls are older. They no longer need things that are usually only available in larger hotels/resorts. And yes this is a very welcome positive from this whole C word fiasco.
Emma @ Adventures of a London Kiwi says:
This is an excellent list of suggestions and thoughts to bare in mind. (Amazingly, we’ve had the most beautiful star filled skies since the C-word…)
Sima Sthanakiya says:
Thanks love! Let’s just hope something good comes out of this with people travelling more mindfully and responsibly.
Phoebe says:
All great points for sustainable travel, my only comment as a holiday cottage owner is to try and find the Airbnb place direct and book direct. This way all the money goes to a local small business and not one of the world’s biggest corporations (in the USA!) Of course I list my place on Airbnb but I give plenty of clues as to how to find it direct and when people do make that effort they also pay less. Just another tip for buying local!
Sima Sthanakiya says:
I’d never thought of that Phoebe. Good tip!